June, 1902. The Mishongnovi Ceremonies — Dorsev. 217 



the preparation of certain bahos, which were to be used during the 

 day, taking down the bundle of decorticated sticks, which he had 

 suspended from a peg in the wall. Placing some meal in a bag, he 

 took one of the nakwakwosis and one of the bahos, which consisted 

 of a single stick, to which, near the upper end, were attached two 

 nakwakwosis, into a bag and prayed over them and gave them to 

 Lomawungyai, who deposited them east of Mishongnovi near the 

 Walpi trail near some bush; this is generally done when the offerings 

 are not deposited in a spfecial shrine. In this case the man was 

 going to look after his crop and the chief priest sent an offering along, 

 which is often done. The Antelope priest again uttered a prayer and 

 took up four nakwakwosis and four single green bahos with two nak- 

 wakwosis attached, one of each of which he gave to each of four 

 priests, two of whom now enter the kiva, whereupon they left the 

 kiva, one of them going to the north, one to the west, one to the 

 south, and one to the east, where each deposited his offerings in one 

 of the four world quarters. These offerings to the four world quar- 

 ters should all be borne by Antelope priests, but owing to the fact 

 that on this morning it was not convenient, the places of two of them 

 were taken by Snake priests. Anyone may be sent and the offerings 

 are deposited anywhere just so that the directions from the villages 

 are observed. Usually, however, they are deposited near some bush 

 or bunch of grass or herbs. 



During this act on the part of the chief priest the assistant Ante- 

 lope priest had continued the making of the bahos, working on two 

 sets of four each of some prayer offerings which were to serve for a 

 similar ceremony on the morrow. Lomanakshu now took up his bag 

 containing the snake and his snake whip and returned to the Snake 

 kiva. It was then half-past seven o'clock. 



Although the ceremony was concluded, we remained in the Ante- 

 lope kiva for a few minutes longer. The priests were working or 

 sitting about the fire and smoking and talking over the events of the 

 early morning. It was readily apparent that all labored under great 

 emotion, and as they discussed the varying themes of the morning 

 ceremony, and especially as they dwelt upon the fact that their 

 prayers for rain had apparently been answered in such an auspicious 

 manner, two of the older priests gave way to violent sobbing, in 

 which the element of joy no doubt predominated. 



On entering the Snake kiva, it now being ten minutes of eight, 

 we found a number of priests engaged in fraternal smoking about the 

 hearth. Luke and Choshnimtiwa now left the kiva and returned in 

 a few minutes, Luke bearing a large earthenware bowl about a foot 



