274 Field Columbian Museum— Anthropology, Vol. III. 



Puhtinomtiwa, who, under normal circumstances, will also retain the 

 office permanently. 



TIME OF THE CEREMONY. 



The Snake ceremony takes place in every alternate year in the 

 villages of Oraibi, Shongopavi, Shipaiilovi, Mishongnovi, and Walpi; 

 in the first three in the years of even, in the last two in the years of 

 uneven numbers. The date 6i a Snake ceremony is partly regulated 

 by the Niman Katcina (Departing Katcina) ceremony in July, the 

 preliminary Snake ceremony usually taking place on the fourth day 

 after the public Niman-Katcina dance. This rule, however, is not 

 without exceptions. The condition of the crops (especially of the 

 melon crops) and other matters enter into the consideration of the 

 date. If the drought is very great and the crop suffers, the ceremony 

 is sometimes somewhat hastened; if such is not the case, a few days 

 are sometimes given the melon crop to mature a little better. In 1898 

 the drought was severe, and when the Snake priest still delayed the 

 announcement of the ceremony considerable uneasiness was manifested 

 in the village, and pressure was brought to bear on the old priest to 

 hasten the ceremony and thus to secure for the perishing crop the 

 much needed rain. The following table shows the dates of the Snake 

 ceremony in Oraibi from the year 1896: 



In 1896, from August 11 to August 19. 

 In 1898, from August 14 to August 22. 

 In 1900, from August 11 to August 19. 

 In 1902,^ from August 18 to August 26. 

 The principal ceremony, which lasts nine days, is preceded by a 

 preliminary ceremony, which will be described in a special chapter. 

 This takes place nine days before the first day of the principal cere- 

 mony, not counting this first ceremonial day; so that, for instance, in 

 1896 and 1900 it took place on the 2d, in 1898 on the 5th, day of 

 August. 



THE PRELIMINARY CEREMONY (BAHOLAWU). 



As so few of the preliminary Hopi ceremonials have thus far been 

 observed and still fewer have been described in print, it has been 

 thought best to describe each of these ceremonies separately. 



> The ceremony of 1902 was not observed, as the author was absent from OrAibi, and no one, I 

 understand, was allowed to witness any of the secret ceremonies. 



