Masauû came down a ladder as if a stairway, and, making his way back of the line of dancers, came forward between two of them and squatted before the fireplace. The second personator followed, unmasked, but with two black streaks painted on his cheeks. He took his seat by the side of Masauû, assuming the posture of a man planting, holding one end of the planting stick to the floor as if it were soil. Thus these two personators remained until the songs ceased, not speaking. When the Maswiks filed out, each said "Good night" but the last one, who carried a bundle slung over his shoulders, halted, with one foot on the lowest rung of the ladder, and announced to the occupants of the room that a few moons hence there would be a Masauû ceremony at Mastcomo.
At the departure of the dancers all occupants of the room crowded forward, each in turn placing his prayer symbol or feathered string in the basket tray, whispering a brief prayer to Masauû. This was an impressive ceremony, and was accompanied with much reverence. There was no loud talking, and each man seemed to speak confidentially to the personation of the supernatural being he addressed. Having received all the prayers of the kiva inmates, the two personations passed out of the room, leaving their trays full of stringed feathers. The situation of the shrines where these offerings were later placed was not observed, but some of them were placed at the shrine of Masauû in the foothills west of the mesa.
The foregoing rites and the nature of the prayers addressed to Masauû lead the author to regard him as a god of germination or a personation of fire as a symbol of life. Life, to a primitive mind, is power of will expressed in motion, and is the mystery which animates everything, organic and inorganic. Masauû has the mysterious power so developed that he can make crops grow if he wills, and he was appealed to for crops, as a germ god. There are other germ gods, as Muyiñwû or Alosaka, the germ god of Awatobi, but Masauû, one oof the most archaic in Tusayan, was derived from Sikyatki. In early history, as legend declares, he owed all Hopi territory, but the chief of the Snake clan, by use of his own mysterious power, overcame the mystery or medicine of Masauû, even though he had power of life and death, and compelled him to do good deeds.
Thus it is that Masauû is regarded as the god of fire, which is life; as the god of death; but above all as the god of germs, Eototo, whom the ancient Sikyatkians regarded as their special tutelary deity; once overcome by the Hopi, he now does their bidding.
Appearance of Powamû Katcinas
Certain beings called Powamû katcinas appear on the following morning in the kiva, where they dance and perform other rites. The artist has represented these, and also So wüqti (Grandmother woman), who grasps the Powamû katcina by the hand (see plate XIV).
