RADIX] THE PEYOTE CXJLT 417 



Wlien the leader stops singing he walks to the, crescent by the 

 fireplace and begins praying again. After the prayer he burns some 

 more cedar needles. The reason for drinking water at midnight is 

 because Clirist was born at midnight and because of the good tidings 

 that he brought to the earth, for water is one of the best things in 

 life and Clu'ist is the savior of mankind. After the leader has 

 made his prayer and the cedar is burned, then the fireman reaches 

 over toward the smoke and makes a motion with his body as if he 

 were drawing the smoke over himself. He then takes the water 

 and brings it over to the leader. The leader takes a bunch of feathers 

 and, dipping it into the water, sprinkles it on the peyote, then on 

 the fire, on the sage, and finally all over the lodge, beginning with 

 the doorway and then going around. The water is then drunk in a 

 regular order, first by the leader, then by the drummer, and then by 

 all the other people. After all these things have been done the leader 

 returns the staflt to the man from whom he had taken it at mid- 

 night. As soon as this man starts the singing again the leader takes 

 his flute and goes outside. He goes toward the east for a short 

 distance, and there he sits down and offers up a prayer for the people. 

 Then he blows his flute, and going to the south of the lodge repeats 

 the same procedure. This is also repeated for the west and the 

 north. When the singing within the lodge has stopped, he retm'ns 

 and takes his seat. 



Tlie purpose of going to the four directions and blowing the flute 

 is to announce the birth of Christ to all the world. 



After the leader has reentered the singing continues as before. 

 At daybreak the fireman fixes the fire in the same way as at mid- 

 night. The staff, di-iun, etc., is now passed to the leader, who as 

 soon as he has received everything takes his flute and blows on it. 

 Before doing this, however, he puts on his otter-skin cap. The pur- 

 pose of blowing the flute just at that tune is to represent the trumpet 

 of the Day of Judgment, when Clu-ist will appear wearing His 

 crown in all glory. The putting on of the otter-skin cap represents 

 the crown. 



The song used on this occasion is called the water song. After 

 the first song is finished the fireman opens the door and a woman 

 enters carrying water, which she pours over the cross which the 

 fireman had sprinkled at midnight. The fireman then spreads some- 

 thing for her to sit on, between the water and the door. 



When the leader has finished his four songs, he lays down his 

 staff, etc., and, taking some cedar needles, offers up a prayer of 

 thanks, and as he finishes he throws the cedar into the fire and sits 

 down while the woman gathers the smoke toward her ui the same 

 Way as the fireman had done on the previous night. Then the 

 leader takes a drinking cup and sends it toward the woman. The 



