Cipaulovi, the smallest of all the Hopi pueblos, is situated on the
Middle Mesa, and its Katcina altar is the poorest in paraphernalia,
as shown by a comparison with the altar at Oraibi, the most
complicated in Tusayan.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.—Cipaulovi Niman Katcina altar]
Omitting the medicine bowl, rattles, sacred meal, and pahos, the
Cipaulovi Niman altar consists of a figure of seven rain clouds, with
parallel lines representing falling rain, drawn on the floor with
sacred meal, and a row of five vertical sticks, symbols of growing
corn. Upon the meal picture which represents the falling rain, there
are four stone implements arranged in a row. The tiponi, or palladium
of the Katcinas is placed on a hillock of sand at the right of
the same picture. There are no idols or images of anthropomorphic
forms on this altar, and unless the stone implements may be so
interpreted, no lightning symbols. The Niman altar at Cipaulovi[9]
is very simple, but the essentials of a Katcina altar are included.
The two prominent symbols are those representing rain clouds and
growing corn, which are elaborated in the more complicated Katcina
altars and may be regarded as embodying the two main aims of Katcina
celebrations.[10]
[Illustration: EXPLANATION OF PLATE 3—Walpi Niman Katcina altar
_a_, Tunwup, or Sun Katcina; _b_, Tcuelawu; _c_, Corn mound; _l_,
Lightning symbols; _m_, Ears of maize; _mb_, Medicine bowl; _pb_,
Path of blessing; _pm_, Prayer meal; _ps_, Prayer sticks in baskets;
_r_, Rattles; _rc_, Rain clouds; _t_, Tiponi.]
[Illustration: