Page 132 - TheHopiIndians

124 MESA FOLK OF HOPILAND
with thanks. During that day she must labor at the
mealing stones, grinding white corn, silent and un
noticed ; the next day she must continue her task with
the white corn. On the third day of this laborious
trial she grinds the dark blue corn which the Hopi
call back, no doubt glad when the evening brings a
group of her friends, laden with trays of meal of their
own grinding, as presents, and according to custom,
these presents are returned in kind, the trays being
sent back next day heavy with choice ears of corn.
After this three days' probation, which would indi
cate that a Hopi maiden must be very devoted to
undertake it, comes the wedding. Upon that day, the
mother cuts the bride's front hair at the level of
her chin and dresses the longer locks in two coils,
which she must always wear over her breast to give
token that she is no longer a maiden. At the dawn of
the fourth day the relatives of both families assemble,
each one bringing a small quantity of water in a
vessel. The two mothers pound up roots of the yucca
used as soap and prepare two bowls of foaming suds.
The young man kneels before the bowl prepared by
his future mother-in-law as the bride before the bowl
of the young man 's mother, and their heads are thor
oughly washed and the relatives take part by pouring
handsful of suds over the bowed heads of the couple.
While this ceremonial head-washing is going on, some
of the women and girls creep in between the couple
and try to hold their heads over the bowls while others