Nov., 1903. OrAibi Summer Snake Ceremony — Voth. 325 



verbatim, my informant claims — the water carrier speeding on while 

 they do so. After they have both repeated the speech, both twirl 

 their bullroarers and shoot their lightning frames, and then they also 

 start, but both describing an elongated half-circuit from and again to 

 the trail, one on one, the other on the other side; where they meet 

 each one crosses to the opposite side and a'gain runs in a half-circle 

 from and again to the trail, but always making towards the village. 

 This they do four times in all. At the places where they cross the 

 trail they shoot the lightning frames. When they cross the first time 

 the racers give a yell which is the signal for the priests in the Ante- 

 lope kiva to commence the singing. This signal is transmitted to the 

 kfva in the following manner. At the edge of the mesa is seated a 

 man and on one of the houses close to the kiva, sometimes on the ki'va 

 roof, a woman. As soon as the man hears the yell he jumps up and 

 immediately the woman notifies the men in the kfva that the racers 

 have started, whereupon the singing commences. 



It has already been stated that the water carrier had run ahead 

 with the water vessel. To the one that overtakes him first he hands 

 the vessel and the long chochokpi ' and then runs on with the racers. 

 Those things now become the objects of contention for the racers. If 

 one overtakes the holder of them the latter has to hand them over to 

 his successful rival, and he to the next one, if one overtake him, etc. 

 Along the route the racers are met by the participants in the cere- 

 mony from both kfvas, who, as already stated, do not really participate 

 in the race, at least not the entire length of the route, but join the 

 racers along the route after having deposited prayer offerings in the 

 shrines. Those (two I believe) from the Snake kfva who have bull- 

 roarers twirl them occasionally. Nearer and nearer the line of racers 

 approaches the mesa. Those who have gone after corn-stalks have in 

 the mean while gathered at the foot of the mesa to greet and then 

 accompany the racers. Some of the smaller boys await them on 

 ledges higher up. The edge of the mesa is usually lined with hun- 

 dreds of spectators (see PI. 166), whose eyes are turned towards the 

 valley four hundred feet below. At the place where the trail reaches 

 the top of the mesa stand several grim-looking snake priests, in their 

 usual costume and decoration, with their bags of sacred meal to sprinkle 

 the racers as they sweep by them. (See Pis. 167, 168, and 169.) 



Shortly after sunrise the first racers arrive at the edge of the 

 mesa panting and bathed in perspiration. The first one carries the 

 netted gourd vessel and the chochdkpi. He is preceded and accom- 



' This may be done anywhere before he reaches the kiva. It no one overtakes him he takes 

 it into the kiva himself, where it is taken care of in the usual manner, and then handed to the first 

 racer reaching the kiva. 



