894 ZUNI KATCINAS 



Finally he goes to his wife or mother and says, 'Bring me some 

 seeds.' Then she gives him two or three kernels of com of all colors, 

 and all kinds of seeds, and he wraps them in a com husk. 



"When the dancers are getting ready to come in, they first have 

 their hair washed by their wives or sisters. Then they go to the kiva 

 to dress. First they paint the body, then they put on the clothing, 

 then they put on the mask, and last of all they put on their seeds. 

 Before going out of the kiva the man takes the package of seeds he 

 has brought from home and spits on it and says, 'Now yo\i shall be 

 my heart. You shall make me into a Raw Person. You will bring 

 me good luck, for me and for all my people, so that their corn may 

 grow.' Then just as the men are going out of the kiva to dance, the 

 kiva chief goes to the door and takes Paiyatamii medicine into his 

 mouth and spits it out on each man as he goes out of the door." 



The winter dance series begins after dark. The men have their 

 hair washed in the afternoon, and go immediately after their evening 

 meal to dress in a house near the one they are using in lieu of a kiva. 

 Often they use an adjoining room. The evening before the kiva chief 

 has taken to the chief of one of the societies a package of com meal, 

 with the request that his society officiate at their dance. During 

 the afternoon preceding the dance the society chief (or pekwin) sets 

 up the altar of the society in the house of the kiva chief. In the 

 evening the society brings its drum to the house, and a group of singers 

 to furnish music for the katcinas who do not dance to their ovn\ songs. 

 At nightfall the headmen of each kiva sacrifice food in the river to 

 the ancients and the katcinas. (They have done this regularly every 

 night since rehearsals began.) For the night dances indoors masks are 

 not recjuired. But if anyone asks that the dance be repeated ne.xt day, 

 masks must be worn for the outdoor dancing. Theoretically only the 

 initiated and grown women may see these immasked dances of the 

 katcinas, but as a matter of fact verj' young children are permitted 

 to attend. 



If the dance belongs to the summer series, on the evening preceding 

 the dance, in the house of the kiva chief, a final rehearsal is held.^' At 

 about three o'clock in the morning the dancers come out and sing and 

 dance for a short time in each of the four plazas. This is the entrance 

 of the gods into the village. The men wear ordinary clothing and 

 blankets, and are unmasked. No one dare see them at this time 

 lest he die. The high, clear calls of the katcinas, and the loud sing- 

 ing in the still night waken the whole village. After making the 

 rounds of the plazas the dancers retire to the kiva, where they rest 

 for the balance of the night. In the morning they return to their 



53 Except the first dance of the season, ''koluwalawa," They enter the village masked at sundown, dance 

 in all the kivas, and retire to the house of the katcina chief where all night ceremonies are held. Next day 

 they come out at sunrise and dance four times in all the plazas before touching food or drink, unless it 

 rains before that time, in which case they may drink. 



