332 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



ADVENT OF LIWALE; KOMPOR ^^ OR THE PINITU DANCE; RABBIT HUNT 

 (SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 5) 



The sTipcrnatiiral, Liwale, is called in from Zuni Mountain or Welima 

 by chakabede at midnight of September 25-26. Liwale may be 

 heard hollering from the direction of Welima, the west, west of the 

 railway station whence chakabede leads hun into town, sprinkling 

 in front a line of meal. Liwale dances in the plaza, first on the east 

 side, then in circuit on the other sides. As it is night, you can not 

 see how he is dressed or appointed; but he does not wear a mask. 

 Chakabede talks to him; but he does not answer, merely hollers. 

 Chakabede gives him the prayer sticks *^ he has made for him, 

 thereby pajnng him; he sprinkles him with meal, and then Liwale 

 "goes back home." *'' 



The next day chakabede bids the war captains call out for the 

 men and boys to come in "four days" to his house to practice their 

 songs, old songs and new. Chakabede has already asked the chief 

 of the Black Eyes for the dance, chakabede's assistant asldng the 

 shure' chief. During this song practice of four days it is not neces- 

 sary to stay continuously indoors; i. e., it is a time of dance practice 

 rather than a retreat, although continence is required of the dancers.^* 

 On the third day of the practice 8 or 10 boys are dispatched to gather 

 the spruce (koawa') which is to be the dress of Liwale. They also 

 get two spruce trees, one for the Black Eyes to stand near in the dance, 

 and one for the shure'. ^' The leader is given two prayer sticks '* 

 by chakabede to put into the spring near where they get the spruce 

 (fig. 20), at sunrise of the fourth day. The stick for the Black Eyes 

 spruce is of red wallow; that for the shure', yellow willow. Into this 



55 Sounded also as kgpoT'or kgfda. Kg refers to the notched stick or bone playing or scraping. The leg 

 bone of the deer is notched: it is propped against a hollowed out gourd and scraped with a deer shoulder 

 bone. The three men in buckskin mantles who play do not impersonate women as in the notched stick 

 playing of other pueblos. 

 ^ On White Eagle Mountain, I surmise. My note is not certain. 



*' .\nother informant said that before the advent of Mexicans in numbers. L,!w*ale came into town, and 

 not since. He came at the rise of the morning star and danced in the plaza in front of the church. He 

 sang: 



I hear the words. 

 It is going to be cloudy. 

 It is going to be cloudy. 

 I hear the words. 

 I hear the words. 

 It is going to mist, etc. 

 I hear the words. 

 It is going to sprinkle, etc. 

 .\fler singing, Ljwale ran away, and it would rain. 



*^ In another connection I was told that the pinitu dancers would not be released from the kiva " even 

 if their father or mother died." Which suggests that the 4-day period ol dance practice is also a period 

 of strict retreat. 



5" .\fter the dance, people like to get these trees to make into hou.^^e ladders. They ask the moiety chiefs 

 for the trees, with a cigarette. 

 « In another connection prayer feathers (nato'yej only were referred to. 



