86 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 47 



The Coming of the K'oBictaiya 



On the day before the k'oBictaiya are to come the men who are to 

 personate these spirits make prayer sticks, called hatcamini hi'asthimu, 

 or "brave prayer sticks" (they are also called "war" sticks). 



Children take part in the k'oBictaiya ceremonies; it is especially 

 desirable to have sickly children participate, as it makes them stronger, 

 but all boys must take part four seasons before they may wear masks 

 in the k'atsina dances. (They do not, however, take part in the 

 k'oBictaiya ceremony until they have been initiated into the k'atsina 

 organization. Some time elapses, however, between the initiation 

 into the kacliina cult and participation in masked dances.) WTien a 

 father wishes to have his son take part he takes a handful of meal 

 to the headman of his estufa, which he gives to him with a prayer, 

 and asks him to select some man to "look out" for his son. The 

 person chosen for this purpose is called nipaDieiuisiumanic ("he who 

 gives him an early rise"). He takes the child into custody and tells 

 liim what he mil have to do. Very early in the morning, before the 

 k'oBictaiya come, these little boys are taken out and hidden in fissures 

 in the rock at the eastern edge of the mesa. Thej^ are nude; they 

 wear only a little piece of rabbit fur tied around the penis, and a few 

 feathers are glued to the bodj^. They sit, hidden in the crack of 

 the rock, sitting on a sheep pelt wrapped in a blanket. 



On the morning of the final day, very early, the men who are to 

 impersonate the k'oBictaiya rise, paint, take their masks, and leave 

 the village. They go down the mesa and travel toward the east. 

 At some distance from the village they pray with their war prayer 

 sticks (hi'asthimu). Then they scatter, two by two, singing war 

 songs. They begin to return shortly before sunrise. 



The war chief rouses the people before dawn; they must come out 

 to greet the k'oBictaiya. Everyone goes to the eastern side of the 

 mesa. About sunrise the k'oBictaiya arrive. They come in two 

 files, one led by Dziukiri, the other by k'okiri, the head men of the 

 k'oBictaiya. They are carrying Uttle fox-skin bags of seeds and fuzz 

 from cat-tails, small trees, shrubs, cactus, etc.''^ They go to the east 

 edge of the mesa where the people are gathered. When they come 

 to the fissures where the children are hiding one k'osictaiya will throw 

 a handful of cat-tail fuzz at the spot, reach down and extract a naked 

 boy. They release their Uve rabbits, appearing to cause them to 

 spring from the ground when they throw the cat-taU seeds. People 

 who are ill or weak come to the k'oBictaiya to be treated, to be given 

 strength. The k'oBictaiya touches the person, or the part affected, 

 with the tip of his hghtning symbol. (PI. 11, a.) As the sun rises 



•' The k'oBictaiya ascend the mesa via the southwest trail, arriving back of the church. Here they pick 

 up the trees, shrubs, etc., which they have hidden here. 



