976 ZUXI KATCINAS [eth. ann. 47 



which tentatively admits the child to the congregation of the 

 elect imtU, having reached the age of understanding, he establishes 

 his relations with the supernatural by voluntarily partaldng of 

 communion, just as the Zuiii cliild must, after reaching years of dis- 

 cretion, complete his initiation by being inducted into the mysteries 

 of the cult.«' 



The enormous importance of the rite of flagellation in this ceremony 

 establishes it as primarily a ritual of exorcism and purification.*- 



The preliminary initiation of boys into the katcina cult should be 

 held quadrennially in the spring of the year. It has not been held, 

 however, since 1919, due to the absence of boys in school and changes 

 in the hierarchy. The ceremony was commanded by the priests for 

 the spring of 1929. Unfortunately the writer has never witnessed 

 this important ceremony, so the following pages must be considered 

 merely as notes to fuller accounts. The ceremony is described by 

 Stevenson, Fifth and Twenty-third iVimual Reports of the Bureau of 

 American Ethnology, and best of all in the unpublished Benedict 

 manuscript. 



When the ceremony is to be held the head of the Kiiklo cult receives 

 from the priests at Itiwana a tehian-e, his order to serve. He notifies 

 other members of the cult group and immediately they start nightly 

 meetings to rehearse their "talk," review the various rituals, and 

 otherwise prepare for their ceremony. The ceremony is timed so 

 that the final public rites fall on the day of the full moon of the third 

 month following the solstice.*^ The retreat, therefore, begins when 

 the moon is six days old. On this night the Kaklo people get their 

 mask and go after midnight to dress at White Rocks. See below 

 (p. 981), for accounts of the ceremony on this night. 



Kaklo leaves Sand Hill (near White Rocks) at simrise and comes 

 rapidly to the village, borne by the Koyemci. He visits the six kivas 

 and departs at sunrise the following day. In each of the kivas he 

 recites his Tciniikanapka penan-e (talk of the first beginning). The 

 recital in each Idva consumes over three hours. Kaklo speaks very 



" The writer, however, fails to find any validity in Mrs. Stevenson's distinction of "involuntary" and 

 "voluntary" initiations. The second initiation is no more voluntary than the first. The Zuflis certainly 

 do not use any such terms, nor have they any such feeling concerning them. 



82 The use of flagellation is discussed in another place, p. 606. 



" I am indebted to Doctor Parsons for pointing out the striking coincidence in time with Easter. Easter 

 in western Christian chm-ches falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox; 

 in other words, shortly after the third full moon after the winter solstice. In certain villages of Mexico it 

 is customary for men to whip their little boys in the church on Sabata Gloria (Holy Saturday) "to make 

 them grow." The importance of rites of flagellation in the Good Friday observances of the Penitentes 

 need scarcely be pointed out. It is also interesting to note in this connection that the spring months from 

 Easter until Corpus Christi in all Catholic countries are the usual time for administering first communion 

 to children from the ages of 6 to 9. 



