STEVENSON] MA^'^KE ^HLAN'nAKWE 485 



to cover them with the medicine. The trees are now hung- to the 

 rafters, except the one made by the fraternity father for the* novice, 

 who also makes one for himself. This tree is laid in the middle of tiic 

 floor with the sword end pointing west. 



At sunset the fraternity, inchiding-, as before, the women who are 

 on the nortii side of the room, stand and sing. After one song for 

 snows and rains the tree director puts a bit of the root medicine^into 

 the mouth of the fraternity father, who stands before the collection of 

 fetishes at the west end of the room. After receiving- the medicine 

 the fraternity father takes the novice by the left wrist and leads him 

 close to the ladder, standing- south of the novice, while both face west. 

 Stepping to the middle of the floor, the fraternity father lifts the tree 

 with the sword end pointing downward, passes the top out through 

 the hatchway, and hands the tree to the novice, who, facing soutli, 

 attempts to swallow the sword, but fails. The tree is returned to the 

 fraternity father and he swallows the sword. After three songs for 

 snows and rains the fraternity father places the tree with the others, 

 and the men smoke, the novice joining the group. 



The trees are carried to the plaza on the fifth day, when the sword 

 ends are swallowed during the dances. After the dances the trees are 

 placed in their former elevated position in the ceremonial chamber, 

 and after the early morning ceremony they are carried on the backs 

 of six men (different men from those who In-ought tliem) to a mesa 

 about 4 miles north of the village, where the trees are laid upon the 

 ground with the sword ends pointing to the west. Meal is sprinkled 

 over the trees, and prayers are offered for snows, rains, and the gen- 

 eral good health of the people. When the novice\s head is bathed, 

 on the flfth morning, the fraternity father presents him with a few 

 yards of calico or some simple gift, this being the only gift from the 

 fraternity father to the novice. 



Ma'*ke 'hlan'xakwe (Great Fire Fraternity) 



The Ma"ke 'hlan'nakwe (Great Fire fraternity), has three orders: 

 Kok'ko ^ilan'na (Great god), which is under the patronage of three 

 anthropic gods, Kok'ko 'hlan'na. Shits'ukia, and Kwe'lole: I'wen- 

 ash'nawe (knowledge of sucking) or O'naya'nakia" (Mystery medicine), 

 and Ma"ke *Hlan'na (Great Fire). The latter order has several divi- 

 sions— Pi'iinniMile (Sword), Kia'la'silo (Spruce), Sho'tiUianna (Arrow)/' 

 Pa'oti'we^ (Navaho dance), and Po'sikishi'' (commonly interpreted 

 spruce tree). The officers of the Great Fire fraternity consist of a 



« The officers of O'naya'nakia have valuable songs for relieving delayed parturition and are called 

 in when the doctresses fail to relieve the patient. 



fiSho' is from sho'li, arrow reed; ti'klanna is another expression fur ti'kili (fraternity). 



<- Pa is from A'pachu (Xavaho). 



f^f Po'siki.shi is the name of a bird which frequents the klii'lii'silo (Pscudotsuga douglassii). The 

 sword swallowed in the Po'sikishi ceremony is fashioned at the base of a klii'lii'silo. 



