Just after dark those who were to take part in the ceremony prepared to
personate one of the Hostjobokon and two of the Hostjoboard
(goddesses)--Hostjoghon and Hasjelti. Hostjobokon's body and limbs were
painted, and he wore a mountain lion's skin doubled lengthwise and
fastened around the loins at the back, and a silver belt encircled his
waist. Hasjelti wore knee breeches and a shirt of black velvet, ornamented
with silver buttons. His face and hands were covered with white kaolin.
Hostjoghon's body was painted white, and he wore a red silk scarf around
the loins, caught on with a silver belt. The two men personating the
goddesses had their limbs painted white; one wore a black sash around his
loins, held by a silver belt. The other had a red woolen scarf and silver
belt; gray foxskins hung from the back of the belts. The masks were
fastened to their heads before leaving the lodge by means of a string and
a lock of their hair, and they were then thrown back from the head. After
a little indulgence in their hoots they all left the lodge. The invalid
entered the lodge and, stepping upon a piece of white cotton which had
been laid diagonally across the rug to the northeast and southwest, took
off his clothing. The lodge had now become very crowded. The fire, which
had burned brightly during the day, was mere coals. The attendant at the
left of the song priest opened the choir with the rattle. The invalid sat
upon the cotton cloth. Hasjelti, entering with his favorite hoot amidst
rattle and song, placed the square (representing the concentrated winds)
four times over the head of the invalid and ran out of the lodge. He
entered again and received from the theurgist one of the twelve white
sticks which during the forenoon had been placed in the basket. The white
stick farthest from the white reed was handed him. This Hasjelti placed to
the soles of the feet, knees, palms, etc., of the invalid, amid hoots and
antics, after which he dashed out and hurled the stick to the east. One of
the Hostjoboard entered and received the next white stick, and after the
same ceremony ran out and cast it to the east. Hostjobokon returned and
the theurgist handed him the next white stick, when he repeated the
ceremony, hurried from the lodge, and threw the stick to the east.
Hostjoboard again entered, received a stick, repeated the ceremony, and
ran out and threw it to the east; and thus Hostjobokon and Hostjoboard
alternated until all the white sticks were disposed of, when Hasjelti
reappeared and received from the song priest the white reed (cigarette)
and carried it from the lodge. When he returned the theurgist handed him
one of the blue sticks, with which he repeated the ceremony and, leaving
the lodge, threw it to the south, when Hostjoghon and Hostjoboard
alternately disposed of the blue sticks in the same order in which the
white sticks had been distributed. The yellow and black sticks were
disposed of in a similar manner, Hasjelti officiating with the first stick
of each color and the reeds. The yellow sticks were thrown to the west;
the black to the north. This was all done amidst the wildest hoots and
song of the choir, accompanied by the rattle.
Hasjelti again appeared and placed the square four times over the
invalid's head with wild hoots. The four cigarettes to be smoked by the
gods were afterwards taken by four of the personators of the gods and
deposited in a secluded spot under a tree and sprinkled with corn pollen;
after their return Hasjelti again placed the square over the invalid's
head. The song priest placed two live coals in front of the invalid, and
upon the coals he put a pinch of tobacco, the smoke of which the invalid
inhaled. The attendant poured water over the coals, when they were thrown
out at the fire opening of the lodge. The personators of the gods returned
to the lodge bearing their masks in their hands. The invalid put on his
clothing and took his seat upon the rug, but in a short time he returned
to his former seat on the northwest side of the lodge. The sweat-house
priest appeared with a large buffalo robe which he spread before the song
priest, the head pointing north, and upon this various kinds of calico
were laid, carefully folded the length of the robe. There were many yards
of this. Upon the calico was spread a fine large buckskin, and on this
white muslin; these were all gifts from the invalid to the song priest.
The masks were then laid upon the cotton (see Pl. CXV, 7, 8); the mask of
Hasjelti was on the east side to the north end, that of Hostjoghon at the
south end, and between these the six masks of the Hostjobokon were placed.
Immediately under these were the six Hostjoboard, and beneath the latter
were the masks of Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni at the north end. Three
other masks of the Etsethle followed in line running south. After all the
masks had been properly arranged the song priest sprinkled them with
pollen. Beginning with Hasjelti he sprinkled every mask of the upper line
thus: Over the top of the head down the center of the face, then forming a
kind of half-circle he passed over the right cheek, then passing his hand
backward to the left he sprinkled the same line up the left cheek. The
second and third rows had simply a line of the pollen run across the
masks, beginning at the north end. The theurgist repeated a prayer during
the sprinkling of the pollen, then handed the bag of pollen to the priest
of the sweat house, who repeated the sprinkling of the masks, when
everyone in the lodge, each having his individual bag of pollen, hastened
forward and sprinkled the masks, at the same time offering prayers. The
theurgist and priest of the sweat house again sprinkled pollen on the
masks as heretofore described.
Baskets and bowls in unlimited quantity, filled with food, were placed in
a circle around the fire which now burned brightly. The guests formed into
groups and drew the food toward them, but did not touch it for a time. The
invalid, song-priest, and his attendants, indulged in a smoke which was
social and not religious, the white man's tobacco being preferred on such
occasions. A girl and a boy, about 12 years of age, came into the lodge.
The boy was the son of the invalid, the girl his sister's child. The boy
knelt at the northeast end of the rug and the girl at the southeast end.
