Dec, 1903. The OrAibi Oaqol Ceremony — Voth. 23 



head. To his right wrist he had tied an old bell.' The woman had 

 white forearms, white feet, and her chin was also daubed black by Ngdsi. 

 She wore her regulation dress, but over it, in the form of a dress, the 

 large embroidered ceremonial blanket (ttiihi) (see PI. X), and over this, 

 on the upper part of her body, an embroidered katcina kilt, which was 

 folded under her right arm and the two ends tied together over her 

 left shoulder and on her left side. The ttiihi dress was held in place 

 by a white, knotted wukokwava (big belt), which was tied on her left 

 side. In her ears she wore a pair of tdoynahkas (square ear pendants, 

 inlaid with turquoise) and on her head a nakwakwosi, also taken from 

 a mongwikuru. Around her neck she wore numerous strands of beads 

 from which was suspended an abalone shell, around the ankles figured 

 katcina ankle bands, and to her left wrist she had tied an old bell. 



As soon as they were dressed they went behind the altar frame, 

 where they waited until the novices had been called and seated at 

 their usual places on the floor in the east side of the kiva. It was now 

 two o'clock in the morning. When all were seated, the women began 

 to sing, whereupon the two emerged from behind the altar. Masdtoi- 

 niwa held in both hands a netted wheel about twelve inches in diameter. 

 This was, as nearly as I could make out, of the same pattern as the 

 wheels used on the last day by the two Oaqol manas, consisting of a 

 wooden ring about three-quarters of an inch thick, which was filled 

 with a network of small meshes, leaving a small opening in the center. 

 This is called "bachaiyanpi" (water sieve), because the cloud deities 

 have such strainers through which they sift or drop the rain. The 

 women held in both hands a common pota.^ The two performed a 

 peculiar jumping' dance, forward, backward, and sideways, first 

 before the altar, then in front of the novices, always waving the 

 objects they held, up and down (as a wish, it is explained, that they, 

 the novices, may grow old), and from one side to the other and 

 towards the novices to the time of the singing. Having danced 

 before the novices a while they retreated to the altar, danced there, 

 then again in front of the novices, etc., dancing six times at both 

 places. Hereupon they handed the two objects to two women, who 

 said, "Askwali" (thanks)! The singing stopped and the two actors 

 disappeared behind the altar. 



In a few minutes they emerged again from behind the altar, the 



■ A number of these bells exist in Oraibi. They vary in size from two to six inches higrh and are 

 used in different ceremonies. Until a few years ago they were in charge of the Kwan (Agave) chief 

 priest, but owing to a quarrel between the liberal and conservative members of the order, they have 

 not always been returned of late years when being borrowed for use in ceremonials. 



* A basket tray, made on the second mesa. 



' I am told the jumping on the floor is to serve as an announcement to Milyingwa, the God 

 of Growth, who lives below, that the ceremony is in progress. 



