Feb., 1905. 



Oraibi Natal Customs — Voth. 



55 



mother washes her feel, body, and arms while the child is being bathed. 

 A branch of juniper is placed in the water, and usually also a hot stone. 

 On one occasion the mother stood over the bowl containing the branch 

 and stone, thus receiving, as it were, a steam-bath. On another occa- 

 sion the stone and wet juniper twjg were placed on the floor, and while 

 the mother held her feet over them — first the one and then the other 

 - they were washed by one of the aunts. In fact, this performance 

 varies in small details on different occasions. 



The water used for these baths is always tepid, and the wrappings 

 of the child are warmed at the fire while it is subjected to a new bath. 

 It often happens that 

 when the little one has 

 just gone to sleep in his 

 warm coverings, a new 

 aunt arrives, and it is 

 taken out of its wrap- 

 pings and subjected to a 

 new bath and a new 

 name, which may be re- 

 peated in a few minutes. 

 When all the aunts have 

 done their duty as de- 

 scribed, the last of the 

 four lines on the four 

 walls of the room are 

 scraped off either by the 



grandmother or by one of the aunts of the child. The meal, together with 

 the water in which the mother has bathed herself, some sand on which the 

 bowl had been placed to absorb any water that might be spilled, etc., is 

 taken by one of the relatives to the place outside of the village on which 

 the placenta, sand, tray, etc., were placed on the first day, as has already 

 been recorded. On one occasion I noticed that a vessel containing some 

 urine of the mother was also taken along, and I am told that this is done 

 every day. The godmother and the mother of the child leave the house 

 and go to the edge of the mesa east of the village, the godmother carrying 

 the child, the two ears of corn, and both some sacred meal. In the 

 case of a primapara, the young mother puts on her bridal moccasins 

 and the larger of her two white bridal robes for this solemn occasion. 

 Sometimes the mother carries the two ears of corn. At the edge of the 

 mesa they turn their faces towards the rising sun. The grandmother, 

 holding the child in her left arm, touches its breast with the two corn 

 ears, and then waves them towards the rising sun. See Fig. 5. Turning 



Fig. 4. Holding the ears of corn to the breast of 

 the child, and >j[iving it its first name. 



