594 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1920. 



of a rain cloud was made on the sand in meal. This altar, a view of 

 which is here shown (pi. 2), is replaced in the elaborate new fire 

 ceremony by one with an upright frame decorated with symbols, 

 but the simplified form reveals its purpose. This is the altar of the 

 God of Germination and the rites performed about it have a similar 

 intent to those of the germ altar erected in the winter solstice cere- 

 mony at Oraibi which has only one sand mound and the ears of 

 com are replaced by " cones " representing the germ god. 



In corroboration of the claim of the Horn priests that their fra- 

 ternity originated in the north, we find many pictographs of the 

 mountain sheep and men with horns on their heads playing flutes on 

 cliffs near the cliff houses of the north. 7 We likewise find objects 

 made of basketry with two horns that may have been former head- 

 dresses of the Horn priests. The Aaltu kindle the new fire with 

 wooden fire sticks similar to those found in cliff dwellings. 



The remaining two fraternities that observe the November fire 

 ceremony serve as chorus while the fire is being kindled. The ances- 

 tors of the chief one of these, Tataukyamu, belonged to the tobacco 

 clan and came from the historic pueblo, Awatobi, many of the in- 

 habitants of which were massacred by the other Hopi in 1700 A. D. 



A few uninitiated men and all women and children are debarred 

 entrance into the kiva during the new fire rite, but almost every male 

 in the village takes part in the ceremony. 



The new fire ceremony is not only the most complicated among 

 the Hopi but its many component rites are the most difficult to 

 explain. The old chief once told me, " There are many things in this 

 ceremony that I might explain to you if you could only understand 

 them, but you can not." Alas, too true ! The author believes the 

 mind of the white man is unable to think along the lines of the un- 

 tutored Indian and therefore it is most difficult for an Indian to 

 explain esoteric things to an ethnologist. 



There is probably no more complicated or solemn ceremony in 

 the whole Hopi ritual than that of the new fire. On the day when 

 this fire is kindled all other fires in the pueblo are extinguished, 

 and the streets are dark and deserted. The women and children 

 secrete themselves in the houses and most of the men of the place 

 are in the kivas engaged in the rites. All the trails to the pueblo 

 are symbolically closed; no living thing is suffered to enter the 

 place. The symbolical closing of the trail is an ancient custom. 

 When it is said to be opened prayer meal is sprinkled lengthwise 

 along it but when closed a meal mark is drawn at right angles to 

 the pathway. No one is allowed to cross this mark with impunity, 



1 The author applies the name, Tcamahia, to the cliff dwellers of the San Juan. The 

 same name is also given by the Hopi to celts characteristic of this valley, several of 

 which are owned by the Ala and Snake families at Walpi. 



