There are a few other priest fraternities which take part in the celebration of Hopi ceremonies, the most important of which are the Tcukuwimpkya, among which may be mentioned the Paiakyamû (mudheads), Tatcükti (clowns), and Tcutcukutû (gluttons). They are intimately associated with the masked katcina observances, in which they generally take part.
DESCRIPTION OF HOPI FESTIVALS
Wüwütcimti, New-fire ceremony
The festival of the new fire is performed by four religious fraternities or societies called the Aaltû or Alosaka, the Kwakwantû, Tataukyamû, and Wüwütcimtû.
The dominating element in this great yearly festival, which opens the Hopi year, is the worship of the germ god, Alosaka or Muyiñwû. Fire is a living being, a mystery, or spirit, and the creation of fire is considered symbolic of the creation of life. The making of the new first may be considered as a kind of sympathetic magic or symbolic prayer for the rejuvenescence of nature, and the various so-called phallic proceedings which accompany it have the same significance. This festival is not regarded as a fire-worship ceremonial, but an aspect of the worship of the mystery or medicine which fire shares with every other living or moving thing, embracing both organic and inorganic objects.
Soyaluña
The winter solstice ceremony, called Soyaluña, All-assembly, is an occasion of many rites in all kivas on the East mesa, the altars in which are described elsewhere. Its main feature is a prayer to Muyiñwûm the germ god, and in one of the kivas certain clans from the south dramatize the advent of the sun god in the form of a bird.
The public advent of this sun or sky god takes place on the following morning, when the bird personation is replaced by a masked man, called Ahülani. This sun god is also called Soyal katcina, from the fact that he appears at Soyaluña. He is accompanied by two maids, called Soyal manas, wearing masks resembling those of Añya katcina manas, who distribute seed corn to the women of the pueblo.
It will later appear that there is the same dramatization of the arrival of the gods in this festival as in Powamû and Pamürti. There is a representation of the return of a sky or sun god, who appears first in the kiva and then on the following morning at sunrise in public, distributing gifts to the people and receiving their prayers.[1]
- ↑ For a description of the elaborate rites at the advent of the sun god in the kiva, see American Anthropologist, 1899 and 1900. The exercises in the Hano kivas, where there are two altars with serpent effigies (see American Anthropologist, new series, vol. I, 1899), are mainly for rain and crops.
