A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE AT WALI'I 6ll 



ders ' * in their hands. It is appropriate that this dance should 

 be given by men from the Tanoan pueblo, Hano, as it was 

 probably introduced by men of the same stock from tlie Rio 

 Grande region, by whom this village was settled. 



Third Act. 

 A new set of actors made their presence known at the en- 

 trance to the kiva soon after the departure of the buffaloes, but 

 these were found, on entering, to be very unlike those who had 

 preceded them. They brought no sun screens nor serpent 

 effigies with them, but were clothed in ceremonial kilts, and 

 wore masks shaped like helmets. They were called Putikon 

 Katcinas, and were accompanied by two men, dressed like 

 women, one representing their grandmother and the other their 

 mother. The former personated Kokyamvuqti,^ or Spider- 

 Woman, and wore a closely-fitting mask with white crescentic 

 eyes painted on a blackened face, and white hair made of raw 

 cotton. She danced before the fire in the middle of the room, 

 gracefully posturing her body and arms, while the others sang 

 and danced to the beat of a drum. As the actors filed out of 

 the room Spider- Woman distributed to the spectators seeds of 

 corn, melon, and the like.^ 



Fourth Act. 



After the audience had sat silent for about a quarter of an 



hour men were heard walking on the roof and strange cries 



came down the hatchway. Again the fire tenders called to the 



visitors to enter, and muffled responses, as of masked persons 



1 Ancient Hopi ladders were notched logs, some of which are still extant on 

 the East Mesa. In the winter solstice ceremony at Hano there stand, back of 

 the altars, notched slats of wood called 'sun ladders,' which are supposed to be 

 efficacious in rites recalling the sun, or aiding an enfeebled sun to rise out of his 

 ' home.' The prayer sticks carried by the buffalo maids arc imitations of these 

 ' sun ladders. ' 



2 This part was taken by Nanahe, a Hopi who has for many years made his 

 home at Zufii and returned to Walpi to be present at the dance. 



'The mother and grandmother of Puiikoh Katcinas naturally appear as rep- 

 resentatives of the ancients of some clan with which this special form of the 

 Katcina cult originated. Hahaiwuqti, who does not appear in this act, as in 

 the first and fifth, is represented by Kokyanwilqii, probably the same supernat- 

 ural, under a different name. 



