SACRIFICES OF DSILYÍDJE QACÀL.

176. The sacrifices made to the gods during these ceremonies consist of

nothing more than a few sticks and feathers, with the occasional

addition of strings and beads--a form of sacrificial offering common

among various tribes of the Southwest, including the sedentary Indians,

of the pueblos. During the six days' work in the medicine lodge and the

corral, I saw but one lot of these sticks prepared (paragraphs 86, 87);

but I think this lot represented two sets, i.e., sacrifices to two

different mythical beings. It is, however, indicated in the myth that a

considerable number of these sacrifices, called by the Navajo keçàn

(Englished, kethàwn), belong to the mountain chant and may properly be

offered during its celebration. I have seen among the Navajo a few

varieties of these devotional offerings and I have obtained descriptions

of many. Although I cannot rely on the minute accuracy of these

descriptions, I will present them for such value as they may possess in

illustrating the general character of this system of worship, a system

which might profitably occupy for years the best labors of an earnest

student to elucidate.

177. Fig. 58 represents a kethàwn belonging, not to the mountain chant,

but to the klèdji-qaçàl, or chant of the night. It is sacred to the

Youth and the Maiden of the Rock Crystal, divine beings who dwell in

Tsisnàtcini, a great mountain north of the Pueblo of Jemez. The original

is in the National Museum at Washington. It consists of two sticks

coated with white earth and joined by a cotton string a yard long, which

is tied to each stick by a clove hitch. A black bead is on the center of

the string; a turkey feather and an eagle feather are secured with the

clove hitch to one of the sticks.

[Illustration: FIG. 58. Sacrificial sticks (keçàn).]

[Illustration: FIG. 59. The talking kethàwn (keçan-yalcì`).]

178. Fig. 59 depicts a kethàwn pertaining also to the klèdji-qaçàl. It

is called keçàn-yalçi`, or talking kethàwn. The sticks are willow. The

one to the left is painted black, to represent a male character

(Qastcèbaka) in the myth and ceremony of klèdji-qaçàl. The other stick

is painted blue, to denote a female character (Qastcèbaäd) in the same

rites. The blue stick has a diagonal facet at the top to indicate the

square topped female mask (paragraph 168). The naturally round end of

the black stick sufficiently indicates the round male mask. The cord

wrapped around the two sticks is similar to that described in the

paragraph immediately preceding. About the middle of the cord is a long

white shell bead, shown in the cut. The breast feathers of the turkey

and the downy feathers of the eagle are attached to the sticks. This

kethàwn I saw once in the possession of a Navajo qaçàli. I was permitted

to sketch it, but could not purchase it. The interpretation given of its

symbolism is that of the qaçàli who owned it. In the myth of

klèdji-qaçàl it is said that the beneficent god Qastcèëlçi used this

kethàwn when he removed from the prophet Co the evil spell which had

been cast on the latter by the wind god.

[Illustration:

Bureau of Ethnology

Fifth Annual Report Pl. XVIII

FOURTH DRY-PAINTING]

179. In Schoolcraft's Archives of Aboriginal Knowledge, Philadelphia,

1860, Vol. III, page 306, is a cut illustrating an article undoubtedly

of a similar nature to that shown in Fig. 59. It is a sacrificial plume

stick of the Moki. The Moki interpreter explained to Mr. Schoolcraft

that it contained a message from the Indians to the President and the

particulars of this message are fully set forth in his text. At first I

doubted if the object could have any other purpose than a sacrificial

one and was inclined to discredit the statement of the Moki interpreter.

But on learning that the Navajo had a similar arrangement of sticks and

feathers, which was called by the significant name of keçànyalçi`, or

talking kethàwn, I was more inclined to believe that some of these

kethàwns may answer a double purpose and be used to convey messages, or

at least serve as mnemonic aids to envoys.

180. The cac-bikeçàn (bear kethàwn) spoken of in the myth consisted of

two sticks, each a span long, one painted black (male), the other

painted blue (female). Each had red and blue bands at the ends and in

the middle. There were no feathers or beads. (Paragraph 40.)

