STEVEN.-SON] ma' KE HLAN NAKWE 499 



The two who left the chamber to olier food to the Beast Gods leuini 

 before the completion of the consecration of the water, and the war- 

 rior whirling- the rhombus, steps back to give them room by the 

 altar to sprinkle meal and to pray. At the close of the preparation 

 of the medicine water the a'kwamosi stands and sprinkles it on the 

 altar with his plumes, after which a female theui'gist collects ashes 

 from the tireplace 'with her plumes and deposits them in a heap 

 before the altar. Immediately the drum is heard in addition to the 

 rattle, and two men leave the choir for the floor and lift the ashes just 

 deposited, with their plumes. One skips down the north side of the 

 room, the other the south side; crossing at the far end, they return on 

 opposite sides, proceeding in an ellipse. As they pass down the room 

 the}^ sprinkle the people with the ashes, and on their return the\' grace- 

 fully manipulate their plumes, still held in each hand. Meeting near 

 the altar, thev stand for a moment side by side, facing north, and tiien 

 turn and face the west. Extending the right arm backwai'd and the 

 left arm forward, they simultaneously strike the plume held in the 

 left hand with the one held in the right, by a long under sweep of the 



right hand, exclaiming at the moment, Hu hu hu 



hu uh. The process of sprinkling the people and striking the 



plumes is then repeated. Again they lift ashes and sprinkle ihem to the 

 East, North, West, South, Zenith, and Nadir, lifting ashes each time for 

 each region. The sprinkling to the six regions is repeated and the two 

 return to the choir, when two others leave it. At this time four women 

 form a line, extending east and west, and dance. After extravaganza 

 before the altar, the two men dash about, healing the sick. Other theur- 

 gists appear on the floor, and the number of dancers increases. Owing 

 to the presence of invited guests, the novices adjourn to another place at 

 midnight, to be decorated. Each fraternity parent is preceded by his 

 fraternity child. The Great Mother, who is before the other frater- 

 nity parents, carries a kettle of kaolin mixed with water, to be used on 

 the novices. As soon as they depart the floor is cleared, and though 

 the choir remains in position, there is no music during the hour's 

 absence of the novices, this being the only rest for the singers from 

 the opening of the ceremon}' in the evening to the following morning 

 at 7 o'clock or later. 



After an absence of an hour the novices and their fraternity parents 

 return, the wee one being carried on her fraternity father's back; the 

 feet and legs halfway to the knees and the hands and arms halfway to 

 the elbows are painted white. They wear the ordinary dress and red 

 belt, and the hair is done up in the usual way. A circle of white paint 

 with hawk down attached, symbolic of the clouds of the world, crowns 

 the head. The chin and upper lip are also painted in kaolin and covered 

 with the down. An owl and a raven feather ai-e crossed on the wrist 

 and held in place by yucca ribbons, the owl feather pointing outward. 



