STEVKNSON] ORIGIIS t>F THE KRATKRNITIES 423 



women not associated with the Ko'tikili make prayer phiinos, thouj^h 

 the^- sometimes color the sticks to which the phimes arc attached, is 

 after a woman has severed her connection with the L''huhukwe" frater- 

 nity. She must then prepare plume offermgs, having been instructed 

 by her fraternity father, and must deposit them as thouoh slic were 

 still a member of the fraternity. 



Prayer plumes are made and deposited at the new and full moon 

 of each month by the members of all the fraternities except the 

 *Hle'wekwe; also at the winter and summer solstices, upon the death' 

 of a member, and at meetings of the fraternity. The plumes are 

 deposited in the fields, at shrines of the various fraternities and in 

 other places. The Great Fire, the Little Fire, the Cimex, the Eagle 

 Down, and the Rattlesnake fraternities plant prayer plumes in April 

 at a shrine south of Zuni dedicated to the rattlesnake, where they 

 invoke the snakes to intercede with the rain-makers to send rains upon 

 Zuiii. The sticks of these offerings are colored red, with black lines 

 at one end to indicate the rattle. Figure 27 shows the shrine. Prayer 

 plumes made semimonthly are deposited in the corntields or melon 

 patches. In the autumn, fruits and all edible seeds are also l)uried 

 in the fields as offerings of thanksgiving, with supplications for abun- 

 dant supplies in the coming 3'ear. At the full moon of October the 

 altar is erected in the ceremonial chamber, where the members sing 

 until midnight. 



The ceremonials of the fraternities, the Ko'tikili excepted, are held 

 in large chambei's on the ground Hoor, which are ordinarily used as 

 the general living rooms for the families. Whenever possible, these 

 rooms must extend east and west, and almost invariably they do. in 

 order that the altar may face east and the first light of day ent»'r 

 through the eastern window. 



Each fraternity asserts that it has occupied its present ceremonial 

 chamber since the founding of Zufii, except the branch fraternities, 

 which had to tind for themselves other rooms where, wiien t)nce located, 

 they have remained. The rooms have been enlarged and improved 

 from time to time. Prior to the occupation of a room l)y a fraternity 

 the household moves out and givt's the roo.n a general cleaning. They 

 do not remove, however, until just previous to the convening of the 

 fraternitv. Their presence in the cham))er does not interfeii^ with 

 the meeting of the members to rehearse their songs and talk over 

 matters. The men and women of the house, who are not members of 

 the fraternity, converse or go to bed with the children without paying 

 the slightest attention to the group present or their songs. The songs 

 are not begun, however, until the iu)n-meml)ers are supposed to l)e 

 asleep. 



a See U'huliukwi' iriUiriiity. 



