416 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



An3'one acceptable to the fraternity ma}' join the Fire and Sword 

 orders, whose ceremonials are for rains and snows and have nothing to 

 do with healing- the sick. The father of the chosen fraternity presents 

 a gift of a blanket to a male and of a woven dress to a female novice. 

 A member of the Mvstery medicine order ma}' ask his f raternit}' father 

 in this order to act for him in the other orders, but it is not uncommon 

 for the fraternity father to reply: ''It will l)e well for 3'ou to choose 

 another father, as 1 have no gift to make to vou.'' 



The order of It'sepcho, tlie ceremonies of which are also for rains, 

 can be joined only after membership has l)een gained in the Fire and 

 Sword orders, unless one is already ii member of Mystery medicine. 

 The fraternity father gives to the novice a woman's belt, which is 

 worn by men during ceremonials. The order of Pa'vatilmu exists only 

 in the Little Fire and Cimex fraternities and ma}' be joined only b}^ 

 male members of the Mystery medicine order. 



For four days previous to initiation each novice of a fraternity wears 

 a liutfy eagle plume attached to the hair, and if a man, woman, or 

 child accidentally touch a member of the Fire and Sword orders of 

 a fraternity when that person is wearing a plume, the one conmiit- 

 ting this offense must join the order; or if one step upon or within 

 the meal linos which are drawn at ceremonial times on the roof of the 

 ceremonial chamber, the otiender must join the Fire or Sword order. 

 If the wearer of a plume of the Mj'ster}' medicine order of the 

 Ne'wekvve be touched on the no'line (penis) or breast, the offender is 

 compelled to join the order. This rule is also observed in relation to 

 the Shu'maakwe fraternit}', which, however, does not practice Mys- 

 tery medicine, their medicine having come to them from the Shumai'- 

 koli (certain anthropic gods) and not from the Beast Gods. The novice 

 of the order of M^^stery medicine presents his fraternity father with 

 a finely dressed deerskin, and the fraternity father in turn gives a 

 mi'li" to the novice. 



While the fetish et'tone, a most sacred object of the A'shiwanni, 

 symbolizes Earth Mother, rains, and vegetation, including all that sup- 

 plies physical nourishment to man, the mi'li symbolizes the life-giving 

 or soul power which comes from A'wonawil'ona, the supreme bisex- 

 ual power, who is the breath of life and life itself. And when the 

 )>reath of the plumes, which are a part of A'wonawil'ona, is inhaled, 

 one receives that life which is the great mystery and which when 

 given by the Supreme Power defies all life-destroying agencie^•. 

 Beneath the plumes of the mi'li are an ear of corn and other seeds,* 

 symbolizing the widespread power of A'wonawil'ona. The p]arth 

 Mother, even though she be embraced by the rains of the u'wannami 

 (rain-makers), could not 3'ield to the people the fruits of her being for 

 ph3\sical nourishment without the all-pervading power of A'wona- 



I'Sei' p. 41(3. ''Sl'C p. ■2-2. 



