About This Book
An ethnographic account documents the cosmology, ritual organization, and ceremonial arts of a small Southwestern pueblo, detailing origin myths, ceremonial societies, and rites for rain and healing. It describes the structure and paraphernalia of cult societies — masks, altars, sand paintings, and ceremonial vases — and reproduces prayers, rain and healing songs, and step-by-step ceremonies performed by Snake, Giant, Knife, Quer´ränna and other societies. Domestic life and craftwork, including pottery production and household practices, childbirth rites, and mortuary customs, are recorded alongside transcribed myths that feature trickster encounters and animal figures. Illustrations, diagrams, and song texts accompany procedural descriptions to preserve both performance and material culture.
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