The Winter Solstice Altars at Hano Pueblo — John Shaqi
The Winter Solstice Altars at Hano PuebloFewkes, Jesse Walter
Religion
The Winter Solstice Altars at Hano Pueblo
Fewkes, Jesse Walter
Hopi Indians -- Religion; Indian mythology -- North America; Indians of North America -- Arizona
Pocine outlined with meal on the floor a square figure which he
divided into two rectangular parts by a line parallel with the
northern side. He used meal of two colors--white for one rectangle,
and light brown or pinkish for the other. Having made the outlines of
the rectangle with great care, he carelessly sprinkled the enclosed
spaces with the meal, hardly covering the sand base upon which the
figures were drawn. He then added four triangular figures in meal on
the south or front side of the rectangular symbols. These images
represented rain-clouds, and were alternately white and brown.[31] To
the tips of these triangular rain-cloud figures he appended zigzag
continuations with lozenge-shaped tips representing the lightning of
the four cardinal points. A stone spearpoint or arrowhead was laid on
each lozenge-like tip of the zigzag lightning.[32]
The two men, Pocine and Puñsauwi, next raised the snake effigy and
bore it to a position back of the rectangular meal figures on the
floor. They deposited it in such a way that its head pointed
southward. Having set the snake effigy in the position which it was to
retain throughout the ceremony, Pocine sprinkled a black powder along
the back of the image, while his uncle inserted several kernels of
corn in the blunt end to represent sent the teeth of an upper jaw.
Two kernels of corn were then stuck into the head to indicate eyes,
and an imitation necklace, also of grains of corn, was made around the
neck of the idol. A double encircling row of corn grains was inserted
in the tail or pointed end of the effigy, and Pocine added a small
feather at the tip.
After the effigy had been put in position and adorned in the manner
described, both Pocine and his uncle again shelled ears of corn on the
rectangles of meal,[33] to which were added squash, melon, and other
seeds. These were regularly distributed, some being dropped along the
back of the image.
A row of eagle feathers was now inserted along the back of the effigy,
instead of in a ridge of sand as in the _Moñkiva_ altar. There were
twelve of these feathers, and they were placed at equal intervals from
the neck to the tail of the effigy. Puñsauwi then placed the three
balls of clay, previously mentioned, back of the image, and in each of
these balls he inserted two sticks, called _pahos_, similar to those
used on the altar of the _Moñkiva_. These are ancient objects, being
reputed to have descended from a remote past. One stick in each pair
was called the male, the other the female, as is true of all double
prayer-sticks used by the Hopi Indians. They are called _poñya-saka_,
"altar-ladders," and imitations[34] of them in miniature are made and
placed in shrines on the final day of the ceremony.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account