WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 215

gottm. When the dance has ended, X gives presents; first to
each spectator, and then to those who have assisted him,
starting with the singers. This is the last event of the evening
and the kukusiut disperse.

The factor of doing things in the reverse order appears not
only in actions, but in the order of the ceremonies. Those just
described, although at the beginning of the rite, resemble a
nebusam in many respects. Consequently, it is not surprising
that the next night is gotfim. The singers are the first to
assemble and they compose a second song for X, with the same
theme but different words and tune to that already prepared.
Meanwhile the kukusiut are gathering and when they have
learnt the new song, the uninitiated are summoned. No en-
closure has been built, and X is much in evidence. His body
has been painted green with a preparation of grass rubbed in
water, he wears the usual collar of dyed cedar-bark and a kind
of head-dress with a triangular projection over his forehead.
His two songs are sung, and X dances vigorously to each in the
manner just described. This is followed by the customary
gotum ritual, kusiut after kusiut dancing as the singers beat out
his two songs. Finally a Cannibal begins to growl fiercely in
one of the rear corners and the uninitiated flee hurriedly. The
kukusiut eat together, listening to the admonitions and remarks
of the marshals, and then X dances once more. Among the
peculiarities of the Ghost dance is the fact that the call may
be returned at this point, or X may again become mad, accord-
ing to the wishes of the marshals. If they desire a further
display of his insanity, he rushes out as soon as he has finished
dancing and proceeds to the lowest house of the village. A
number of kukusiut follow him and appear to be trying to
prevent him from picking up handfuls of dirt from the floor
and throwing them in all directions in an aimless manner. As
a matter of fact his guardians take care that X hurls approxi-
mately the same amount in each house, as none of them is
willing to have more damage done in his own house than in
others. After a visit to each dwelling, the party returns to