THE OBSERVANCE OF THE ‘HLÁHEKWE CUSTOM, OR DANCE OF THE CORN MAIDENS.
Now when the time of ripening corn was near, the fathers ordered preparation for the ‘Hláhekwe, or dance of the Corn maidens.
When the days of preparing had been well nigh numbered, the old ones, even the Kâ´yemäshi themselves who had come with the Kâ´kâ (subject now to the prayerful breaths of the priest-fathers of the people) in the spring and summer times of the Kâ´k’okshi dances, came forth yet again from the west, and with fun and much noise of mouth, made—as for his sister their father had first made—a bower of cedar. But this bower they built, not in the open plain, but in the great court of the town where the dances and customs of the Kâ´kâ were held. For in these days the people and the kinties of Seed no longer came as strangers to the abode of other people, hence builded not their bower in the plain, but in the plaza of their own town. And the Kâ´yemäshi diligently collected cedar-boughs and rafter-poles from the hills beyond the plains. With these, as they had been commanded in olden time by K‘yäk´lu, they builded the great bower. They helped also the chosen men of the Badger and Water kinties to bring the hemlock trees from the southern canyon, and danced, singing gravely for the nonce, as these called forth the growth thereof in sacred smoke of the spaces, and then, as the night fell, laden with offerings from the people, and whitened with the favor of their prayer-meal, they returned whither the Kâ´kâ and the souls of men ever return, westward along the river to the mountains of the Dance of Good and the Waters of the Dead.
Then came the Sun-priest and the Priests of the House of Houses, with the tabernacles of sacred seed-substances, the múetone, the k‘yáetone and the chúetone, and with world-terraced bowls of sacred favor (prayer-meal). These, they bore into the plaza in solemn procession, followed by the matrons of the Seed and Water clans, with the trays of new seed and their offerings of plumed wands to the spaces; and even as today, in every particular, so then the Priest of the Sun and his younger brothers of the House laid out the sacred reclining terrace and roadway of prayer, leading down from it through the middle, and duly placed the sacred things in order upon and before it. As today it is done even in the same order, so then the priests took their places at the rear of the terrace and altar of sacred things, and the matrons theirs by their trays of new seed, those of the Seed kins southwardly to the right, those of the Water kins northwardly to the left beside the reclining terrace and down the sacred roadway guided and placed, each in order, by the chosen leaders of the dance, and watched over by the Priests of the Bow.
Thus, when the singers came and sat them down in the southern side, as today, so then, the father of the people gave the word for beginning, and spake the issuing-forth rites. But then, not as now, there were singers only to the south, yea, and dancers only of them, whence the complainings of the people had been voiced.
As the darkness deepened the master-priest said, "Lo, now! as in the olden time let kindled be a fire, beyond the dancers (ótakwe) in front of the bower. Mayhap by its light yet other singers and dancers will come, as in the olden time came Paíyatuma and his people, for the perfection of the corn. If so be, those who murmur will be content with the completeness of our custom."
Then those whose office it was to keep the shell and fire, generated with their hands the heat thereof, and the youths round about merrily attended them with fuel, and in the brightening light the dance went on.
THE SENDING OF THE TWAIN PRIESTS OF THE BOW, THAT THEY BESPEAK THE AID OF PAÍYATUMA AND HIS FLUTE PEOPLE.
When the House of the Seven Stars had risen high in the sky, then the fathers summoned before them the two Master-priests of the Bow. "Ye have heard," said they in low-sounding speech, "the complainings of these children and their tales of strange sights and sounds at the grotto under Thunder mountain. Go forth, therefore, and test the truth of all this. If so be ye too hear the music, approach the cavern and send greeting before ye. It were no wonder if ye behold Paíyatuma and his maidens other seven, and his singers and players of flutes. They will deem ye well arrived, and maychance will deign to throw the light of their favor upon us and give us help of their custom, thereby adding to the contentment and welfare of our children among men, and to the completeness of our own observances."
Then with their hands the Fathers of the House extended their breaths, which breathing, the Priests of the Bow went forth, one following the other.