FEWKES] RAIN PRIESTS 311 



Mrs Stevenson does not make it clear who tliese fonrteen (six) so- 

 called Alishiwanni are, but ealls them "rain i)riests." She intimates 

 that they appeal directly to tlie Sun fatlier, their snpi-eme deity, and to 

 tlie rain makers, while the "societies" address '-the beast gods of their 

 worsliip to intercede with tlic Sun father and rain maimers." There 

 is apparently no parallelism between these conditions and those at 

 Tusayan, but I can readdy lind trntli ni the statement when applied to 

 tlie Ilopi that "no society convenes without giving much time to invo- 

 cations for rain.'' I am sure tliat some of tlie societies at Tusayan do 

 not ai)peal to the beast gods to intercede with the Sun father and rain 

 makers, but address the latter directly in their prayers. In this par- 

 ticular there is certainly a marked diflerence between the conceptions 

 back of the rites in Tusayan and those ascribed to the Cibolans.' 



The custom of the YokinioFiwi, or rain chief, retiring alone to a cell 

 to pray for rain was practiced in Tusayan. One of these retreats is to 

 be seen at the ]\liddle mesa. Among the foothills tliere is a block of 

 sandstone, 1~> feet long, 5 i'eet wide, and 4 feet thick. Its flat face is 

 about horizontal or slightly tilted toward the northeast. Portions of a 

 rongh wall are still in jtlace under the block, confiriiiiiig the story that 

 tliere was here formerly a chamber of which the block was the roof. An 

 aperture on the northeastern corner, about 20 inches square, is usually 

 closed with loose stones, but the chamber is now filled in with sand to 

 within about - feet of the roof or lower surfoce of the slab. The inte- 

 rior of the chamber was about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. On the 

 roof, which was painted white, are figures of j-ellow, green, red, and 

 white rain clouds with parallel lines of falling rain and zigzag lightning 

 symbols iu conventional patterns. To this chamber, it is said, the Rain 

 chief of the Water people retired at planting time and lived there six- 

 teen days, his food being brought to him by a girl during his vigils. He 



people, it is abailnl to say that "what is written of one is true also of tUo otlier." Long ago tlieir 

 systems may have been identical; at present tbey have more or less diiierentiateil one from the other. 

 In Zuni, according to JIrs Stevenson, "at the winter and summer solstices synchronal meetings of 

 most of these societies are held, and also at other times." After having carefully studied the cere- 

 monials at the time of the summer solstice at Tusayan, 1 have not found any synchronal meetings of 

 the societies whicli correspond with those nu^ntioned as occurring at Zufii at that time. 



'It is desirable that the names of the priests who officiate in ceremonials be given in extended 

 accounts of them in order that the intimate character of this sacerdotal organization may be made 

 out. Until llie names nl' the members of ttie ditl'erent societies are complete we arc more or less liam- 

 pered iu our studies. The Zuni equivalent of wyinpkiaaiipears to be kyalikwe {Tcihkyalikwc, .Snake 

 priests; from tcihtola, snake, and kyalikwe, wympkia). I am unable to tell to what i)ricsts in Tusayan 

 the "Alishiw anni" correspond. The Tawa (Sun) wympkia or Sun priests have certain ]ioint3 in com- 

 mon with them, but this is as truly an esoteric society as an,y iu Tusayan. I have elsewhere described 

 the Tewa ceremony iu which the Sun priests make the pdhos aud their chief, K.^lacai, appeals directly 

 to the rising sun. In that same ceremony p.-ihos are likewise made to the Rain gods directly. In the 

 Katcina celel>rations some of the same Sun priests, however, appeal to the leader of the Katcinas to 

 bring them rain, and this jiersonage replies that he will. In this case, supposing, as I think we justly" 

 can, that the Katcinas are interces.«itrs between men and gods of highest rank, we h.ave in Tusayan 

 the poasihlo equivalent of the "Alishiwauni (rain priests)" intrusting their i>rayers to a zoomorphic 

 and anthropomoridiic supernatural personage. Tlie pra.ver of .1 single chief for rain for tlie people, 

 showing something simibar to the so-called Ahshiwauni at Ziifii, are not uncommon iu Tusayan. In 

 Tusayan an organization of rain priests is not dilferentiated at the jiresent day from the otlier socie- 

 ties. All holders <it' wimis arc Kain priests, as well as the organization called the Sun jiriests, and all 

 at times make special ]>rayer3 to the Kain i:ods. 



