Papago assembly and curing bullroarer

Wihoewiketeke / wewegita

Source term: bullroarer / Schwirrholz

Wihoewiketeke: name Schmeltz records for the Papago and Pima museum slats; wewegita: Papago name in the 1920 rain-ceremony account.

Reddish-brown designs on a white ground run down this wooden blade — curved cross-stripes on one face, a chain of triangles on the other — and its cord still joins it to the short handle that set it humming. The old label on the Papago object said the sound drove away evil spirits. In the wider Tohono O'odham world the wewegita also gathered people and entered the saguaro-wine ceremony, when the desert's great cactus harvest was fermented and rain was called into the coming season.

Erzeugt ein summendes Geräusch und wird gebraucht, um böse Geister zu vertreiben.

It produces a humming sound and is used to drive away evil spirits.

Museum label, in Schmeltz 1896:121

Particulars

Object

A 46 cm wooden slat painted reddish-brown on white, preserved with its cord and short whirling handle; collected by H. ten Kate.

Function

A rain-ceremony and assembly instrument also credited with curative power; its hum drove away evil spirits.