The scalp ceremonial of Zuñi / by Elsie Clews Parsons.

  • Elsie Clews Parsons
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The scalp ceremonial of Zuñi / by Elsie Clews Parsons. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with pendent ribbons. Their bang falls over their face. Their hands and forearms are painted yellow, with hanks of yarn tied around their wrists. The men are togged out in bits of finery, with no attempt at uniformity, wearing bandas, or beribboned caps, or befeathered hats, silver Navaho belts or woven dance belts, some in moccasins, some in shoes, two wore English russet leather riding boots, as bizarre footgear to dance in as could well be found. The women are “gathered up” by two men in each set, the men serving for this function for four ceremonials. The men in the sets are said to be grouped by kiva membership, ^nuhekwe, up- tsannakwe and ohekwe men in the eastern group, he'ikwe men in the western group. As soon as one of these groups came into the plaza all those around the altar arose to remain standing to the conclusion of the dance. In conclusion each of the dancers approached the altar and on it spiinkled meal. (Figs. 9, 10.) (19) Between those around the altar and the choir of the dancing girls there was also some degree of recognition. The choir in its song would mention by name various persons of whom several were sitting about the altar who would then with their left hands point an arrow towards the sky, “showing it to the Sun,” wave it around their head and throw it on the ground in front of the fore¬ most fetich. A member of the choir would leave his seat and pick up the arrow. The man first to hear the returning war party, is, we recall, the first to be mentioned. That it is proper to mention the name of the impersonator of sayatasha, the foremost figure in the koko awia ceremonial, I learned from being told that on this occasion he was forgotten. The names of the war god image- makers are mentioned. I happened to have been earlier in the morning in the house of one of them when a kinsman who had “helped on the feathers” came in to ask if his name would be called out. “No, only mine,” said his senior kinsman, the image-maker, “only the chief of us, and I am the chief.” The young man was almost as plainly dissatisfied over this as the older man was proud of his distinction. (20) At one time in the ceremonial the pekwin left his seat to puff smoke on the altar, placing the rest of the cane cigarette back of the image of the older brother war god. ... At another