FEWKES] THE MISHONGNOVI MACILENYA ALTAR 989 
Tur MisHonenovi Frutrre ALTARS 
There were two Flute altars at Mishongnovi, one called the Cakwa- % 
lefiya (Blue Flute), the other Macilefya (Drab Flute). The chiet ot 
the Cakwalenya had a tiponi on his altar, but although the chief of 
the Drab Flute had one of these sacred palladia in the room, it was 
not in its customary position on the altar. The author noticing this 
fact. asked to see his tiponi. The chief showed it, unwinding its 
wrappings, but failed to explain satisfactorily why he did not set it in 
its proper place. The only explanation of this failure is a theoretical 
one, that the tiponi was not a true Drab Flute palladium. Walpi 
has. as is known, no Drab Flute tiponi, and as there is close resem- 
blance between ceremdnies at Walpi and Mishongnovi, it would not 
be strange if the same were true of the latter pueblo. Both Oraibi 
and Shipaulovi have this badge, which will probably likewise be found 
in Shumopovi. It would seem that subordinate societies may celebrate 
their part of a rite without a chieftain’s badge, but the celebration is 
on that account lacking in ardor. This is the case with the Snake dance 
in Tusayan, which is nowhere celebrated with so much fervor as at 
Walpi; for in all the five villages which hold this festival there is but 
one Snake tiponi, that of the Snake chief at Walpi. 
The reredos of the Macilefya altar (figure 43) consisted of two up- 
rights supporting a flat wooden arch. The uprights were incised with 
three rows of concave depressions arranged vertically. The tranverse 
portion, or arch, bore four figures of rain clouds outlined by black 
borders, from which depended a row of parallel black lines repre- 
senting falling rain. The lower third of the arch had two rows of con- 
savities, similar to those on the uprights. The reredos stood in front 
of a bank of maize stacked at the end of the room, a feature common to 
all Flute altars, but not shown in the accompanying illustration. The 
parts of the altar were tied together with yucea shreds, and were held 
in place with wooden pegs. On the floor at the right-hand side of the 
altar, leaning against the wall, there were two rectangular tiles, each 
of which was decorated with rain-cloud symbols and dragonflies. 
Two figurines were set on small heaps of sand in front of the rere- 
dos—one on the right, called the Flute youth; the other on the left, 
the Flute maid. These figurines were armless effigies, with prom1- 
nent lateral appendages to the head in the place of ears. Each of these 
appendages was tipped with radiating rods connected by red yarn, 
and resembled a symbolic squash blossom. The cheeks bore triangular 
markings. Six feathers, three on each side, projected at right angles 
from the sides of the body, and a narrow painted band, consisting of 
alternate blocks of black and white, was made along the medial line, 
extending from a symbolic figure of a rain cloud upon which half an 
ear of maize was painted. These two figurines are similar in position 
and shape to the effigies on other Flute altars, as elsewhere described, 
