BONZEL] THE INITIATION 977 



rapidly and without pause. His "talk" is the longest of any of the 

 katcinas and the most esoteric. ^^ 



In the kivas are all the officials of the kotikan'e. As soon as Kaklo 

 leaves each kiva, the ofl^cials there assembled appoint the imper- 

 sonators of the two Salimopiya and the other gods who come with 

 them and who are considered as belonging to the Salimopiya party. 

 They plant prayer sticks the day following their appointment and for 

 eight days observe strict retreat. 



Meanwhile the Koyemci go around to all the houses to learn the 

 names of children who are to be whipped. Each Koyemci takes a 

 certain number of houses and remembers the names for these houses, 

 but Tsitsikji must remember them all. 



The parents of boys to be initiated notify the boy's ceremonial 

 father — the husband, son, or brother of the woman who first touched 

 him at birth. If he has no father, or if his rightful father, for one 

 reason or another, does not wish to serve, another man is selected. 

 Any boy over 5 who has not already been initiated will be mitiated 

 at this ceremony. 



Meanwhile in the houses of the boys' aunts (fathers' sisters) the 

 women of their fathers' clan grind for the food that must be given to 

 the ceremonial father. The full accoimt of gift exchanges in con- 

 nection with this ceremony must be reserved for another place. 



On their visits to the boys' houses the Koyemci appoint those who 

 are to cook the dishes of beans of various colors for the gods. To be 

 so selected is a very great honor. On the final day the Koyemci take 

 these bowls of bean stew to the kiva.^^ 



On the eighth night the Kaklo people again go to Wliite Rocks and 

 enter the village at daybreak. He visits all the kivas again, reciting 

 in each an abbreviated version of his chant. He leaves the village 

 when he hears the approach of the other katcinas. The following 

 gods in mask and costume come into the village from the west in the 

 evening : 



Kolowisi and Tsitsika. 

 Two Muluktakii. 



" The textTecorded by Mrs. Stevenson, Zuni Indians, pp. 43-88, is not the complete " tallc." A member 

 of the ^akjo cult explained that it was a recital of the order of episodes occurring in "talk" but not the 

 talk itself. The other explanation is that it is the talk used by gaklo on his second visit, eight days later. 

 On this occasion he stays in the village only from sunrise until sunset, and recites in each kiva an abbreviated 

 version of his earlier talk. But the text as recorded would scarcely fill the two hours allotted to each kiva. 

 Furthermore, the style of the text, so different from the imaginative poetic style of other rituals, lends weight 

 to the theory that it is a mnemonic device. Unfortunately I did not have an opportunity to record the text 

 in full. My connections with the KSklo priesthood were formed too late in my visit to get this text. The 

 songs of the Koyemci as recorded by Mrs. Stevenson are substantially correct. This is one of the most 

 important of Zufii songs. It is a great favorite. Everyone knows it and sings it on all occasions, especially 

 for children. Presumably it is intelligible to the Zuiii but no one can explain it, even those who would 

 gladly do so. 



" The initiates must eat no meat for four days following their initiation. I did not ascertain whether 

 this restriction falls on the impersonators. If so it would explain why beans are required. On the other 

 hand, compare the importance of beans in the llopi festival Powaraii at which children are initiated. 



