CALENDAK 



301 



The ceremonies of all the Corn groups are said to be identical. 

 The White Com group go in a day ahead of the others. No order 

 of retreat is set for the other Corn groups except that the shichu 

 group is the last to go in. 



The medicine societies also observe a retreat, performing their own 

 distinctive ceremonial of which in so far as it may differ from their 

 other ceremonies I have no accoimt, except that, like the Corn groups, 

 they send up prayer feathers to the sun through the opening in the 

 roof of their room and also early on the fifth morning send out prayer 

 feathers to Yomaupienai, as the place of the stillborn is also called. 

 The medicine societies go in two days after the White Corn group 

 go in. 



CEREMONY OF BRINGING IN THE HORNED SERPENT 



Kumpa talks at night with the town chief about the time for 

 bringing in ikaina. On the set night, about December 15, all the 

 fathers will be 

 present — kumpa 

 and liis assistant, 

 kabew'iride, the 

 town chief, the 

 war chief, the himt 

 chief, the chiefs 

 and chief assists 

 ants of the two 

 medicine societies, 

 the chiefs of the 

 Corn groups. The 

 only outsiders al- 

 lowed in are the 

 three scalp takers, 

 and it was from 

 one of these that my informant had his account of the ceremony." 

 No women woidd be present, nor youths, and those present sit with 

 bowed heads, "thinking about having a good heart," lest ikainare 

 jump at them. "People had to have a big heart to go into that room." 



There the fathers sing all evening, until about 10 when they go 

 home to return about 3 in the morning. By that time kumpa has 

 his altar in place. On a buckskin are set his Mother, his stone point, 

 ke'chu, pollen bag, and a meal basket, under all some meal. Light- 

 ning designs are painted on the buckskin with "powders." (Fig. 14.) 

 Kumpa is nude but for breechclout and bandoleer, his auti'we himai, 

 the bag he keeps his power in. Kabew'iride is dressed in buckskin 

 (like the Grandfathers); in his left hand his k'oata stone (see p. 259), 

 in his right, a small black gourd rattle. Kumpa dances, calling out, 



FiGVRE 14. — Horned serpent altar and horned serpent, a. Mother. 

 Ke'chu. c. Pollen bag. d, Meal basket 



I Which should not be taken !is an accurate account. 



