56 HOPI KATCINAS (eth. AN>r.21 



Abbreviatkd Katcina Daxcks 



Thi'ougbout the summer months there occur in the Hopi pueblos a 

 series of masked dances, generally of a day's duration, to which the 

 author has given the name Aljbreviated Katcina dances. They are 

 not accompanied by secret ceremonies, and the participants vary in 

 numt>er. the beings personated differing from year to year. 



These dances close with what is called the Niman, or Departure of 

 the Katcinas, a ceremonj' of nine days' duration, in which there is an 

 elaborate altar, and many secret ceremonies." There are, however, 

 no altars in these abbreviated festivals, nor is there any public 

 announcement of them b\' the town crier. The dances continue at 

 intei'vals fi'om morning to night, but are limited to one daj-, the three 

 or four preceding days being spent in the kivas practicing songs, 

 preparing and painting dance paraphernalia, and making other prep- 

 arations for the public exhibition. The katcinas in these festivals are 

 accompanied by one or more unmasked priests, who shout to them, 

 sprinkle the dancers with meal, and lead the line as it passes from one 

 dance place to another, showing the trail by sprinkling meal on the 

 ground. These are called the katcina fathers (naanul), and in a general 

 way cori-espond to the rain priests mentioned l)y students of Zuni 

 ceremonies. 



Ordinarily all participants in one of these ab])reviated dances wear 

 masks with like symbols, but there are four or six dressed as women 

 who accompany the dance by rasping a sheep scapula on a notched 

 stick. Occasionally, however, there is a dance, limited to one day, in 

 which all participants wear different kinds of masks, and personate 

 different katcinas. This dance, known as the Soyohim, has been else- 

 where described.'' From the variety of personations which appear, 

 this dance is a particularly good one for a study of the Hopi symbolism. 



.Summp:r Tawa Paholawv (Sun Pratek-stick-makixu) 



Till' making of the sun prayer-sticks in midsummer is limited to a 

 single day, l)ut does not differ from that in winter.'' The Sun priests 

 assemble for this purpose in the room under a house near the Mon 

 kiva, and the onl}' fetish they use is a stone image of a frog, over 

 which is stretched a string with attached feathers, and which lies on a 

 line of meal drawn diagonally on the floor. 



As the Sun priests have no distinctive masks or public dance, no 

 pictures were made to illustrate this ceremony. 



oFor a description of Ximan Katcina see Journal of American Ethncjlotry and Archfeology, vol. ii, 

 1892, p. 8fi. 



6 Same volume, p. 5y. 



(■The summer sun pra.ver-stick-making at butli Walpi and Huno is described in tUc Auliime Just 

 cited. 



