Nov., 1903. OrAibi Summer Sxake Ceremony — Voth. 309 



6.— MUTUAL EVENING CEREMONY IN THE ANTELOPE Kl'VA. 



It has- already been noted that the Snakes, upon their arrival in 

 the Antelope kiva, first halt at the foot of the ladder and then, after 

 their leader has expressed a good wish and all have sprinkled meal 

 towards the altar, seat themselves east of the altar. Furthermore, 

 that the Antelopes are ready for the ceremony, the youth and maid, 

 tiponi and bdtfti in hand, standing at the north side, the asperger and 

 pipelighter sitting on the south side, and the novices and other partici- 

 pants squatting on the east side of the altar. As soon as the Snakes 

 have seated themselves the pipelighter lights a cigarette at the fire- 

 place, hands it to Tobdngotiwa, exchanging with him terms of relation- 

 ship. The latter smokes a little while and then hands the cigarette 

 to the Snake chief, who also smokes, handing the cigarette to the next 

 man, and thus along the line until consumed. A second cigarette has 

 in the mean while been handed by the pipelighter to Sihongwa, which 

 is smoked by him and the Antelope priests. A third cigarette is 

 smoked by the asperger and pipelighter. The kel^hoyas do not 

 smoke. 



After the smoking, Tobengotiwa takes out all of the crooks and 

 sticks on the west, Sihongwa those on the east side of the altar, except 

 the crook at the extreme south end of each row. The long straight 

 sticks are also left in their pedestals, A crook is given to each Ante- 

 lope priest, each kel^hoya, and to the asperger; the rest are laid on 

 the floor. On one occasion — in 1898 — some of the Snakes who had 

 been on the snake hunt came in somewhat belated, and when it was 

 found that the Snake priest had not brought enough whips with him, 

 the Antelope priest handed them crooks. As it happened, one was 

 handed a straight stick, which, however, was promptly refused. The 

 Snake priest has in the mean while distributed the snake whips to his 

 men, and the live snake, which he brought in the snake bag, to the 

 Antelope youth. The latter grasps the snake with his right hand 

 behind the neck and thus holds it throughout the ceremony. In his 

 left hand he holds a tiponi, as has already been stated. 



The chief Antelope priest now utters the following prayer: "Ita 

 ctikaokahkang pawasiotiwani" (We joyfully shall commence to hold 

 this ceremony), whereupon the singing commences, generally at about 

 half-past five o'clock in the afternoon. (See PI. 164.) During the 

 singing the sprinkler dips his aspergill into the medicine bowl every 

 few minutes and asperges towards the altar, and upward. It has thus 

 far been impossible to obtain the songs of this ceremony. Those few 

 who know them refuse to give them up, and those who might be will- 



