Sbo ZUNI KATCINAS [eth. ann. 47 



"When no mask is worn, the hair is dressed precisely as if the mask 

 were to be worn and a fillet of yucca is bound about the brows. 



Face and body ixiint. — The face is always painted before putting on 

 a mask. Usually two lines are drawn across the face with iridescent 

 black paint (tsuhapa) or red paint (ahoko), or the chin and cheeks are 

 marked with smudges of red or black paint. 



"WTien the i-eal katcinas came to dance they did not wear masks, 

 but they always painted their faces this way. Then they stopped 

 coming because whenever they came some one at Itiwana used to die. 

 They told the people to dress the way they did and they told them to 

 make masks so that the young ones would not know them. That is 

 why they always paint their faces under the masks. And they paint 

 their faces so that if they take off their masks during their rest the 

 young ones who are around -will know that they are really katcinas." 



The whole body is painted, even when full costume is worn. It is 

 doubtful, however, if this is still strictly adhered to. The unexposed 

 portions of the body are painted white, with a thin solution of kaolin, 

 the exposed portions with paints of different colors. The composi- 

 tion and preparation of these pigments are described in another 

 place (p. 859). 



If the upper part of the body is nude it is painted red, pinlc, black, 

 more rarely yellow, pmple, wliite, or varicolored. The shoidders, 

 forearms, and legs are frequently yellow, and double lines of yellow 

 dots run from the waist to the shoidders and down the arms, both 

 front and back. These tend to make the body appear more slender. 

 They symbolize raindrops or rainbows. The loins are always painted 

 white, regardless of whether kilt or breechcloth is worn.^° This is 

 "for the sun." One informant offered the explanation that the 

 white paint was used to protect the light-colored clothing. When full 

 costume is worn the whole body is said to be painted white. With 

 long-sleeved garments the hands are painted white. The knees are 

 frequently painted red, sometimes spotted with yellow, "for speed." 

 Runners in stick races always have their knees painted red. 



Next to the mask, the face and body paint is the most sacred part 

 of a dancer's regalia. No one must touch a man while he has on his 

 bod}^ paint. After he has finished dancing, or if he wishes to stay in 

 liis own house between the days of the dance, his body must be bathed 

 ceremonially by his wife or his mother before he can go to his wife. 

 Impersonators of all important katcina priests must have then- heads 

 and bodies bathed by the women of their father's clans in the house of 



'-'' Except Cu'la'witsi, whose whole body is painted black with spots of red, yellow, blue, and white. The 

 body paint of Cu'la'witsi is especially sacred. Cu*la"witsi's body is painted by five men of the clan of his 

 ceremonial father. The father picks them out, one for each color. He goes to five men of his clan and says, 

 ' ' I have chosen you to look after the black paint," and they will say, ' ' Yes; I shall do it." Cu'lawitsi is 

 very dangerous. If anyone who does not believe in the katcinas tries to paint Cu'la'witsi the paint will not 

 stay on. 



