Ji NE, 1902. The Mishongnovi Ceremonies — Dorsey. 237 



DECORATION AND COSTUME OK ANTELOPE PRIESTS. 



In the Antelope kivaa similar scene had been taking place, but 

 here were found two different types of body decoration. The young 

 and middle-aged men, six or seven in number, painted their arms 

 from their elbows to their wrists white, and their shoulders well 

 down on to the breast were painted entirely white. From these, two 

 stripes were continued on each side of the median line of the breast. 

 These lines terminated in a band of white four inches in width, which 

 entirely circled the body at the waist. The middle of the lower legs 

 to the tips of the toes was painted white with a band, also white, 

 above and below the knee. 



The old men and the small boys had the extremities of both arms 

 and legs painted as were those of the middle-aged men described. 

 They also had around their waists a band of white, but from this 

 waist-band passed two zigzag lines which ran up to the shoulder and 

 then down the front surface of each arm where it joined the band 

 around the lower arm. In front of each leg was a zigzag line termin- 

 ating in a white band above the ankles. 



The chin of all of the priests, including the old, middle-aged 

 men and the boys, was blackened with specular iron, its upper bound- 

 ary being a white line which passed over the lower tip of the upper 

 lip and extended from ear to ear. The costume of the Antelope men 

 differed greatly from that of the Snake priests. Around the waist of 

 the majority of the priests was the ordinary katcina kilt and sash, 

 both fastened on the right side. From behind and thrust into the 

 kilt depended a fox-skin. Around the ankles were katcina ankle 

 bands and around the left wrist and both legs just below the knees 

 were strands of blue yarn, while over the right shoulder and passing 

 down under the left arm was a yarn bandoleer. 



While the above description of the costume of the Antelope 

 priests answers for the majority of the men, yet there are a few excep- 

 tions: for example, a few had no ankle bands, while others did not 

 have the yarn wristlet or a yarn band on the leg, but the probabilities 

 are that these seeming irregularities in the costume are devoid of 

 meaning and are simply due to the fact that the individual priests did 

 not possess these objects. As a matter of fact, during the prepara- 

 tion of the men for the dance, such remarks as these were often 

 heard: " I can not find my fox-skin." "The moths have destroyed 

 my bandoleer." "I must try to borrow a wristlet." "Well, I shall 

 have to do without it," etc., etc. There were, however, among the 

 priests two or three innovations from the costume as described above 

 which are not due to accident and which deserve notice. Two of the 



