MODEUX PI EbLUS. 107 



Formerly among; the Ilopi it was the duty of tlie 

 Snake, Coyote, and Ikirrowing Owl clans to a\'en<»;e the 

 death of a Hopi killed by any one outside of the tribe, 

 to police the village, and in battles to fight in the fore- 

 most ranks with war clubs while others were privileged 

 to use bows and arrows. 



Religious Practices. 



The religious activities of the sedentary people of 

 the Southwest are so many and so intricate that it is 

 difficult to describe or discuss them, especially in a 

 limited space. There are some common elements, 

 however, which are worthy of notice. The ceremonies 

 often take the form of dramas in which the movements 

 and activities of supernatural beings and animals are 

 imitated. The actors wear masks, paint their bodies, 

 and conduct themselves according to the supposed 

 appearance and character of the divinity or animal 

 represented. The divinities are also represented b}^ 

 large stone images rudely shaped and by smaller ones 

 which are better executed in soft stone or wood. 



There are permanent shrines usually near the villages, 

 often walled in on three sides and sometimes sheltering 

 an image or a peculiarly shaped stone. Temporary 

 altars are made during the ceremonies by setting up a 

 line of wooden slabs carved or painted with rehgious 

 symbols before which dry paintings are made. These 

 dry paintings are made by sprinkling sand of various 

 colors so as to form symbols, and pictures of the gods. 



