Page 172 - TheHopiIndians

164 MESA FOLK OF HOPILAND
tended by the initiation of novices, but in ordinary
years it is abbreviated. Four societies take part and
these include almost every male adult in the villages,
so there is no lack of performers.
The first event that is noteworthy is the making of
new fire by two of the societies. Two pairs of fire
makers each place a piece of cottonwood on the kiva
floor and drill upon it with a slender rod revolved be
tween the palms of the hands, until the friction of the
drill on the wood ignites the dust which has been
ground off. The little coal of fire is fed with shredded
bark until flame is produced ; from this the fuel on the
kiva fireplace is lighted and with a bark fuse is carried
to the kivas of the three other societies. This fire is
sacred and no one may blow upon it, or take a light
from it, and after the end of the ceremony it is suf
fered to go out and the ashes are thrown over the mesa
with prescribed rites. Sacrifices of pine needles are
made to the sacred fire soon after it is kindled. Most
of the Hopi are familiar with the ancient method of
making fire by the friction of wood, and it is not many
years since they knew no other way. Now matches
of a particularly sulphurous variety are easy to get,
and the primitive fire drill is in force only in the
New Fire ceremony.
From day to day there are processions of the cele
brating societies, who dance through the pueblo, form
ing a line with locked hands and moving with a side
long halting step forward and backward, while the