STEVENSON] VOLUNTARY INITIATION INTO KO^TIKILI 103 



The godfather folds four large blankets separate!}^ into squares 

 and two women lay them over the Sia boj^'s back while he bends for- 

 ward, A large piece of double canvas is now thrown over the bo}^ 

 completely covering him. His back is bent until one could sit upon 

 it. The godfather, who leads the novice, holds the canvas together 

 under the chin so that the boy can scarcely see. The women who 

 place the blankets walk on either side of the boy, who stops before 

 the Sa'ya'hlia at the east end of the line. This god strikes the bo}^ 

 four times with all his strength across the back with the yucca. The 

 four strokes are repeated by each Sa'3'a*hlia in turn, the novice being 

 led by his godfather from one to the other and then to the northwest 

 corner of the room where he stands facing north. The Sa'ya^hlia now 

 stand in line north and south and face east. The boy is again led 

 before the gods to be whipped with the yucca. The one at the north 

 end of the line strikes him tirst. He passes four times before the 

 Sa'ya*hlia, and each time the gods give him one stroke each with the 

 yucca. The blows are counted aloud by the Ko'3'emshi, who stand by 

 and furnish the gods with fresh bunches of yucca as needed. One 

 of the women who accompany the boy is now led by the godfather 

 before the gods. She bends forward and receives on her back one 

 stroke of the yucca from each Sa'3^a*hlia, they having resumed their 

 position on the north side of the room. Two blankets are removed 

 from the boy's ])ack and he is again led before the gods, each one 

 striking him with force four times across the back. Judging from 

 the smothered groans, the strokes are keenly felt by the boy. After 

 the third wiiipping the boy and the godfather each take meal from a 

 cornhusk held by the godfather and sprinkle the Sa'3'a'hlia, and after 

 the blankets are removed the godfather attaches a fluff}'- eagle plume 

 to the hair of the boy, who again appears in his calico shirt and 

 trousers. 



A blanket of ordinar}" thickness and a deerskin are used for vol- 

 untary initiation. The novices pass })ut once before the Sa'ya'hlia, 

 receiving from each of these four gods four strokes with giant yucca 

 delivered with all their strength, and though every effort is made b}' 

 the novices to keep silent, their smothered groans are pitiable to 

 hear. When all of the novices have received their chastisement 

 they return to their seats, each one going to the side of his god- 

 father, who places his hands over the eyes of the boy while the four 

 8a'ya*hlia gods remove their masks. The Ko'}'emshi do not take off' 

 theirs. After the boys are whipped the two Ko'yemshi go to the 

 roof of the ki'wi'sine to see that no one intrudes while the masks 

 are being removed. Every initiate has a rain-maker's mask given 

 him b}" his godfather, which becomes his personal propert}', and is 

 buried after his death. When the godfathers remove their hands 



