16 HOPI KATCINAS [eth. ann. 21 



Eiirlv man rarely i^enoralized. Every object, organic and inorganic, 

 had a spirit. l)ut tliese spirits, like the objects themselves, were 

 thought of as concrete. The spirit of the tree had little in common 

 with the spirit of the sun. To distinguish these differences symbolic 

 personifications were called in, and the medicine power of objects was 

 embodied in objective comprehensible form; thus the medicine power 

 of the sun presented itself as an eagle, that of the earth as a spider. 



It would appear, also, that in case of the magic or medicine power of 

 man, there was a universal belief that it existed and was potent after 

 death. The breath-body or spirit of man was believed to have a con- 

 tinued existence after the death of the body, retaining powers of good 

 and bad action, a belief which led to worship. The katcinas are spirits 

 of the ancients of the Hopis, and personations of them by men bear 

 the symbols which are supposed to have characterized these ancients. 



While the term katcina was originally limited to the spirits, or per- 

 sonified medicine power, of ancients, personifications of a similar 

 power in other objects have likewise come to be called katcinas. Thus 

 the magic power or medicine of the sun maj' be called katcina, or that 

 of the earth may be known by the same general name, this use of the 

 tei-m being common among the Hopis. The term may also be applied 

 to personations of these spirits or medicine potencies bj'' men or their 

 representation by pictures or graven objects, or b^' other means. 

 As applied to a dance in which the personations appear, the term is 

 secondary and derivative. 



The word ''medicine'" is here used in its ancient meaning, not as in 

 modern English. It is misleading to apply such terms as "spirit," 

 "soul,'' and "medicine," with the modified meanings which the}^ now 

 have, to beliefs of primitive man. When these words originated they 

 were applicaV>ie to such beliefs, but in the evolution of culture their 

 meanings have changed, and thej' are now symbols of beliefs that are 

 vevy different from those which they originally represented. 



In the Hop! ritual there are dramatic celebrations of the arrival 

 and departure of the katcinas. Certain clans have special festivals 

 in which thev dramatize the advent of their clan-ancients; thus the 

 Katcina clan represents it in a festival called Powamu, the Asa clan 

 in Pami'irti, the Patki clan in Soyaluna. Kindred clans unite with 

 the more prominent in the dramatization of the advent of their clan- 

 ancients. There is only one dramatization of the departure of clan- 

 ancients, a festival which is called the Niman (departure), and which 

 occurs in July. Personations of the same clan-ancients do not appear 

 eveiy year at a stated time; in some years they are more numerous 

 than in others, as quadrennially, when certain initiation ceremonies are 

 performed. Particular personations are prescribed for great festivals 

 like Pamiirti. Powamu, and PaluUikonti, and these appear yearly, but 



