38 HOPI KATCINAS [etii. 



IVhisauu cuiiic down ;i ladder as if a stairway, and. niakiny liis way back 

 of the line of danciM's. caiiu' forward })etv\'ecn two of tlieui and siiuatted 

 before the fireplace. The second personator followed, unmasked, 

 but with two black streaks painted on his cheeks. He took his seat 

 by the side of Masauu. assuniinu- the posture of a man planting, 

 holdine- one end of the planting stick to the floor as if it were soil. 

 Thus these two personators remained until the songs ceased, not 

 speaking. When the Maswiks'liled out, each said "(lood night" but 

 the last one, who carried a bundle slung over his shoulders, halted, 

 with one foot on the lowest rung of the laddei-, and announced to the 

 occupants of the room that a few moons hetice there would ))e a 

 ^lasauu ceremony at Mastcomo. 



At the departure of the dancers all occupants of tiie room crowded 

 forward, each in turn placing his prayer symbol or feathered sti'ing in 

 the l>asket tray, whispering a l)rief prayer to Masauu. This was an 

 impressive ceremony, and was accompanied with much reverence. 

 There was no loud talking, and each man seemed to speak confiden- 

 tially to the personation of the supernatural being lie addressed. Hav- 

 ing recei\ ed all the prayers of the kiva inmates, the two personations 

 passed out of the room, leaving their trays full of stringed feathers. 

 The situation of the shrines where these ofl'erings were later placed 

 was not t)bserved. but some of them were ]ilaced at tlie shrine of 

 INIasauu in the foothills west of the mesa. 



Tile foregoing rites and the nature of the prayers addressed to 

 JNIasiiuu lead the author to regard him as a god of germination or a 

 personation of tire as a symbol of life. Life, to a jjrimitive mind, is 

 power of will expressed in motion, and is the mystery which animates 

 everything, organic and inorganic. Masauu has the mysterious power 

 so deveh>ped that he can make crops grow if he wills, and he was 

 appealed to for crops, as a germ god. There are other germ gods, as 

 INIuyinwu or Alosaka. the germ god of Awatobi. l)ut ]\Iasauu. one of 

 the most archaic in Tusayan. was derived from Sikyatki. In early 

 history, as legend declares, he owned all Hopi territory, but the chief 

 of the Snake clan, by the use of his own mysterious power, overcame 

 the mystery or medicine of Masauu. even though he had power of life 

 and death, and comi)elled him to do good deeds. 



Thus it is that Masauu is regarded as the god of tiie. which is life: 

 as the god of death: but above all as the god of germs. Eototo. whom 

 the ancient Sikyatkians regarded as their special tutelary deity: once 

 overcome by the Hopi. he now does their bidding. 



Ari'K.AUANCE OF POWAMl KATCINAS 



Certain beings called Powanul katcinas appear on the following 

 morning in the kiva. where they dance and ixn-form other rites. The 

 artist has represented these, and also So wuqti (tirandmother woman), 

 who grasps the Powauu"! katcina liy the hand (see plate xiv). 



