FLETCHER] ELEVENTH RITUAL, PART I 325 



ELEVENTH RITUAL (SECOND DAY). THE MALE ELEMENT INVOKED 

 Part I. Chant to the Sun 



The chant to the Sun, Uic recognition of the male i)rinciple, took 

 place the second day. It wa.s in two parts, the first sung during the 

 morning hours, and tlie second in tlie late afternoon and at sunset. 



The first ray of the morning sun comes, we are told, " direct from 

 Tira'wa " and is " like a man" untouched by weakness or age. It is 

 particularly powerful, and can impart strength to whomsoever it 

 reaches, therefore the advent of the first ray of tlie sun was watched 

 with eagerness. 



In the chant the ray is spoken of as if it were a bird; it aliglits and 

 climbs in and out of the lodge (akaro). This term is used with double 

 significance, for the earthly abode, the wide stretch from horizon to 

 horizon, and for the lodge, erected for the protection of the family — 

 the nest. 



In the first verse of the chant, the ray enters the door and goes 

 through the long passageway into the lodge. The passageway typi- 

 fies the individual life, the career of a man (first ritual, part i, stanza 

 XIII). In the seventh ritual the Hako touches the threshold, crosses it, 

 and takes within the passageway the four steps symbolic of length of 

 days. In the ninth ritual, the Visions halt at the door and then go 

 through the passageway to reach and touch the Children; an<l now 

 the ray, coming directly from above, enters as did the Hako and tlie 

 Visions, bringing vitality and strength to the Son. 



The ray comes from h'Ars (h', breath; ars, a contraction of atius, 

 father), the father of breath; it is the bearer of breath from the Sun, 

 the intermediary which received this gift of vitality and strength from 

 Tira'wa atius (first ritual, part i, stanzas i and Ii). 



After the Son had been touched by the ray, which entered through 

 the long passageway, the Fathers gave the Children their morning 

 meal, which had been prepared outside the lodge and brought witliin 

 during the first verse. 



At the conclusion of the meal the chant was resumed. The scc(jnd 

 verse speaks of the ray alighting on the edge of the central oi^ening 

 in the roof of the lodge, over the fireplace. The fireplace was femi- 

 nine, and represented the protected center where life was conserved 

 (first ritual, stanza x). The alighting of the ray over that center 

 refers to the coming of tlie father bird to its nest. 



In the third verse the ray climbs down, and in the fourth verse 

 reaches the floor of the lodge and walks within the open space to 

 touch the Children, bringing them the gift of vitality. 



At the close of this verse the Hako were laid at rest with ceremo- 

 nial movements and song. 



The last four verses of the chant were sung late in the afternoon. 

 In the fifth verse the raj- has walked around the lodge and touched 



