660 



ZUNI EITUAL POETRY 



[ETH. ANN. 47 



20 The willow sticks. 



" Prayer sticks offered to the sun, the moon, and the rain makers are made with downy feathers of the 

 eagle. After planting these sticks the suppliant must retrain from animal food for four days. The downy 

 feather is considered the i;ekwin's because he always plants to the sun. The other priests use it when 

 rain is urgently needed and thereafter must abstain from animal food. Prayer sticks to the ancestors, 

 deceased members of societies or priesthoods, and the katci-nas are made with turkey feathers. It is as 

 guardian of the calendar that the pekwin "takes care of the world." 



•2 The bird associated with the north. The birds of the six directions are the pekwins or heralds of the 

 directions. The pekwin, who is the herald of the sun, is frequently referred to as, "all the birds of sum- 

 mer, pekwins." The feather of the blue jay is the feather of the priests which they are entitled to wear in 

 the hair on ceremonial occasions. 



