X(rri:n fx iioi'ilam) 



571 



exception of the last-iiieiitioiicil, which ac- 

 cordiugly merits some c-oiisideration. 



As explained al)Ove, the normal Katcina 

 season cdoses with the Niinan. But in 191 (i 

 a First mesa Hopi had vowed to jjerform a 

 certain special Katcina dance provided he 

 recovered from illne s. For some reason it 

 proved impiacticable to intercalate this extra 

 performance into the crowded Katcina calen- 

 dar; accordingly it was necessary to insert 

 it after the Niman. But here a difficulty 

 arose. It was logically absurd to have a 

 Katcina dance after the official farewell of 

 the Katcinas. Worse than that, it outraged 

 all traditional Hopi notions of the fitness of 

 things. The dilemma was overcome by an 

 argument that might have shed luster on 

 some medieval casuist. The First mesa 

 comprises three villages, — Walpi and Sicho- 

 movi, which are inhabited by Hopi; and 

 Hauo, where an offshoot of the unrelated 

 TeAva of the Eio Grande region has long 

 been settled. Now, the Niman of the First 

 mesa is always celebrated at Walpi. Hence, 

 the Hopi argued, it is true that no Katcina 

 dance can be held after the Niman at Walpi ; 

 but it is perfectly legitimate for the same 

 people Avlio participated to go several hun- 

 dred yards eastward to the plaza of Hano 

 and hold the ceremony there. Accordingly, 

 it was performed there several weeks after 

 the traditionally final celebration of a Kat- 

 cina dance. 



The ceremony was conducted by its 

 pledger, Ho'nau'o, whose costume differed 

 from that of the other participants in that 

 he wore a shirt, trousers, a snoutless mask, 

 and a feathered headdress. Two unmasked 

 men were equipped with pouches of corn 

 meal, with which they liberally sprinkled the 

 line of dancers, passing from one to the 

 other and casting a j^inch on each at a time. 

 One man, whose mask was distinguished by 

 drooping moustachios, was seated on a chair 

 vigorously beating a big drum, but the 

 greater part of the music was furnished by 

 the dancers themselves, who held gourd rat- 

 tles in their right hands and had turtle-shell 

 rattles tied to one leg in such a way as to 

 produce characteristic sounds at each move- 

 ment. The rank and file wore masks repre- 

 senting some horned animal, woven kilts 

 decorated with native designs, and a foxskin 

 hanging down at the back. Many wore arm- 

 lets and had their arms and bodies daubed 

 white with paint. Each had a collar of 

 spruce needles. 



The ccrenuiny licgaii in the morning and 

 ended about sunset. There can be no (jues- 

 tion that so far as the populace at large was 

 concerned it answei'ed the purposes of a 

 theatrical jierfoi'mance. The sides and roofs 

 of the Tcwa pla/.a were crowded with spec- 

 tatois. P>aid< of this stage the Katcinas 

 assumed their niuniniers' garb and made a 

 solemn entrance in single file, forming a line 

 on the noitli side. The druriinicr took his 

 seat and began beating his instrument, 

 Ho'nau'o signaled directions, and the rank 

 and file began to chant, shaking their lattles 

 and stamping one foot. Without moving 

 from their ])osition, they would sometimes 

 execute a violent turnabout face at the di- 

 I'ector's l)ehest, and from time to time ex- 

 tended a feathered wand held in the left 

 hand. While they were indulging in this 

 relatively mild exercise, one participant 

 danced outside their line, now jumping up 

 and down with the utmost vigor, then again 

 proceeding with exaggerated gravity, and 

 altogether cutting the queerest capers of 

 which he was capable. The two unmasked 

 performers would pass along tln' line, sjirin- 

 kling the performers with corn meal. 



After completing their chant, all the 

 dancers proceeded toward the west side of 

 the plaza, forming the arc of a circle, where 

 they went through exactly the same perform- 

 ance. After this a third dance was executed 

 on the south side, and then the performers 

 withdrew to rest and remove their disguise. 

 Throughout the morning the same "act" Avas 

 repeated Avith intermissions of from twenty 

 to twenty-five minutes. 



In the afternoon new features were added. 

 For one thing, the dancers before forming 

 their usual alignment Avould distribute gifts 

 of food to the children in the audience. But 

 the essential novelty was the entrance of 

 three clowns, who thenceforth held the stage 

 even when the dancers had retired. They 

 were all Tewa men, though their speech Avas 

 Hopi. Their costume consisted of a crude 

 clout, a footgear of rags and a double- 

 ])ronged headdress of sheepskin. From the 

 top of the pi-ongs down to the feet they Avere 

 daubed Avith alternate zones of grayish 

 and black paint. In the nuddle of the plaza 

 a little tree had been planted to synd)olize 

 "the home of the clowns." From someAvhere 

 they produced a little doll, and this repre- 

 sented their housekeeper. One of their prin- 

 cipal aims seemed to be to gather together 



