The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05
SQUASH BLOSSOM COIFFURES THAT TALK
op by the Way She Does Up Her HAIR Tells Whether She Single
Would Like to Be Married, a Wife

Life becomes much simpler for 4 woman
/ If she IS allowed u do up her hair accord
ing 10 tradition instead Of according u
I fashion. When hair dressing Ia regarded
by a nation as a symbol; when girl ex
presses her age, her matrimonial inolina'
ton or the estate Of wifehood by the shape
OF her couture, there IL little time to worry
over the rise and fall of the pompadour
over fad for Marquise curls OF whin
to resemble "a Bottioelli beauty.
This ia where the pretty Hopi girls out
in Arizona have an advantage over the
busy Fifth avenue bellies
Hopl girl may have individuality OF
temperament, but not OF couture. She
ia permitted to have only three styles OF
hair dressing In all her life, and these are
consecutive showing her progress through
life. She may never vary one with another
according to her within or it's becomin g.
ness.
When she Is a little girl. up to the time
of the powamu or hair ceremony. her hair
is left loose. unbraided and united, but cut
a. often a. it needs II. The hair 50 cut on
Is made into cords 10 bind her coinure
when she is older.
AT the age of six she is initiated Into the
ceremony Of tho powamu and III advanced
from very little girl TO mahnahhoya'
or little maiden. and her hair is done up
for tine first time.
With many religious rites she Ii taught
the ceremonies of the squash blossom hair
dressing. From the time she Is a little
maiden until she Is q maiden or mabna'
her shining black locks are done on either
side Of her head TO resemble squash bios
aom bud Then. when she IL mahna,
debutante, ready for lovers eyes and
signs the squash buds blossom out into full
blown flowers.
With this hair dressing. fancier gowns
are worn and finer old silver and turquoise
jeWelry. and there arc added also many
coquetries of glance and gesture. :,
Sometimes strands of hair are pulled
loosely over tho eyes, and a piercing glance
reaches the Hopi swain, half yelled and full
of mystery and bewildennent, just as
p city d butante may fla unit careless
curl TO further tho confusion OF troubled
lover, =,
After her glances and her ability TO grind
corn and her progress at basket making
have brought her a proposal Of marriage;
the squash blossom fades and droops and
only the seed pods hang from long ropes
down over tho rnatron's chest.
This symbol Of the squash blossom couture
s taught with elaborate ceremony.
To do the hair in a squash blossom bud
i no easy task for small maiden OF with
masses of long heavy hair. So frequently
in the Hopi nursery Is the same old pleading
for another's help before the corn grinding
and weaving for the day begins
The hair Il parted from forehead to nape
of neck and drawn forward TO the ears.
1t Il wound out about half an inch with the
hair cord and then woven back and forth
over a wooden shuttle. When the strand
Is exhausted. the shuttle Is pulled out and
the perfect squash bud appears. II is held
in place with more hair cords and lasts a
day or more beautifully.
The squash in full bloom is acquired by
this same method, except that after the
shuttle Is removed the puff Is pulled out into
a circle. the symbol OF maturity, OF per-
lection Of physical life,
Often the fun bloom hair flower rs used
In the right place.
nero is. OF course, a ceremony when
the mahnas hair Is for the first time pulled
out 10 prove ESr a matrimonial candidate.
II Is like giving a debutante's tea.
Her girl friends are invited 70 wash her
hair, and hair washing is another religious
ceremony Of the Hopis, and to drees
with undoubtedly many merry lests over
her chances Of matrimony, Once the
squash blossom flowers there is no change,
no matter how many seasons the mahna
is out. until she becomes noimah (wife)
and the squash blossom fades forever
Louis Akin, who has just returned from
a two years painting expedition among
the Hops. and who painted the three stages
of the squash blossom shown here, gives
an interesting account Of the wedding cere-
nony Of the Hops. the principal feature
Of which s the dressing OF the girls hair
into It's matronly iced pods
Il attended Hopi wedding on invita-
ton, explained Mr. Akin, for the Hopis
are a very dignified people. started out
in the dark Of the morning, as knew the
ceremony would take place at sunrise.
The bride was not up when | arrived
but got up at once from roll OF blankets
at tho further end Of the room, bound IN
her frock with a strip OF scarlet woven
cloth and let down her hair for the first
ceremony.
just then the bridegroom came in 10
tako part for the brides mother was TO
wash his hair and his mother the brides
hair Two bowls Of beautiful Hopi pottery
were placed side by side and filed with
water and the suds OF the yucca root, which
il used in the religious ceremonies Of hair
washing.
After the hair washing the bride and
bridegroom each takes a handful Of corn
the girl has ground and go hand in hand out
to the mesa. Facing tho rising sun they
throw the corn into the first sun rays-and
they are man and wife.
Then the girl goes back to have her hair
done into squash seeds by her mother
in-law. II 10 parted and wound with hair
cord down about six inches. then twisted
until II folds up into loop, which Ia bound
into the shape Of a squash pod In this
way she wears IL until DEATH