They were richly dressed in Navajo blankets, coral necklaces, etc., and
they remained perfectly quiet. The theurgist and his attendants talked
together in an undertone, and if the inmates of the lodge spoke at all
their voices were scarcely audible. After a time the choir opened, led by
the song-priest with his rattle. During the singing the rattle was passed
from one to the other. The invalid did not join in the song. The choir
continued an hour without cessation, and then rested 2 minutes, and again
began and continued for another hour.(4) At the conclusion of the singing
the song-priest handed to the girl a wand of turkey plumes taken from a
basket of feathers which had stood, since the placing of the masks, on the
west side of him. Another wand was passed to the boy; and the children
received some instructions from the song-priest, who spoke in an
undertone, after which, an attendant filled with water from a wicker water
jug a basket that had stood throughout the ceremony at the east of the
rug.
The song was now resumed, and dipping the wand he held in the basket of
water the boy sprinkled the masks, beginning at the north end and east
row. The girl repeated the same. The east row of masks was sprinkled
twice. When the children sprinkled the middle and west rows, the ceremony
was always begun at the north end of each line of masks; again dipping
their wands in the water, the boy beginning at the north side and the girl
at the south, they sprinkled the inmates of the lodge. The children were
very awkward, and were rendered more so by the many scoldings given them
for their mistakes. The sprinkling of the people was continued until the
water was exhausted. The lodge was also sprinkled at the cardinal points.
The song never ceased throughout this ceremony. The girl and boy, taking
the position first assigned them, an attendant, with a reed filled with
sacred tobacco, puffed the smoke over the masks, smoking each mask
separately on the east row; the middle and west rows he hurriedly passed
over. While this was being done an attendant took a pinch from all the
different foods and placed what he gathered into a basket in the niche
behind the song-priest.(5) After the masks had been smoked, the attendant
puffed the smoke over all the people, beginning on the north side of the
lodge. During the smoking the song ceased, but was resumed when the
attendant took his seat. At the close of the song sacred meal was mixed
with water in a Zuñi pottery bowl. This meal is made of green corn baked
in the earth and then ground. During the preparation of this medicine
mixture the song-priest sang: "This food is mixed for the people of the
rocks! We feed you with this food, O people of the rocks!" The theurgist
then dipped his forefinger into the mixture, and running his hand rapidly
over the masks from north to south, he touched each mouth; each line was
passed over four times. The invalid dipped his three first fingers into
the basket, and placing them in his mouth, sucked in his breath with a
loud noise. This was repeated four times by the invalid and then by each
of the attendants, when all the inmates of the lodge were expected to
partake of the mixture. This was done with a prayer for rain, good crops,
health, and riches. All hands now participated in the feast.
FOODS BROUGHT INTO THE LODGE.
Da'ttuneilgaij Pats made of wheat flour
and fried.
Tab'aestch'lonni Corn meal pats wrapped in
corn husks and boiled.
Tanä'shkiji Thick mush boiled and
stirred with sticks.
Nänesk'ädi Tortillas.
Ta'bijai Four small balls of corn
meal wrapped in corn
husks and boiled.
Insi'dok'ui Corn bread with salt,
made from the new corn,
wrapped in corn husks and
baked in ashes.
Tkäditin White corn meal mush.
Klesa'hn Corn meal dough in
rectangular cakes baked
in ashes, hot earth, or
sand.
Tsëste'lttsoi Cakes some fourth of an
inch thick made from
sweet corn mixed with
goat's milk and baked on
a hot rock.
Tseste' Bread made of corn first
toasted and then finely
ground and made into a
thin batter which is
baked upon a highly
polished lava slab. The
crisp gauzy sheets are
folded or rolled.
Tki'neshpipizi Small balls of corn meal
mush.
To'tkonji Corn meal cakes
one-fourth of an inch in
thickness of old corn,
baked in a pan; they are
seasoned with salt.
Ãlkaandt A bread made from sweet
corn which is first
parched then ground on a
metate and then chewed by
women and girls and
placed in a mass in a
flat basket; this must be
either of yellow or white
corn, the blue corn is
never used for this
purpose. A mush is made
of either white or yellow
corn meal and the former
preparation which has
become yeast is stirred
into the mush. A hole is
then dug in the ground
(near the fire) and lined
with shucks into which
the mush is poured, it is
then covered with shucks
after which earth is
thrown over it and a
large fire built which
burns all night. In the
early morning the cinders
and coals are removed
when the bread is found
to be baked.
Tkleheljoe Yeast is prepared for
this bread in the same
manner as that for the
Ãlkaandt except that the
corn is baked instead of
parched. The yeast is
then mixed with meal into
a stiff dough and baked
in corn husks, four pats
are placed in each
package.
Ta'nätnil (beverage) Is the same preparation
as the yeast used in the
Ãlkaandt except in this
case a drink is made of
it by pouring boiling
water over it.
Diz'etso Peaches (fresh or dried)
stewed. There were also
several large bowls of
stewed mutton.
Little groups of threes and fives were formed over the floor of the lodge;
others less fortunate were closely packed together around the outer edge
of the lodge and could procure their food only through the generosity of
their neighbors. The girl and boy left the lodge after having partaken of
the sacred meal mixture. After refreshment the song-priest lifted each
mask with his left hand beginning with Hasjelti, and first extending his
right hand, which held a fine large crystal, toward the heavens, he
touched the under part of each mask with the crystal; four times he passed
over the masks. The choir sang but no rattle was used. The crystal was
afterward placed on the rug opposite the basket of feathers. The food
vessels were removed and the song continued for a time when the
song-priest repeated a long low prayer, after which the song was resumed,
and thus the night was consumed in prayer and song over the masks.