470 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



every few steps both parties turn and face the boxes. The female 

 leader of the *Hle'wekwe precedes her fellows from the plaza through 

 the western covered waj^ and the Sword order of the Great Fire fra- 

 ternity form into a circle around the boxes. Hundreds of spectators, 

 wrapped in their bright blankets, crowding the house tops and the 

 south and west sides of the plaza, present a brilliant scene. 



Two women of the *Hle'wekwe return to the plaza before the leader 

 of the Great Fire fraternity has passed west of the boxes, and the 

 musicians tip the larger box toward them while one of the women 

 removes the basket of meal, " whereupon the musicians retire from the 

 plaza. 



Before the Great Fire fraternity leaves the plaza the male and the 

 female novice of the *Hle'wekwe and their catchers, who are also 

 referred to as their fathers, appear. The male novice wears a fine 

 large white buckskin around him. The woman wears the ordinary 

 black dress and blanket. They stand close to the wall of the He'iwa 

 (North) ki'wi'sine* on the north side of the plaza, and the catchers 

 stand by the wall of the house on the west side of the plaza. 



The Great Fire fraternity leave the plaza, but soon return to repeat 

 the dance, and while they are dancing the *Hlem'mosona and a warrior 

 of the 'Hle'wekwe appear, the former carrying the sword of the orig- 

 inal director in his right hand and his own with feathered handle in 

 his left. The warrior carries his sword in his right hand and six 

 swords in a cougar-skin quiver, supported by a l)road band of the same 

 skin which hangs from the left shoulder. The couple pass within the 

 circle of dancers and pray. The ^Hlem'mosona takes his position to 

 the southeast and facing north swallows his sword; then turning to the 

 west he swallows the sword of the original director, and withdraw- 

 ing it hands it to the warrior, who having removed the swords from 

 the quiver holds them in his left arm. The warrior gives one of 

 the swords to the *Hlem'mosona, who, leaving the circle, runs to the 

 six regions, the east representing also the Zenith and Nadir, stamp- 

 ing and hooting at each cardinal point. Again he makes the circuit, 

 repeating the stamps and hoots, and returning to (he west swallows 

 the sword which was handed him within the circle of dancers by 

 the warrior. Exchanging this sword for another and running twice 

 around the circle of dancers, stopping at each cardinal point to hoot 

 and cry, he stands facing south and swallows the sword. The 'Hlem'- 

 mosona repeats the swallowing of the sword at the other regions in the 

 manner described until the six swords from the quiver have been swal- 

 lowed. He and the warrior now stand before the boxes and, facing 

 west, swallow their swords. Withdrawing them, they wave them over 



a This basket is afterward carried by a male member of the 'Hle'wekwe to Ma'fsakla, a ruin a short 

 distance east of Zufii, where he deposits it in an excavation the depth of his arm, which he makes at 

 the base of the mound upon wliieh the ruin stands. 



''See Ki'wi'siwe and their functions. 



