944 ZUNI KATCINAS 



[ETH. ANN. 47 



decorated box suspended from the center of the ceiUng. The walls 

 of the house are marked with corn meal. In an excavation in the 

 center of the floor seeds of all kinds are deposited. Similar rites are 

 performed later in the evening by the six Ca'lako and the Koyemci 

 in the houses where they are to be entertained. 



After the blessing of the house, the gods are seated by the pekwin, 

 their masks raised. Reed cigarettes are brought and each katcina 

 smokes with the person seated opposite him, exchanging with him 

 the customary terms of relationship. Then the host (in the Saiyataca 

 house, the village chief serves as host) questions the gods concerning 

 the circumstance of their coming. In the long recital that follows he 

 reviews all the events leading up to the present moment, and invokes 

 upon the house all the blessings of the gods, especially the blessing of 

 fecimdity. Two of these chants are recorded in text below. 



This litany, chanted in unison by the four leaders (Cula'witsi is 

 not required to learn it), takes about six hours to perform. It is 

 chanted in loud tones and very slowly, in monotone except for the 

 last syllable of each line which is higher in pitch, heavily accented 

 and prolonged. The te\-t of this is printed on p. 710. 



The chants of the Ca'lako, which omit the recital of the 29 springs 

 visited by the gods on their way to Zufli, and curtail other portions, 

 take from one to two hours to perform. The text of one of the 

 shorter ones is printed on p. 762. 



All are finished at about 11 o'clock at night, when an elaborate 

 feast is served in all the houses. After this all the masked personages 

 dance until day in the houses of their hosts. 



At the first sign of approaching dawn Saiyataca ascends to the roof 

 of the house where he has spent the night, and facing the east, imties 

 the last knot in his counting string while he intones another prayer. 

 Returning to the house, he repeats the prayer. He then thanks the 

 members of the society choir who furnished the music during the 

 night. The dancing continues until sunrise when the heads of all 

 impersonators are washed by the women of the houses where they 

 were entertained, as a symbol of their permanent association with 

 these houses. They receive gifts of food, and sometimes of clothing, 

 from their hosts, but these gifts are in no measure a compensation for 

 their services. 



At about noon, after planting prayer sticks and performing magical 

 ceremonies in a field on the south of the river, the Ca'lako gods and 

 the Saiyataca group depart for their home in the west. This closes 

 their year, and the impersonators of the Saiyataca group and the 

 Ca'lako are now free after the exacting period of service. 



The Koyemci, however, are not yet free. Throughout the year 

 their duties have been heavier. They hold nightly meetings, partici- 

 pate in the monthly plantings of the other impersonators. Further- 



