116 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 47 



(sword) with saliva (or, it may be smeared mth honey). Then 

 he thi-usts the stick down his thi-oat. He dances with it for a time, 

 thus. The woman merely accompanies him, dancing with her 

 amakaiyum*. Sometimes he swallows two swords at once. This 

 couple is replaced by another, and another, imtU all have danced 

 with the sticks down their throats. The candidates who are being 

 initiated also swallow the swords. 



When all have finished they return to their chamber, where they 

 rest for a while. Then they return to the plaza, where they dance 

 and swallow swords as before. They dance thus fom- times during 

 the forenoon. They usually vary their costume a trifle, such as 

 changing a blue shirt for a ,yellow one, etc. They have limch in their 

 chamber. After a short rest they go back to the plaza to dance 

 again. They dance four times during the afternoon. Many people 

 are there all day watching them. 



This concludes their ceremonies. 



The communal curing. — Communal curing ceremonies are usually 

 held in the spring, shortly before the people leave old Aconia for 

 theu- farms. Whether one is held or not depends upon the cacique; 

 he win order one if he thinks it expedient." If the cacique decides 

 that it is necessary, he sends for the war chief. \\Tien the war chief 

 arrives the cacique greets him, taking both his hands, and seats him. 

 Then the cacique prays and ofi'ers (cigarette, wi-icsi) smoke to the 

 cardinal points, and to wenimats'. When he has finished the cacique 

 tells the war chief that a commimal ciuing ceremony should be held 

 to ciu-e everyone who has a cold or who is sick and to purge the whole 

 village of evil spii-its (witches, k'anadyaiya). 



The war chief departs, but soon returns with his lieutenants and 

 the cooks. They busy themselves making wasani (feather bunches, 

 q. v.), one for each medicine man. They make two balls of cotton, 

 each containing a quantity of beads, corn meal, pollen, yaic'atca, 

 stcamum (paints), etc., in the center. The war chief sends his cooks 

 out to tell the headmen of tb.e curing societies to await a visit from 

 the war chiefs. 



When the}' have finished making the waBan' and the itsatyun"^ 

 (the cotton balls), the head war chief (cutimiti) takes some of the 

 wasani and one of the balls of cotton to the house of one of the head 

 medicine men. Cpatuniti, the first lieutenant war chief, visits the 

 other head medicine man, also with waBani and itsatyun". 



When the war chief arrives at the house of one of the head medicine 

 men he calls out "K'aiya!" (a greeting). The medicine man responds 

 "Ha'ai!" "May I come in?" the war chief asks. "Yes!" "Will 



1* Sometimes a general curing is held; .sometimes not. If an epidemic should strike the pueblo at any 

 time (other than spring), the cacique would probably order aigeneral curing. 



