BUNZEL] THE COMING OF THE GODS 957 



takes them to his house. All his people are there, and liis wife has 

 been cooking and baking for them. They come in and go right in to 

 their ceremonial room, because they still have their masks on. When 

 they have all come in each one takes off his mask and prays, 'Now, 

 my father, now I am finished with you. We have finished our work 

 of looking after our people's welfare. May I be fortunate as you 

 have always been. When you were a person long ago you had no 

 misfortmie. Now give me long Hfe and a strong body like you used 

 to have when you were a person. Do not draw me back with you, 

 but give me a strong heart.' Thus they all say and set down their 

 masks. Then their father comes and he wraps up the masks in a 

 ceremonial blanket. He says, 'Now, my children, wait for me imtil 

 I come back.' The poor men have had nothing to eat or drink since 

 the evening before when they had their supper, and now it is midnight 

 already. They have been in retreat for 14 days. They look tired and 

 sick. They have had their masks on all day and their hair is covered 

 with com meal. Their father takes up the masks and goes out. He 

 goes to the west side of the village to the house where they keep the 

 masks. He gives them to the woman who takes care of them and prays 

 for the people in that house, and they pray for him and thank him. 

 Then he leaves the masks and conies home. He has been gone nearly 

 an hour. 



"When he comes back there is a jar of fresh water in the I'oom and a 

 new gourd. He dips out some of the water with the gourd and says, 

 'Now, my children, rest.' Then he takes a little sip of the water and 

 holds the gourd for the next one and he drinks a Httle. They all drinlv 

 a little bit and then when they have each had a sip they get up and go 

 over to the jar and really drink. Until each one has had a sip of the 

 water they are all sacred. Then tlieir father tells them again that 

 he is glad that they have finished their year, and he tells them that 

 they should always be kind to everyone and never hurt anyone. 

 'Even if you have finished your year you must be kind to everyone 

 now so that when our time comes again we may not have a bad name. 

 Our time will come again in four years.' Then their father sprinldes 

 them all again, and after he has sprinkled them with water they are 

 free. Then the women bring in the food and they eat, and that is the 

 end of it." 



The Koyemci occupy so important a place in the life and thought of 

 the people that no paper about the pueblos fails to mention them. The 

 more important accoimts of theu* mythological character have been 

 quoted above. Doctor Parsons's various papers onZufii contain many 

 allusions to their practices and to the awe with which they are regarded 

 by the people. 



The whole cjuestion of the interrelation of the various masked and 

 immasked clown groups of the different pueblos is too involved to be 



