Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/97

 Hopi Basket Dances, 85

repeated several times at intervals as they approached the circle of basket bearers and entered the inclosure. The priest then left them.

The basket throwers soon after untied the bundles which they bore on their backs, and took positions within the ring of basket bearers diametrically opposite each other. Each held a basket aloft, making a movement as if to hurl it in the air. She did not cast it, however, but crossed to the opposite side of the rino-, exchanging position with the woman facing her. Groups of men outside the ring of basket bearers, among the spectators, shouted to the basket throwers for their baskets. Finally they threw them, one after another, until none was left, and with wild shouts the lads and men struggled for the objects, as shown in an appended plate. The basket throwers then filed back to their room, and a short time after the basket bearers also left the plaza.

PUBLIC LALAKONTI AT CIPAULOVI.

The number of participants in the Cipaulovi basket dance was smaller than at Oraibi or Walpi. The basket bearers entered the plaza from time to time during the day, and sang, moving the baskets that they carried in the same way as at the other pueblos. The two basket throwers and the priest who led them approached the ring of dancers in much the same way. The two women had arms, legs, feet, and hands colored yellow, and across their temples were painted black bands extending from the eyes and mouth to the ears. Instead of the coronet with attached rain-cloud symbols, worn by the basket throwers in the Oraibi and Walpi variants, those, at this pueblo wore on the head a yellow leathern band, to the left side of which was tied a split gourd in the form of a horn, painted green. On the opposite side of the head or over the right ear there was a bunch of red horsehair, and two prominent eagle feathers were attached to the hair, rising from a bunch of plumes on the crown of the head. Each of these women carried on her back a bundle con- taining several baskets, a few tortillas, and small earthen bowls. Their arms and legs were bare, but each wore two white blankets, one over the shoulders, the other about the loins, tied with white sashes. Each woman carried in her hands two half corncobs, to which feathers were attached. The priest, their leader, was deco- rated like the Lakone taka at Walpi or Oraibi. His body was painted yellow and he wore a ceremonial kilt, moccasins, anklets, and a fox- skin depending from his belt. At intervals on the ground he made rude rain-cloud symbols with meal, and upon these figures the women threw the half corncobs. After these objects had been thrown on the ground, the priest picked them up and laid them side by side on the

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