THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



485 



Fi^. 130. 



SECOND HEAD RING OF NENALAATS'EQA. 



Koskinio. 



Cat. No. 175498, U. S. N. M. Collected by F. Boas. 



The opening phrase of this sono- means that the dancer for whom the 

 words of this song were modified had taken the pUice of her deceased 

 brother, who, therefore, in her had resurrected. 



Finally, I will describe the dances instituted by Wina'lag'ilis, namely 

 the ma/maq'a, t'o'X'uit, liawI'nalaL, and a^'mlala. All of tliese wear 

 ornaments of hemlock; no red 

 cedar bark. They are all con- 

 sidered war dances. 



ma'maq'a. 



The ma/maq'a, or thrower, per- 

 forms a dance in which he is sn\)- 

 posed to throw disease into the 

 people. He enters the house naked 

 except for a head ring, neck ring, 

 waistband, bracelets, and anklets of 

 hemlock. His hands are laid flat 

 to his haunches. Thus he runs with 

 short, quick steps around the fire, 

 looking upward with sudden move- 

 ments of his head, first to the right, 

 then to the left. When doing so, 

 he is looking for his supernatural power to come to him. All of a 

 sudden he claps his hands together and holds the palms flat one to 

 the other. Thus he moves his hands somewhat like a swimmer, up 

 an<l then in a long circle forward, downward, and, drawing them close 

 to his body, up again. Now he is holding his supernatural power, "the 



worm of the mfi'maq'a," be- 

 tween his palms. During all 

 this time he is continuing his 

 circuit in short, quick steps, 

 but he no longer looks up- 

 ward, (iraduallyhe takes his 

 palms apart, and between them 

 is seen the " ma'maq'a's worm." 

 This is either a small carved 

 si'siuL, or snake, or it is a stick 

 which is covered with bark. 

 The stick consists of several 

 tubes which fit into each other, 

 so that thedancercan lengthen 

 and shorten it. While the worm is thus seen to increase and decrease in 

 size, the mfi/maq'a resumes his motions of throwing, moving the closed 

 palms in circles, as described above. Suddenly he seems to throw the 

 implement which he is holding. At once all the people stoop and hide 

 under their blankets. Tlie implement has disappeared. He repeats 

 the performance. The second time when he throws the worm, it is 



Fig. 131. 

 MASK OF NENALAATS'EQA. 



Length of face, lOJ inches. 



at. >'o. llbA^T, U. S. N. M. Collected bv F. Boas. 



