362-138, 138a<BR> Tigua rattle and incipient rattle; 362-138: gourd, wood, hide; l. 21 cm., d. 11 cm.; ca. 1880; 362-138a: gourd; d. 11 cm., h. 12 cm.; 1882.<BR> Gourd rattles are frequently encountered in archaeological context of the Anasazi ancestors of the Pueblos (Brown 1967:75-76). The wooden stem of this Tigua gourd rattle extends from the top. A wooden peg secures the sounding body, and the handle has a buckskin loop. The Tiguas refer to these instruments as guajes, a Spanish term meaning gourds, and they were used in virtually all ceremonies. Ysletans were involved in frequent dances, both ceremonial and secular, according to a calendrical cycle. A major event was the Shiâfürd, or Rattle Dance, taking place during the festival of the Ysletans' patron saint Nuestra Señora del Carmen. The first part is performed by two men and two women, and the second part by a large number of male dancers, all using rattles. The sequence of the dances takes the participants and spectators from the cemetery to the home of the majordomo, and finally to the church (Fewkes 1902:66; cf. Wright 1993:26,119,121,125,132-133; see also: Pueblo music below).<BR> The incipient rattle consists of a partially hollowed out gourd. The hollowing is done by putting small sharp rocks into the body of the squash and having children shake it to remove as much of the internal fiber as possible, to improve the sound. A Tewa informant added: "For ceremony, apply mud, for tourists paint in bright colors" (Kurath and Garcia 1970:290). The Tiguas and other Pueblo Indians regard the rattle as representing rain. It should be handled with care, as the rain must be earned by correctly performing rituals (cf. Wright 1993:132-133,153).<BR> (Hovens 2008-09)<BR> <BR> zie 236-138