Feb., 1912. The Oraibi Marau Ceremony — Voth. 65 



corn-stalks with the young ears on them. Several women receive them 

 at the kiva and place the stalks, with many askawalis (thanks), against 

 the kiva. 



At about six o'clock the chief priest takes down the natsi and on one 

 occasion one of the women brought into the kiva a bowl with water 

 and a dark powder (called muit sikwiata) for use, I think, in the final 

 discharming rite. 



While all this is going on, more women have been coming into the 

 kiva wearing their white ceremonial blankets (with red and dark blue 

 borders on two sides), their faces daubed with sacred meal. 



The chief priest now places the medicine bowl and the six ears 

 of corn near the sticks, bows, etc., north of the fire-place, and he and 

 the other men squat down around the fire-place. Usually there are 

 about six men in the kiva by this time. They wait until the women 

 have all come in. The latter then arrange themselves in an oblong 

 circle, the chief priestess standing cast of the ladder, and then the 

 corn-stalks are handed in; two women are outside, two on the ladder 

 and one hands a bunch to each woman, who holds it with the stub 

 end resting on the floor. The women have in the meantime com- 

 menced to sing and the men smoke. The chief priest gives to each 

 woman a pinch of meal and sprinkles them with water from the medi- 

 cine bowl. When the corn has been distributed, the five Marau-Takas 

 come over from the Flute kiva and take a position west of the fire-place 

 within the circle, formed by the other women. Each wear a man's 

 blue woolen shirt, such as now are worn usually in ceremonies only. 

 The first in the line wears on her back the ikwilna or green shield 

 described on a previous page. On her head she wears the lan-kopa- 

 choki described in the notes of the eighth day. She also wears a man's 

 ceremonial kilt and sash, from which is suspended behind a fox skin; 

 man's ankle bands, a woman's belt, many beads, etc. In her left hand 

 she carries the wand with the horse-mane fringes, nothing in her right 

 hand, but from the wrist is also suspended a fox skin. 



Next in the line are the two archers to whom are handed the bows 

 and arrows and the bundle of vines, the wrist protectors having been 

 put on their wrists before. Then follow the two lancers to whom the 

 two long sticks, which in all probability represent lances, and the two 

 rings are handed by the man who prepared the bows, arrows, etc., and 

 who also thrusts an ear of corn behind the belt on the back of each 

 woman. These four women also wear a blue shirt, sash, kilt, woman's 

 belt, fox skin, beads, etc., but on the head they wear the pyramid- 

 shaped headdresses (Marau-vitanaksi). All five have a black line 

 painted around the legs right above the knee, another one around the 