181. The glòï-bikeçàn, or sacrifices to the weasels, were four in

number, two yellow and two white. In preparing the sticks one end was

always to be held to the north, the other towards the south. At each end

a narrow circle of red and a narrow circle of blue were painted; the red

being to the north, i.e., outside of the blue at one end and inside of

it at the other. The weasel men directed that the sticks should be

buried in the ground in the same direction in which they were held when

being made, lying from north to south with the outer red ring at the

north. (Paragraph 41.)

182. Four sticks pertained to the klictsò-bikeçàn: one was black, with

four white deer tracks painted on it; another was blue, with four yellow

deer tracks; a third was white, with four black deer tracks; the fourth

was yellow, with four blue deer tracks. The Great Serpent said to the

Navajo prophet: "There are certain moles who, when they dig in the

ground, scatter the earth in a long winding heap like the form of a

crawling snake. In such a heap of earth will you bury these kethàwns."

(Paragraph 42.)

183. There are two sticks belonging to the kethàwn of the lightning god

(i¢nì`-bikeçàn). One is black, with a white zigzag stripe from end to

end; the other blue, with a yellow zigzag stripe from end to end.

(Paragraph 43.)

184. The Estsàn-¢igìni, or Holy Women, showed the prophet but one

kethàwn stick. It was painted white and decorated with three pairs of

circular bands, red and blue, the blue in each case being next to the

body of the painter while he holds the stick in decorating it. This

kethàwn must be buried at the base of a young spruce tree, with the

first blue circle next to the tree. (Paragraph 45.)

185. Pour sticks were shown by the Tcikè-cac-nátlehi. They were black,

sprinkled with specular iron ore to make them shine; decorated with

three pairs of bands, red and blue, applied as in the kethàwns of the

Estsàn-¢igìni; and buried under a young piñon, with the first blue band

or circle next to the tree. (Paragraph 46.)

186. The two kethàwns seen by Dsilyi` Neyáni at Big Oaks, the home of

the ¢igin-yosíni, were both banded at the ends with blue and red and had

marks to symbolize the givers. One was white, with two pairs of stripes,

red and blue, running lengthwise. The other was yellow, with many

stripes of black and yellow running lengthwise. (Paragraph 49.)

187. At Last Mountain, the home of the skunks, two kethàwns, evidently

intended to symbolize these animals, were shown to the prophet and his

divine companions. Both the sticks were black: one had three white

longitudinal stripes on one side; the other had three longitudinal rows

of white spots, three spots in each row, on one side. (Paragraph 50.)

188. The two sticks shown by the squirrels, Glo`dsilkàï and

Glo`dsiljíni, were painted blue, sprinkled with specular iron ore, and

surrounded at the ends with red and blue bands. One was to be planted at

the base of a pine tree and one at the base of a spruce tree.

189. At Dsilyà-içín the porcupines exhibited two kethàwns. They were

very short, being equal in length to the middle joint of the little

finger. One was black and one was blue. Each had red and blue terminal

bands and each had a number of white dots on one side to represent

porcupine quills. "Bury them," said ¢asàni, "under a piñon tree."

(Paragraph 52.)

190. At Qo¢estò four kethàwns, rather elaborately decorated, were shown.

Two were half white and half black, the black part having white spots

and the white part having black spots on it. The other two were half

blue and half yellow, the yellow being spotted with blue and the blue

with yellow. There were red and blue rings at the ends. (Paragraph 53.)

191. The Tçikè-¢igìni showed their visitors two kethàwns, one black and

one blue. Each was a span long and was surrounded with three pairs of

bands, blue and red, put on in the manner observed in making the

kethàwns of the Estsàn-¢igìni. (Paragraph 184.) To the center of the

black kethàwn five blue feathers were tied. To the center of the blue

kethàwn five yellow feathers were fastened. Five black beads were

interred with the black stick--one tied to the center, one stuck in the

end, and three laid loose in the ground. Five blue turquoise beads were

similarly buried with the blue stick. Such kethàwns must be buried at

the foot of a spruce tree, with the heads towards the mountains of

¢epéntsa. By "head" is meant the end held the farther from the body of

the painter when the paint is applied, the end having the red band at

its extremity. (Paragraph 54.)