STEVENSON] 



•"hle'wekwe 401 



east, and swallows it. The rattle is usually traust'erred from the ri^^ht 

 hand to the left, and the sword held in the right hand when it is run 

 down the throat; but occasionally it is put down the throat with the 

 left hand. The dancing does not cease an instant, and the wonder is 

 that the sword can be run with safety down the throat while the body 

 is in motion. The *Hlem'mosQna no sooner swallows his sword than 

 he returns to the line; but ere he has reached his place the man who 

 follows him is before the boxes swallowing his sword, and so the 

 swords are swallowed in succession. If a woman fails to swallow hers, 

 her fraternity father swallows it for her; in the cases of very young 

 children their fraternity fathers swallow the swords for them. 



By the time the head of the line reaches the east end of the room all 

 the 'Hle'wekwe have entered the chamber and an ellipse is formed. 

 They pass around the boxes three times, the swords being swal- 

 lowed each time. The 'Hlem'mosona stands before the boxes and, 

 facing them and clasping his sword with both hands, prays in an under- 

 tone, moving his sword, still held in his clasped hands, to the six 

 regions, then again over the boxes, and, drawing a )>reath, closes his 

 prayer, and the fraternity leaves the room. 



During thi^ dance the musician at the south end of Une committed the grave offense 

 of accidentally touching one of the dancers. The elderly warrior of the fraternity 

 returned and an animated discussion ensued. Three other members of the fraternity 

 came, one being the man who was touched, the two others witne.^'ses. They insisted 

 that the musician should consent to become a member of the fraternity, and finally 

 won his consent, thereby saving the unfortunate member of the fraternity from the 

 ills, perhaps death, which he would otherwise suffer. " 



Soon after the departure of the 'Hle'wekwe the Sword order of the 

 Great Fire fraternity arrives in order similar to that of the Tlle'wekwe, 

 a woman leading. Their step is like that of the *Hle'wckwe, and they, 

 too, hold their swords in the left hand, the 'Hlem'mosona carrying 

 a crooked prayer plume (symbolic of longevity) instead of a rattl(>. 

 The men wear native black woven kilts and yucca wreaths. Unlike 

 the *Hle'wekwe, two or three form a group before the boxes and 

 swallow their swords together. The choir does not sing during the 

 presence of the Sword order of the Great Fire fraternity. 



After the Great Fire fraternity leaves the room the smaller box is 

 hastily placed to the north of the larger one. Then eight men airive 

 from the O'heSva (East) ki'wi'sine, and six of them seat themselves 

 behind the boxes, and one at each end; they play on the notched sticks. 

 Before this music begins the a'mosono'ida of the circle dance who 

 are girls of 10 or 12 years, clad in ordinary dress and the white cotton 

 pitoni (a piece of cloth tied together at the upper ends at the neck and 

 falling over the shoulders), stand before the boxes, spriidde meal over 

 them, and pray. Some of the girls now form the cin-le and da nce from 



a This superstition of the tHle'wekwe is not entertained by the Sword order of the Great Fire 

 fraternity. 



