STEVENSON] ne'wekwe 437 



which is afterwai'd colored in circles of l)lue, green, and yellow, with 

 black lines between, and tinished at the top with banded turkey plumes. 

 A single grain of corn, symV)olic of the heart of the })aton, is attached 

 to the other end of the stick ])y wrappings of corn husks. The women 

 and girls wear the conventional dress, with white Hopi blankets, bor- 

 dered in red and blue, around their shoulders, and their best moccasins; 

 their hair is done up like the men's. 



The Kok'ko 'hlan'na administers the wretched morsel while moving 

 in a peculiar dancing motion, reminding one of a hununing liird hov- 

 ering about a blossom. He advances to a man and whips him with 

 the yucca switches, and then hands the dose to one of the Ko'3'emshi 

 gods (see page 33) in attendance, who in turn gives it to the person 

 designated b}^ the god. None of the older meml)ers of the fraternity 

 seem to shrink from the dose, while some receive it with apparent 

 relish. Occasionall}^ the one receiving the morsel divides it with 

 a man, woman, or child l)y placing his lips to the other's lips and 

 forcing it into the mouth. The children accept it as a religious 

 duty, but it is evident that they do not relish it. The god leaves the 

 plaza at intervals and during his absence there is great revehy, 

 the principal amusement being the wool-bag game, played between 

 the Ne'wekwe and Ko'yemshi, and the emptying of vessels of urine 

 over one another. 



While tue scenes at the closing of the initiator}- ceremonies are dis- 

 gusting, the acme of depravity is reached after the Kok'ko ^hlan'na 

 takes his final departure from the plaza. The performances are 

 now intended solely for amusement. The women and girls of the 

 fraternity leave the plaza after the ceremony and take no part in the 

 debauchery. The one who swallows the largest amount of filth with 

 the greatest gusto is most commended b}^ the fraternity and onlookers. 

 A large bowl of urine is handed b}^ a Ko'yemshi, who receives it from 

 a woman on the house top, to a man of the fraternit}-, who, after 

 drinking a portion, pours the remainder over himself by turning the 

 bowl over his head. Women run to the edge of the roof and empty 

 V>owls of urine over the Ne'wekwe and Ko'3'emshi. Each man 

 endeavors to excel his fellows in buffoonery and in eating repulsive 

 things, such as bits of old blankets or splinters of wood. The}' bite 

 off the beads of livmg mice and chew them, tear dogs limb from 

 limb, eat the intestines and tight over the liver like hungry wolves. 

 It is a pleasure to state that the Ne'wekwe is the only fraternity that 

 indulges in such practices. 



The Ne'wekwe are great mimics and all strangers are sul)jects for 

 their ridicule, especially the Catholic priest and the army officer. A 

 youthful member is picked up by one of the fraternity, who declares 

 him to be a "Catolico santo,"' and the others form in line and 

 carry the quasi saint about in procession. Finally a small blanket 



