Page 146 - TheHopiIndians

138 MESA FOLK OP HOPILAND

There is also in the Walpi ceremony a performance
of the Great Feathered Serpent who thrusts his gro
tesque head through an orifice in the screen and roars
in answer to the prayers of the priests.
After a series of musical songs accompanied by
rattles, flutes, whistles, and bull-roarers, and inter
spersed with prayers, there is an initiation of novices.
Then enters the first bird man, elaborately costumed,
whose postures and pantomime imitate a bird. Next
come another bird man and the Soyaluna maid who
perform a strange dance, then comes Eototo, the fore
runner of the Kachinas, bearing corn, and this episode
closes with a stirring dance of the priests around the
fireplace accompanied with song.
Next occurs the fierce assault by members from the
different kivas on the Soyal shield-bearer. With wild
yells and dramatic action they thrust their shields
against the sun shield as in deadly combat, but the
sun shield-bearer forces them back and vanquishes
them in turn. This remarkable drama represents per
haps the driving of the sun back into his northward
path, so that he may bring life to the Hopi. The
Soyal public dance is performed by a Kachina and two
KofUna maids and is simple compared with the elab
orate, multicolored pageant of other dances. At the
close of the public ceremony the corn is distributed
to the villagers, and for four days consecrated pahos
are placed in the shrines, some for the dead and some