Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/587

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��AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

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�� ��first stood on the upraise in the floor, called the spectators' pa then squatted on the floor near the right pole of the ladder. I carried feathers in his hands,' and, moving his arms up and dow imitated the motion of wings, as if Happing them like a bird.

While he was performing these avian movements, the spec! tors sang a stirring song and the Bird-man slowly advanced to tl middle of the room, imitating the gait of a bird and crouching a squatting attitude. The'motion of the wings and the bird-cri continued, the perforator now and then raising his arms and k ting them fall with a quivering motion. Once in the middle the room he laid the feathers on the floor and remained there for short time without moving. He then arose and danced for long time, accompanied by a woman who held in one hand an e; of corn which she gracefully waved back and forth. She follow* the Bird-man as he moved from place to place, and at the close < the dance took her seat near the right wall of the kiva where sr sat before the Bird-man entered the room,

After the woman had taken her seat, the Bird-man continue the wing movements with his arms, stretching them at fu length and then drawing them back to his body. He then pn ceeded to a pile of sand in a corner near the upraise ; takin pointed sticks or reeds in his hand and halting before this moun of sand, he threw first one, then another, of the sticks into th sand, all the time imitating a bird in the movements of his bod; and simulating the birdcalls with a whistle. He then went to th Soydluha woman who had danced with him ; squatting before het he uttered the strange bird-calls, and, making a pass, raised th' small sticks which he carried from her feet to her head severa times. He then returned to the mound of sand and again sho the sticks into it, after which he returned to the woman. Thi was repeated several times. The bird personator then returne< to the middle of the kiva, before the altar, and, taking a bow ani some arrows, danced for some time, while all the assemble!

1 At Walpi he has a line o( feathers tied along his arm.

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