THE VILLAGE DWELLERS. 137 
which the fruit of the giant cactus is knocked down. 
The men themselves are said to represent the giant 
eactus. They are called clowns and appear as such, 
but since they are also the attendants of the singers and 
the head men it is proper to assume that, as is the 
ease among the pueblo people, the duties of these 
apparent clowns are of considerable importance. 
The main celebration occupies one day and takes 
place in an enclosure about 30 feet square made of 
wattling. In the center of the enclosure isa forked post 
on which is placed a basket of cornmeal. To the east 
of the post is a flat cotton emblem of the sun and to the 
west a similar one of the moon. The enclosure is sub- 
divided so that each village has its own plot wherein 
sacred objects are placed and where the singers for the 
particular village gather. Near each of these enclosures 
miniature fields are made of sand representing the 
arroyo which contributes the water, the irrigation 
ditches, and the fields themselves. These are cared for 
by the clowns. 
The day of the festival all those in attendance are 
sprinkled with corn meal to keep away sickness. Each 
adult takes a feathered stick, puts corn meal on it, and 
brushes himself as a cleansing rite. The men of the 
respective villages, each for himself, have made of twigs 
a representation of some food products, clouds, game 
animals, and cotton. At noon these are carried to the 
village plot within the enclosure. As they move toward 
the spot bullroarers are swung, representing the sound of 
rain. 
During the afternoon songs are sung. When dark- 
ness has fallen well-informed old men dressed as clowns 
deliver set speeches. After the speechmaking each 
village in order sings the songs which have been prac- 
tised during the period of preparation. Two of the 
