266 NAVAJO CEREMONIAL OF HASJELTI DAILJIS. 
During the ceremony Hasjelti, dressed in black velvet ornamented 
with silver, and Hostjoboard, with her nude body painted white and 
with silk searf around the loins caught on with silver belt, left the lodge 
to gather the children upon the mesa for the purpose of initiating them; 
but the children had already been summoned by men who rode over the 
mesa on horseback, visiting every hogan to see that all the children 
were brought for initiation. A buffalo robe was spread at the 
end of the avenue which extended from the medicine lodge some 
three hundred yards. The head of the robe was to the east; at the 
end of the robe blankets were spread in a kind of semicircle. Most of 
the children were accompanied by their mothers. The boys were strip- 
ped of their clothing and sat upon the buffalo robe. The head of the 
line being to the north, they all faced east with their feet stretched 
out. Their arms hung by their sides and their heads were bent forward. 
The girls sat in line upon the blanket in company with their mothers 
and the mothers of the boys. It is entirely a matter of choice whether 
or not a mother accompanies her child or takes any part in the cere- 
mony. The girls also sat like the boys, their heads bent forward. 
Their heads were bent down that they might not look upon the gods 
until they had been initiated. Up to this time they were supposed 
never to have had a close view of the masks or to have inspected any- 
thing pertaining to their religious ceremonies. The children ranged 
from five to ten years of age. At this particular ceremony nine boys 
and six girls were initiated. When the children were all in position, 
Hasjelti, carrying a fawn skin containing sacred meal, and Hostjoboard, 
carrying two needles of the Spanish bayonet, stood in front of the child- 
ren. The boy at the head of the line was led out and stood facing the 
east. Hasjelti, with the sacred meal, formed a cross on his breast, at the 
same time giving his peculiar hoot. Hostjoboard struck him upon the 
breast, first with the needles held in her right hand and then with those 
held in the left. Hasjelti then turned the boy toward the right until 
he faced west and made a cross with meal upon his back, when Hostjo- 
board struck him twice on the back with the needles. He was again 
turned to face the east, when both arms were extended and brought 
together. Hasjelti made a cross over the arms and then over the knees. 
Bach time the boy was crossed with the meal Hostjoboard struck the 
spot first with the needles in the right hand and then with those in the 
left, after which the boy returned to his seat. The cross denotes the scalp 
knot. Most of the boys advanced quite bravely to receive the chastise- 
ment. I noticed but one who seemed very nervous, and with great 
difficulty he kept back the tears. The boys’ ceremony over, the gods 
approached the girls, beginning at the end of the line next to the boys. 
Hasjelti marked a line of meal on each side of the foot of the girl, 
when Hostjoboard, now holding two ears of yellow corn wrapped with 
pion twigs, placed them to the soles of the girl’s feet and Hasjelti 
drew a line of meal on each hand; after which Hostjoboard placed the 
