218 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS  [ETH. ayn. 24 
which follows, differs from the preceding in the names of the canes 
and in the manner in which they are arranged when cast : 
Legend says that it was played for rains by the Gods of War and the Ah’- 
shiwanni@ soon after coming to this world. The Ah’shiwanni afterward 
thought the reeds used for the game were too long, so their length was measured 
from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the middle finger, the fingers extended. 
The Ah’shiwanni considered this game so efficacious in bringing rains that 
they organized a fraternity, which they called Shoéwekwe, arrow-reed people, 
while the Ah’shiwi were at Hiin’thlipintka, for the express purpose of playing 
the game for rain. Ten men 
1 were designated by the Ah’shi- 
wanni as the original members 
of the Shoéwekwe. The prayers 
of the fraternity were sure to 
bring rains. . : 
Each player takes the side 
of one of the Gods of War, two 
pieces of split reed representing 
the side of the elder God of 
War and two the younger God 
of War. The writer for con- 
venience numbers the reeds 1, 
2, 3, 4 [figure 294]. 
No. 1, named knin’na, black, 
has the concave side of the reed 
colored black, indicating morn- 
ing, noon, and sunset, or the 
whole day. Three sets of lines 
on the convex side denote the 
three periods of the day— 
morning, noon, and sunset. 
No. 2, athluwa, center, has a 
daub of black midway of the 
reed, concave side, denoting 
midday. The lines on the con- 
vex side also denote noon. 
No.3, k6hakwa, white shell, has 
a baub of black paint at either 
end of the concave side, indicat- 
ing morning and evening, or sun- 
rise and sunset. Lines on the 
convex side denote the same. 
No. 4, paéhito, mark on the 
end, has a daub of black paint on the joint end of the coneave side, denoting 
sunrise, which to the Zuni is the first light of day. or the white light which 
comes first; and the lines on the convex side indicate the same. Three dots 
are sometimes found on the joint of the reed, indicating eyes and mouth 
of the face, which is not delineated. Other reeds have only two dots for 
the eyes. Nos. 1 and 3 are said to belong to the elder God of War, and nos. 
2 and 4 to the Younger God of War. 'The player representing the elder god 
holds no. 3 concave side up, and slides no 2 into the groove of no. 3, the 
Fig. 294. Split reeds used in shéliwe; Zuni Indians, 
Zuni, New Mexico; from Mrs Stevenson. 
“Rain priests. 
