STEVENSON] COMING OF KO'lOOWISI 101 



notifying those in the ki'wi'sine of the coming of Ko'loowisi. Finally 

 the bird halts at the far end of the pole, and all, including the children 

 in the ki'wi^sine, draw their hands to their mouths, inhaling- the breath 

 from the sacred fetish. While this is being done the man with the 

 whistle blows out his breath four times. 



This ceremony with the bird is repeated at O'he'wa ki'wi*sine. and 

 afterward the two men with the bird fetish pass out over the western 

 road.« Ko'loowisi is the next to visit the ki'wi*siwe, going first to 

 Chu'pawa. The serpent is carried now just as it was brought to the 

 village. The slab is held firmly while the head is projected through 

 the hatchway into the ki'wi*sine. Water from the To'seluna spring is 

 secretly emptied from a gourd jug into the body of Ko'loowisi, and it 

 pours from his mouth into IjowIs held by the Ko'mosona, the Ko'pek- 

 win, and two Ko'pi"lashiwanni. The grains of corn of different colors, 

 which are now mixed, are afterward put into the serpent and received 

 in baskets from its mouth by those who receive the water. The to'selu 

 (long grass) from the spring is thrown through the hatchway, while the 

 children's eyes are covered in order that they may not know that it 

 does not come from the mouth of the serpent. 



Ko'loowisi is now carried to the hatchway of O'he'wa, where the 

 offering of seeds and water is repeated. Each child receives a bowl, 

 which is a present from the godfather made by a female member of 

 his family, containing sacred water from the Ko'loowisi. The Ko'pek- 

 win gives a handful of the mixed corn to each boy and to each god- 

 father, and a roll of the long grass is also handed to each child. Should 

 there be an oversupply of the grass it is given to the godfathers. As 

 soon as these distributions have been made to the children in Chu'pawa 

 ki'wi*sine the Ko'mosona, Ko'pekwin, and two Ko'pi"lashiwanni proceed 

 to the O'he'wa ki'wi'sine and take part in similar ceremonies. After 

 receiving the gifts of the gods the children are carried to their homes 

 by their godfathers. The water is drunk by the boy and his immedi- 

 ate family and is also used to sprinkle the stacked corn. The long 

 grass is deposited with the stacked corn, and the seeds are planted 

 separate from the others in the field in the coming spring. 



After the ceremonies in the ki'wi*siwe the gods deposit the plume 

 wands from the mounds and food in a large excavation west of Zufii, 

 which is afterward covered. They then return to the village, with their 

 masks secreted under blankets, each going to the house where his mask 

 is kept and returning it to the keeper with appropriate prayers. As a 

 a number of masks are often kept in one house, several personators 

 of the gods meet there and are served with an elaborate feast. Previ- 

 ous to the feast, however, each personator of a god removes all of his 

 clothing but the breechcloth and is bathed b}^ the Avomen of the family. 



a The two men mentioned have entire charge of the bird fetish and the whistle, and their oflftee is 

 for life. 



