958 ZUNI ILITCINAS [ETH.ANX.47 



treated here and must be deferred to some later publication. In this 

 case the idea of masking seems distinctly secondary and the Koyemci 

 are probably more nearly related to clowning societies on the Plains 

 and other parts of North America than to the masked rain beings of 

 the pueblos. Doctor Parsons has pointed out that they are perhaps 

 caricatiu-es of the Spanish padres, nor should their possible relation 

 to the masked devils of Mexican and European carnival dancing be 

 overlooked. 



CULA'WITSI 

 (Plate 25, a) 



Costume. — On liis head, feathers fastened to a short stick; from 

 front to back these are: Turkey, hawk, bluejay, onohko, hiunming 

 bird, duck. Two thick cotton cords hang over his face on the left 

 side. The mouth and eyes are small holes. 



The mask and body are painted black all over with kekwina and 

 hekwitola and then spotted with yellow (hehiptsikwa), blue (akwali), 

 red (icilowa yaJtoka, made from the juice of a plant, mLxed with red 

 corn), and white (he'kohakwa). 



"When he comes at Ca'lako he should be all naked. That is the 

 way he used to come, but now he wears a small breechcloth of black 

 cloth, painted like the body. He wears a fawn-skin bag over his 

 shoulder. This is filled with seeds. On his back he carries a bundle 

 of birds and rabbits which his father kills for him. He gives these 

 to the house where he stays. In his right hand he carries a torch of 

 cedar bark, in his left yamuwe, two sticks of black wood, measured 

 from the inside of the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, with feath- 

 ers at both ends. 



"When he comes for the initiation he wears a belt of blue leather 

 with a long fringe of goat's hair hanging from it. In the right hand 

 he carries a torch, in the left yamuwe. But when he whips the chil- 

 dren and goes around the village to take away the bad luclv he puts 

 away his yamuwe and carries yucca in the right hand and a torch in 

 the left." 



There are really two distinct Cula-witsis. There are two ancient 

 masks. The one that is used at Ca'lako is kept with those of Sai- 

 yataca, Hututu, and Yamuhakto in house 56. At that time the imper- 

 sonator is a little boy, from 10 to 14 years of age. He is selected 

 indirectly by the priests, and must be Badger clan or child of Badger. 



The mask that is used for the initiation is kept with the mask of 

 the many colored Siilimopiya in house Xl63. This house, also is 

 Dogwood. The impersonator on this occasion is an older man. He 

 is picked out by the head men of uptsanawa kiva, and must belong to 

 that kiva and the Badger clan. 



Cula-witsi is frequently referred to by the Zunis as the fire god, but 

 in theirown language he is usually called Pekwin ts'ana (little pekwin). 



