ELNZEL] RELIGIOUS LIFE 495 



learned ritualistically. They are in the nature of incantations; many 

 of them are in foreign languages or have no inteUigible words. In 

 addition to these songs of the medicine societies, there are many 

 individually owned songs of magical power, especially songs for plant- 

 ing, for "dancing the corn":''' individual medicine songs, or songs 

 associated with personal amulets. Certain women also have grinding 

 songs in addition to the well-known songs of the men. These esoteric 

 songs, especially those connected with curing, are very valuable. 

 One man paid a pair of moccasins, a blanket, and a saddle for a song 

 to be used as a love charm. The Great Fu'e Society has a song for 

 delayed partiu-ition but only two old men of the society know it and 

 they are "stingy" with it. It is the knowledge of songs of this kind 

 which makes the great medicine men of the tribe. 



The more patent musical literature of the tribe is the large body 

 of dance songs. These are of many kinds, the songs of the katcinas, 

 the songs sung by the medicine societies for such katcinas as do not 

 sing for themselves, the songs of the medicine societies for the general 

 winter curing ceremonies, for initiations, and for special dances. 

 Katcina songs differ rhythmically and melodically among themselves, 

 those, say, of Kokokci are quite different from those of Hemucikwe, or 

 the stni more divergent Kuniance, and all katcina songs are sharply 

 differentiated from medicine songs. The songs of the various societies 

 differ, and a man can usually classify any song he hears. With the 

 exception of a few secret songs, all songs are songs of sequence, sung 

 by groups, the leader holding the sequence. 



Katcina songs are made new for each dance. Song making prob- 

 ably is usually the setting of new words to traditional melodies, 

 according to fairly fixed patterns of structure. The dance step is a 

 simple beating of time with the foot, the body movements being 

 sjTichronized with the song rhythm. Rhythms are simple, but the 

 melodic structure is subtle and complex. A fuller account of katcma 

 dancing is given on page 896. Most katcinas use only rattles to 

 accompany the song. One group uses a bundle drum, the Koyemci 

 use a barrel drum, and one set uses the pottery drum of the medicine 

 societies. 



The dance songs of the societies are more vigorous in rhythm than 

 those of the katcinas, and almost always employ the drum in addition 

 to rattles. A chorus surrounding the drum sings for the dancers. 

 The dance step also is more energetic. Sometimes choirs from the 

 medicine societies sing for certain katcinas, and in that case the 

 rhythm and dance step are those associated with society rather than 

 katcina songs. The societies have song secpiences for each of their 

 ceremonies. Most of these are traditional in tune and words, but 



^1 A ceremony performed by the women of each household at the winter solstice when the corn is taken 

 out and "danced" so that it will not feel neglected during the ceremonial season. 



