276 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO 



[ETH ANN. 47 



to the sun at sunrise. ^^ In ceremonial it is sprinkled to sun, moon, 

 stars. It is sprinkled in all the directions, or in the direction of any 

 spirit that is being addressed. It is spiinkled on prayer feathers, on 

 the altar, and on the sim spot. It is placed in the basket or on the 

 hand where sacrosanct objects are to be placed or given. It is 

 thrown into the river or buried in the field. The meal and pollen are 

 contained separately in buckskin in the pouch of the bandoleer. Corn 

 pollen only is used; not as in some other places pollen from flowers. 

 Corn pollen may be gathered by anybody, "with a song," asking one 

 of the cornstalks in the row for it. "We always ask for what we 

 gather." 



Ritual road (p'seide) making by sprinkling corn meal occiu-s as else- 

 where. Persons are led in or out of the ceremonial room by sprinkling 

 meal before them. The chakabede makes a pollen road for liwale 

 when he leads hina into town. Similarly, the chiefs lead a returning 

 war party, or an irrigating party, into town by sprinkling meal. (See 

 p. 326.) The town chief sprinldes meal for the sun in a line from east 

 to south when the runners name the sun in their song, which sprinkling 

 is "like calling him"; i. e., making a road for him. Similarly by meal 

 road making, the deceased is smnmoned, as well as dismissed. 



Food offerings are made at meals, when men go for wood or go 

 himting, and on various ritual occasions, to Wseide and to the dead. 

 The crumbs are dropped on the ground from the right hand for 

 Waeide, from the left for the dead. In the solstice ceremonies these 

 offerings are made on the nearest ash pile. "Let us remember the 

 fire," said Lucinda, "by throwing into it the crumbs of the cake we 

 spilled. " ^ The offerings to the scalps are dropped below the niche 

 in the roundhouse where the scalps are kept. On the fourth night 

 after death a bowl of food is taken out for the deceased. ... All 

 such food offerings are taken in bits from the bowls and baskets of 

 food provided for the performers of the ceremon}^ or the attendants. 



On All Saints Day the mothers of deceased children bake meal in 

 the form of animals, rabbits, horses, etc.,^" thinldng the children 

 (Mexican, angelitos, Isletan, nawi'eu) would like them. The dough 

 images are placed on the church altar. The women also put food in 

 a bowl for the dead, believing that the dead come for it. On this 

 day responsos (namahu), responses for the dead, are paid for, in grain 

 and bread. The padre is said to keep the grain; the bread he sells to 

 Mexicans. 



Crumbs may be sprinlded outside of town, by anyone, to the ants. 



" See p. 368. 



» She added, " Food you don't like you are sure to spill, just as 1 am sure to spoil my pot (in the making) 

 if I don't like it." 

 ^30 Compare Laguna, Parsons, 3; 260. 



