STEVENSON] '^HLa'hEVVE ceremony FOR RAIN 199 



of him. After the prayers the party return to the hiim'pone, a^id the 

 bearers of the he'kupowanne are relieved of the sacred objects by the 

 elder brother Bow priest, who in turn hands them to the pe'kwin, who 

 holds them gently in his arms AvTiile he stands in the center of the plaza 

 and prays to the Sun Father to give health, happiness, and long life 

 to his people. He prays that they may be blessed with the all-pervad- 

 ing life of A'wonawilo'na.^ Moving the two he'kupowanne round in 

 a circle, he draws from them the sacred breath, deposits them in a 

 large bowl with serrated edge, and spreads an embroidered kiltover 

 them. 



The ushan'ashute are dressed and painted like the he'kupowan- 

 hak'tona, and, carrying he'kupowanne specially prepared for them, 

 repeat the ceremony of the he'kupowanhak'tona with every detail. 

 The flutists accompany the Sho'ko'we choir when the ushan'ashute 

 dance, but they do not play for sho'lipsimonthle'ona. The Shiwano'- 

 'kia and other bearers of the mi'wachi, who bless the ushan'ashute 

 with their life-givers (see page 416) in the manner described, leave the 

 plaza by the eastern covered way. 



A'shuwahanona now appears for the first time. He is dressed b^' a 

 member of the '^Hla'hewe choir like sho'lipsimonthle'ona, except that 

 he wears two plumes on the back of his hair instead of three; his moc- 

 casins are painted white and there are daubs of paint on them from the 

 pinkish clay found near Ko'thluwala'wa.* He has a bit of hawk medi- 

 cine (a root) in his mouth and he carries a hawk plume in each hand, 

 which he waves as he dances to the music of the choir of the *Hla'hewe 

 side. The choir sings the Shuts'ina yai'na (song of the hawk), which 

 is an invocation to this bird that those who dance and sing may not be 

 made tired. The A'wan mosono"kia of the Sho'ko'we side joins the 

 A' wan mosono"kia of the ^Hla'hewe side, each wearing a *hlelh'ponne 

 on her head and carrying 'hla'we. The A'wan mosono''kia of the 

 *Hla'hewe side precedes A'shuwahanona, and the one of the Sho'ko'we 

 side follows after him to the plaza. After dancing about fifteen 

 minutes they start for the *Hla'hewe side of the hiim'pone, and the 

 leader, as she passes in, turns and pushes A'shuwahanona back, and he 

 returns to the center of the plaza and dances a few minutes longer, 

 keeping time with the ^Hla'hewe choir by the most violent motion of 

 the arms and- legs, while he strikes one plume with the other. On 

 entering the hiim'pone the A'wan a'mosono"kia are relieved of their 

 *hlelh'ponne and *hla'we and return to their seats. 



A'shuwahanona now enters the hiim'pone on the 'Hla'hewe side. 

 Passing first by the *Hla'hewe choir, he waves his plumes about their 

 heads; and, extending his arms before him, he strikes the underside of 

 the plume held in his left hand with the one held in his right, waves his 

 plumes in a circle, and strikes them toward the earth in the manner 



a See Classification oi the higher powers. '' See pi. iv. 



