Feb., 191 2. The Oraibi Marau Ceremony — Voth. 55 



on opposite sides of the bowl holding it with both hands. All at once 

 f they dump the meal from the tray into the bowl, make a dough of this 

 mixture and then form about sixteen balls of it, which they place on the 

 tray with the nakwakwosis. After that they rub off the dough, that 

 adheres to their hands, with meal and then again hold the (now empty) 

 bowl until the singing stops. Four women of the ten leaders then 

 step forward, the chief priestess gives to each one a portion of the balls 

 and nakwakwosis, placing them into a corner of the blanket or cloak 

 that they wear over their dress. One then runs to the north, the 

 other to the west, the third to the south, and the fourth to the east 

 side of the village. Each one then runs from her point to the next 

 one, i. e., the one from the north side to the place where the one on 

 the west side started and so on, each one describing a fourth part of 

 a circle. While they run they throw away food balls and nakwakwosis 

 as an offering to the dead. It is the supposition that the spirits of 

 the departed come and get the food and the prayer feathers, or rather 

 the hikvsi (breath, essence, soul) of those objects. 1 



While these four women are gone the others begin to eat, the four 

 joining them when they return. On one occasion (in the ceremony 

 of 1897) there were about twenty women around the one and about 

 twelve around the other "table." The aged Tangakweima, who had 

 acted as chief priestess for the last time in 1895, then having been 

 succeeded by her daughter, had a seat at the head (north end) of one 

 of the boards; Wickwaya had a place at her right, then came Navini, 

 while the seat at her left was occupied by Qoyamonoma (No. 10), at 

 whose left sat Ootchnomsi, Wickwaya 's sister who, for the first time, 

 acted as chief priestess. 



After supper nothing of importance takes place until after twelve 

 o'clock at night. The time is spent in singing, talking, joking, smoking 

 (by the men), etc. A few more men and a number of new women 

 usually come in this evening. On one occasion I counted about forty 

 persons in the kiva. 



Fifth Day (Nalosh tala, Fourth Day). 

 As the participants in the ceremony had been up all night and 

 various performances took place during the night, the description of 

 this day's doings begins where that of the previous day ended, at 

 twelve o'clock at night. The time from midnight until one o'clock is 

 spent in practically the same way as that from supper until midnight : 

 in singing, talking, eating, joking, etc. Now and then one will go to 



1 The custom of not only informing the ancestors and friends in the other world that a ceremony 

 is in progress here, but also of providing the means to have them share in its benefits has also been 

 observed in other ceremonies. 



