While the above events were transpiring songs were sung by the assembled priests, and at the close the quartz crystal on the Sun picture was raised from the stand and handled by each priest, who sucked it, and pressed it to his heart.
7. Ceremonial smoke.
8. Prayers.
9. The sand gathered up and carried outside the kiva.
10. Feast.
The aim of the ceremony appears clear. Meal of all kinds of seed sprinkled on the Sun typifies fructification of all Hopi food plants. Water is poured on the meal as symbolic of the rains which the celebrants hope will increase their crops.
The details of the nine days’ ceremonials of the Powamu at Oraibi need not be described here, but it may be well to indicate their general character.[29]
Beans were planted in boxes in all the kivas on the day after Powalawu (February 5, 1894) and were forced to germinate in the heated rooms, where they grew for 16 days. From February 13 (the first day of the nine days’ ceremony) until the 17th, Siima, the chief, visited all these kivas, and when not so employed passed his time in one of the rooms fasting, or making prayer objects.
I am indebted to Mr. Voth for my knowledge of the secret rites of the Powamu at Oraibi. They supplement that which I have published elsewhere on the Walpi representation, from which, however, it differs very considerably. (See Fifteenth Ann. Rept., Bur. Amer. Ethnol.; also Amer. Anthrop., Vol. VII, No. 1, 1894, and Int. Archiv für Ethnog., Band VIII, 1895.)
The Powamu altar was erected on February 17, and from that day until the ninth (February 21) daily songs of interesting character were sung about it.