68 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. axn. 47 



And other ceremonies: 



G'aiyabai'tsani, the fight with the k'atsinas, comes every five years, 

 usually in the early sprmg. 



The masked dance of the Com clan comes every five years, usually 

 in the middle of the summer, about the last of July. 



Scalp dances were held after a kill (in the old days), or at the direc- 

 tion of the O'pi. 



Rabbit himts (q. v.). 



Miscellaneous dances (q. v.). 



Depositing prayer sticks (q. v.). 



In some cases, such as saints' days, the dates of ceremonies are 

 fixed, such as the fiesta of San Estevan, but the dates of other cere- 

 monies can be fixed only approxunately, smce they vary somewhat. 

 The big sunmier masked dance, for example, might begin on July 1 1 

 or July 12. The cacique sets the date for this, as well as other cere- 

 monies which may vary chronologically. I do not know how he 

 arrives at the date for the summer k'atsina dance; the time for the 

 solstice ceremonies he determines by watching the sim at rising. 



Rabbit himts are held before almost all important occasions. 

 There is one for the war chief m February (shortly after his entrance 

 to office), one before the summer solstice, one before the fiesta of 

 San Estevan, and one before the winter solstice. 



The rooster pulls and the miscellaneous dances are of minor 

 importance. Whether they have a rooster pull on San Pedro's Day 

 or not Is optional; sometimes they do and sometimes they do not. 

 The dances referred to as miscellaneous are the eagle, Comanche, 

 buffalo, basko, etc. (Basko is frequently rendered "corn dance "in 

 EngUsh.)^' These dances are merely recreational in character. 

 Anyone who wishes to dance may join m. They are not sacred and 

 may be witnessed by the whites or Mexicans. Dances of these kinds 

 always follow Christmas Eve, and a Comanche dance is nearly always 

 held at Acomita on San Lorenzo's Day, but these dances may be and 

 are held at other tunes. During the winter at old Acoma people 

 frequently get together for dancing, and even during the summer 

 at Acomita they sometimes have a corn dance (basko dance) in one 

 of the houses. 



The ceremonial calendar must be viewed, then, as a routine which 

 is both rigid and flexible, sacred and trivial. There are some things 

 which must be done at certain times. There are other matters which 

 may be observed or omitted at vaiylng tunes. Some ceremonies are 

 of the most sacred natiu-e; others are trivial occasions for enjoyment. 



" Doctor Parsons suggests that basko may have been derived from the Spanish paskwa, a term applied 

 to Christmas and Easter. Subsequent studies at Keresan villages in the east have corroborated this. 



