V. PRAYERS AND CHANTS OF THE PRIESTS OF THE 

 MASKED GODS. I 



The Coming of Kaklo 



In former times the preliminary initiation of small children took 

 place every fourth year. In these years the chief of the cult group 

 in charge of the Kaklo ritual received from the priests at the winter 

 solstice a prayer stick commanding his participation. 



The ceremony is held in March or April. Eight days before the 

 actual whipping of the children Kaklo appears to announce the ap- 

 proacliing ceremony and command those concerned to prepare for it. 

 In each kiva he intones a long chant describing in great detail the 

 mythological sanction of the coming ceremony.' After visiting all 

 the kivas he departs. 



After eight days he comes again. Again he visits each kiva, repeat- 

 ing his chant. At dawn he is ready to depart. As he leaves, the 

 gods who perform the initiation ceremonies appear and enter the 

 %'illage. 



The following prayer is spoken by the impersonator of Kaklo at 

 some time during his preparations for his ceremony, probably at the 

 moment of taking out the mask before his second appearance. 



This many are the days 

 Since the moon who is our mother 

 Yonder in the west a small thing 

 First became visible. 

 When she reached maturity 

 5 Then the one who is my father, 

 Kaklo, pekwin priest, 

 Perpetuating his rite had since the 



first beginning — 

 Yonder from his perfect mountain 

 Made his road come forth. 

 10 He made his road come hither. 

 Into Itiwana his road entered, 

 There, wherever the roads of his 



children come forth 

 He made his road enter. 

 His words came forth. 



le'si le'waiian'e 



hon ya'onajfii tsit i'lap a"'te'ona 



liwan (fa'liciankwin ta"na kj-'wi 



tsa'na ye'tsakana 

 ho"i-ya''Kal5a te"a'ana 

 5 hon tatc i'lap a''te'ona 

 Ifa'klo pe'kwin ci'wani 

 yam yii'lan ya''na'a 

 yam ko"nhol tci'mi^'ii'kona te'- 



lia'na 

 o'neala kwai"iEana 

 10 o'neai i'Kilna 



i'tiwanakwi o'neala kwa'toEana 

 la'lhok" yam te'apEunan o'neala* 



kwai"ina'kowa 

 o'neaia' kwa'toEana 

 yam pe'nan kwai"ina 



1 The text recorded by Mrs. Stevenson (Tweuty-third Ann. Rept. Bur. .\mer. Ethn., p. 80) is incom- 

 plete. This is a telescopic version, a mnemonic device consisting merely of a list of place names at which 

 events and ceremonies described in the fuller version lake place. The complete chant, which is intoned 

 in very rapid rhythm, takes about si-\ hours to perform— it is longer even than the sayataca chant. It 

 is in the keeping of a cult group of four men who take turns in impersonating the god. 

 690 



