518 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



who has taken his position near the center of the room, facing- east,« 

 and gives him a sprig, whicii he holds in his left hand, of the same 

 medicine that was distributed in the initiation into the Sword order. 

 After giving the medicine, the ^Hlem'mosona turns and faces east, and 

 running the top of the tree through the hatchway in the roof, swallows 

 the sword at the end of the tree, while the order sings to the accompani- 

 ment of the drum. After withdrawing the sword he passes it before 

 the lips and each shoulder of the novice, and places his tree across ropes 

 near the ceiling at the east end of the room, and takes his place behind 

 the altar. The deputy *Hlem'mosona repeats the ceremony with his 

 tree, and after placing it by the other near the ceiling, takes his seat 

 l)y the 'Hlem'mosona. The other six officers of the fraternity repeat 

 the ceremony with their trees each one when through taking his place 

 behind the altar; and then each member of the order repeats the same 

 ceremony, the order at large gathering near the drummer. The fra- 

 ternity father of the novice now goes through the performance also 

 and then runs the novice's tree through the hatchway and hands it to 

 him, and the latter attempts to run the sword down his throat. When 

 the novice fails, the fraternity father takes the tree and runs the 

 sword four times before the lips of the former, who draws a breath 

 each time. The fraternity father now returns the tree to the novice, 

 who again fails to swallow the sword. Two other efforts are unsuc- 

 cessful, and the fraternity father repeats the passing of tiie sword 

 before the lips of the novice, and depositing it with the others, he 

 returns to his place by the drummer. The afternoon ceremony closes 

 with the singing of one song, after which a feast is enjoyed in the 

 ceremonial chamber. 



A few hours later preparations begin for the night ceremonial, 

 which is a repetition of that described, the personal decorations being 

 much the same as when they appear in the ceremony of the Sword divi- 

 sion. After one dance in the ceremonial chamber, where each mem- 

 ber of the order swallows the sword portion of the tree, the3^then take 

 their swords with feathered handles mstead of the trees and visit the 

 house where the Mu'waiye of the *Hle'wekwe fraternity'' are rehears- 

 ing and dance and swallow the sword; returning to their chamber, 

 young buds of spruce and piiion are administered by the deputy to 

 the fraternity at large, and all retire for the night but the eight offi- 

 cers who visit Si'aa' te'wita to deposit prayer plumes to Na'ke'e. The 

 flutist plays, the warrior whirls the rhombus, and four keep watch 

 to see that no intruder appears while the other two deposit prayer 

 plumes. After the return of the officers from the plume planting, the 

 fraternity are privileged to sleep in any part of the ceremonial cham- 

 ber, and no amount of coughing necessitates their rising to dance. 



alt there is more than one novice, the tHlCin'mosona begins with the one at the north end. 

 bSee p. 458. 



