114 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 47 



When the candidates have finished the headman prays and the 

 ceremony ends. The candidates are kept in the society chamber that 

 night and returned to their homes in the morning. 



Fire arid sword jugglery of the Fire Society. — After the 4-day period 

 in their chamber the Fire Society has an outdoor fire ceremonj-.'^ 

 The war ciiief orders people throughout the village to bring firewood to 

 the house of the Fire Society. The medicine men dig a shallow pit 

 in front of their house. Lines of ashes are drawn around the pit and 

 the front of the house. No one may cross these lines; if someone 

 does, and is caught, he will be initiated into the society. The women 

 members of the society bring four large black pots out of the house 

 and place them near a wall in front of the chamber. The pots are 

 partly filled with water. About noon a fire is buUt in the pit; a 

 considerable quantity of wood is throwii on. The women build a 

 fire imder the pots. Then they aU go into the chamber (except one 

 or two, who keep watch on the roof). 



After a time they come out. The men are naked (except for a 

 breechcloth) and barefooted. They arc painted with ashes. Their 

 long hair is tied up on top of the head. Two short turkey feathers 

 are worn at each temple. They cany a gourd rattle in the right 

 hand and two eagle wing feathers in the left. Leather wristlets are 

 worn on the left forearm. The female members wear a calico dress. 

 Their arms, feet, and legs are bare. 



The women bring four baskets of corn meal out of the chamber. 

 The meal is put in the four pots of boiling water. They stir the 

 boiling mush. It is thick. They stir it with their bare hands. 

 They take it out in balls and throw it to people who are gathered 

 about on housetops. 



When all the mush has been thrown to the people all the medicine 

 men (and women) go to the pit. It is full of ashes and glowing coals. 

 They dance around the pit, counterclockwise, while the}- sing four 

 songs. Then the medicine men give their rattles to the medicine 

 women. They tuck their eagle plumes iato their wristlets. The 

 fifth song is begun. Naicoia (the headman) stoops down by the pit 

 and stirs the ashes and hve coals with his bare hands. Then he 

 jumps into the hot bed of coals (jumpmg from west to east). All 

 of the doctors follow suit (the women do not, however). 



When all of the doctors have jumped into the fire a medicine 

 woman throws a basket of shelled corn into the pit. The doctors 

 then seize the boy who is being initiated and throw him into the 

 pit on top of the shelled corn. He alights on his back. The doctors 

 all stoop over him and quickly stir everything together — the ashes, 

 live coals, shelled corn, and the screaming boy. Then they take him 



" Acoma resembles Zuni at this point more than Rio Orande pueblos. Fire and sword jugglery is 

 prominent at Zuni, but not found at either Santo Domingo or San Felipe. 



