Eighth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology: to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1886-1887, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891 — John Shaqi
Eighth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology: to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1886-1887, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891
History
Eighth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology: to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1886-1887, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891
Navajo Indians -- Rites and ceremonies; Pueblo Indians -- Antiquities; Pueblo architecture
Hasjelti stands to the north end in the illustration, holding the emblem
of the concentrated winds. The square is ornamented at the corners with
eagle plumes, tied on with cotton cord; an eagle plume is attached to
the head of Hasjelti with cotton cord. The upper horizontal lines on the
face denote clouds; the perpendicular lines denote rain; the lower
horizontal and perpendicular lines denote the first vegetation used by
man. Hasjelti’s chin is covered with corn pollen, the head is surrounded
with red sunlight, the red cross lines on the blue denote larynx; he
wears ear rings of turquoise, fringed leggings of white buckskin, and
beaded moccasins tied on with cotton cord. The figure to the south end
is Hostjoghon; he too has the eagle plume on the head, which is
encircled with red sunshine. His earrings are of turquoise; he has
fox-skin ribbons attached to the wrists; these are highly ornamented at
the loose ends with beaded pendants attached by cotton strings; he
carries wild turkey and eagle feather wands, brightened with red, blue,
and yellow sunbeams. The center figure is one of the Hostjobokon, and
upon this figure the invalid for whom the ceremonial is held sits. The
four footprints are made of meal. These the invalid steps upon as he
advances and takes his seat, with knees drawn up, upon the central
figure. After dark the invalid walked over the line of meal, being
careful to step upon the footprints in order that his mental and moral
qualities might be strengthened. The invalid removed his clothing
immediately after entering the lodge; he had downy breast feathers of
the eagle attached to the scalp lock with white cotton cord; he advanced
to the painting and took his seat upon the central figure. An attendant
followed him, and with his right hand swept the line of meal after the
invalid, removing all traces of it. The entrance of the invalid into the
lodge was a signal for the song-priest to open the chant with the
rattle. Hasjelti and Hostjoghon bounded into the lodge hooting wildly.
The former carried the square (the concentrated winds), which he placed
over the sick man’s head. Hostjoghon carried a turkey wand in each hand,
and these he waved over the invalid’s head and hooted; this was repeated
four times, and each time the gods ran out of the lodge. Hasjelti wore a
velvet dress, but Hostjoghon’s body was nude, painted white. This wild,
weird ceremony over, the sick man arose and the song-priest gathered the
turkey wands from around the painting, while an attendant erased it by
rubbing his hands over the sand to the center. The sands were gathered
into a blanket and carried out of the lodge and deposited some distance
away from the lodge, where the sun could not generate the germ of the
disease. The sand is never touched by any one when once carried out,
though before the paintings are erased the people clamor to touch them,
and then rub their hands over their own bodies that they may be cured of
any malady.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account