STEVENSON] COMING OF Ko'lOOWISI 99 



the feet for each god to place his extended foot while striking the 

 children. 



The child, who is carried on the back of his godfather, wears a 

 cotton shirt and two blankets, and is held on the back b}" two addi- 

 tional blankets and a piece of canvas which take the place of the bison 

 robes used in olden times. As the godfathers pass before the gods 

 the children are struck four times b}^ each god with bunches of giant 

 yucca. The Ko'mosona and Ko'pekwin take no part in the whipping. 

 After the godfather passes the line of the gods, he steps into the meal 

 circle and ascends the ladder to the roof of the ki'wi'sine, where the 

 child is stood at the hatchway if he is old enough to walk down the 

 ladder, otherwise the godfather carries him into the ki'wi^sine. He 

 removes the la'showanne from the proper sand figure and ties it to 

 the child's head, and the director of the Great Fire fraternit}^ gives 

 the child a drink from the "spring." The water is dipped with the 

 old shell referred to. After all the children have the plumes tied to 

 the hair they are told to step upon the sand painting, their breasts 

 and other portions of their bodies being touched with the sand. The 

 children are now carried on the backs of their godfathers to the 

 plaza and seated on the ledges that extend around the square, the 

 godfathers standing behind them. The wife and daughter of each 

 godfather stand on each side of the child, who now has only three 

 blankets over him, holding a piece of canvas which secretes the child. 

 After the godfathers leave the ki'wi*sine the director of the Great 

 Fire fraternity ascends with the spring bowl and, dipping water with 

 the shell, gives those who are assembled on the roof of the ki'wi'^sine 

 drafts of the sacred water. 



A square formed by four crosses of meal, s^mibolizing the four 

 regions, each cross with its four points symbolizing the same, is made 

 in the plaza by the Ko'mosona, Four Sa'yaMilia, selected by the 

 Ko'pi'Hashiwanni from some one ki'wi'sine, stand each on a cross. 

 The one on the northeast cross faces north, the one on the northwest 

 faces west, the one on the southwest faces south, and the one on the 

 southeast faces east. After a time the four gods turn, facing the 

 points directly to their left, and in this way the}^ make a circuit of 

 the four regions, after which the Ko'mosona leads the Sa'ya'hlla 

 from the northeast cross past the children, beginning with the child 

 nearest the east entrance. The god endeavors to locate the child under 

 the canvas by touching it with his foot. Each child is struck once; 

 then the Sa'3'a^hlia from the northwest cross passes by the children 

 and stiikes each one twice. Three strokes arc given each child by the 

 Sa'ya'hlia from the cross at the southwest point, and four strokes are 

 given by the one from the southeast cross. 



The four Sa'ya'hlia now form a line, facing north, and the child 

 nearest the east entrance is carried on the back of the godfather; 



