566 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ank. 23 



each arm bolow the shoulder, and each breast. Each one carries a 

 large, unpalnted gourd rattle in the right hand and two eagle-wing 

 plumes and a corn-husk package of meal in the left. The two novices 

 carrv each a blanket, one red and one black, gifts from their fraternity 

 fathers. rolled into as small a package as possible, and quantities of 

 pra3'er plumes. The women wear the ordinary black dress, with a 

 white blanket bordered in red and blue fastened over the shoulders. 

 Their feet and limbs are also bare. Each has a fluffy eagle plume, 

 colored red, tied to the forelock. They wear turquoise earrings and 

 many necklaces, and they also carry two eagle-wing feathers and a 

 corn-husk package of meal in the left hand; they have nothing in the 

 right. 



The dancers go direct from the ceremonial chamber to the plaza in 

 single file, the female leader being immediately before the sprinkler. 

 The men sing and shake their rattles. They dance in a circle around 

 the coal bed. Then the sprinkler approaches the coals and sprinkles 

 them with the medicine water from the bowl. A feather wand is used 

 for the sprinkling." Returning to the line of dancers he sprinkles 

 the one next to him, and the man leaves the line and dances about the 

 fire, performing animal-like antics, and sprinkling the meal from his 

 corn-husk package over the coals, he jumps into them and dances a 

 moment or two. He returns to the line and the sprinkler repeats the 

 ceremony over the coals and then sprinkles the next dancer, who 

 repeats the ceremony of the former. None seem more enthusiastic or 

 more ready to jump into the coals than the two young novices. There 

 is no special time for remaining in the burning bed. Some are able to 

 endure it much longer than others. The women do not "remain in the 

 fire so long as the men. After all the dancers have passed through 

 the fire they retire fiom the plaza to the ceremonial chamber. 



To those who had not before observed this ceremony it would still 

 appear as remarkable, but the writer finds it quite different from those 

 previously observed. There is a waning of enthusiasm and the fire is 

 not so great. On previous occasions the men ran their arms into the 

 glowing coals in addition to dancing in them. Altogether the scene 

 in former years was more weird and exciting. 



Eight bowls containing medicine prepared from yarrow (Achillea 

 millefolium) stand in line before the altar in the ceremonial chamber. 

 The dancers are bathed in the medicine before they go to the plaza. 

 The first four in the line of dancers use the medicine from the four 

 bowls on the north side and the next four from those on the south, 

 the lino of dancers alternating in this wa}" before going to the plaza. 

 The bathing is repeated previous to each visit to the plaza to prevent 

 burning. 



The Zuni declare that elaborate exhibitions of jugglery occurred 



(I A number of photographs of the dance were secured. 



