Feb., 1912. The Oraibi Marau Ceremony — Voth. 59 



J shaft runs a string of red fringes, made of a horse's mane, the string 

 being fastened to each end of the shaft. This wand is used by a priestess 



1 in the public performance the next day (see Plates XIX and XX). 



I The men also fixed up an old square shield (see Plate XVII), which is 

 about 16 inches long and about 12 inches wide at the top, and about 

 10 inches at the bottom. This shield is called bawayoykashi. The 



j name refers to copious rains or rain water. (A similar shield, worn 



I by Flute-priests, is called the same.) It is made of a framework of 

 sticks over which old native cloth is stretched. The two flat side 

 pieces are slightly bent at the top, forming crooks as it were. Along 

 the upper edge are fastened small red feathers and in the centre a 

 bunch of larger white fuzzy eagle feathers. Along the lower edge is 

 fastened a string of red horsehair, two eagle tail feathers being sus- 

 pended at the middle of the lower rim. The upper half of the shield 

 is painted green, the lower half red, the bent portion of the side pieces 

 of the frame, yellow. On the lower end of each of these slabs is painted 

 an ear of corn. In the middle of the shield is depicted a figure with a 

 human face, but otherwise resembling an eagle. This picture evidently 

 represents Muyingwuu, the God of Germination, who plays such a 

 conspicuous part in the Hopi ceremoniology under different names. 1 

 When this shield is finished it is placed west of the altar. 



Furthermore, the four peculiar headdresses which are worn on the 

 next day by four priestesses, as will be described later, are prepared on 

 this day. They consist of a ring of tightly twisted strands of black and 

 green yarn. Into this ring are inserted at three different places sticks 

 about 1 8 inches long, the upper ends of which are tied together so that 

 a pyramid-shaped frame is formed. To the apex is fastened a bunch 

 of long, red horsehair, a parrot feather and two eagle tail feathers. 

 On each side of the ring is fastened horizontally another eagle tail 

 feather, the tips pointing backward. To the quill ends are also attached 

 small bunches of eagle feathers. To the front of the ring is fastened a 

 roll of corn-husks which is tightly wound with black and white yarn 

 so that long black and white squares are formed. Around each end 

 of this roll is wound a small amount of loose red wool and into each end 

 are thrust two large and a number of small hawk feathers (see Plates 

 XXI and XXII). 



In the ceremony of 1903 a peculiar ceremonial costume was pre- 

 pared in addition to the above named objects. This consisted, first, 

 of a cap, made of a band of rawhide, to fit around the head, to which 



1 The personage which is usually called Alosaka in some of the other villages is, in my opinion, 

 identical with this deity. The figurine Chowilawuu on the Oraibi Powamu altar seems to represent 

 the same deity and at the Katcina initiation, during the Powmau ceremony, Muyingwuu is represented 

 by the chief Powamu priest (see "The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony" by H. R. Voth, PI. LVII). 



