The Religious Life of the Negro
9781465546821
pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ZUÑI MYTHOLOGY. The Pueblo of Zuñi is situated in Western New Mexico on the Rio Zuñi, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. The Zuñi have resided in this region for several centuries. The peculiar geologic and geographic character of the country surrounding them, as well as its aridity, furnishes ample sources from which a barbarous people would derive legendary and mythologic history. A brief reference to these features is necessary to understand more fully the religious phases of Zuñi child life. Three miles east of the Pueblo of Zuñi is a conspicuously beautiful mesa, of red and white sandstone, to-wa-yäl län-ne (corn mountain). Upon this mesa are the remains of the old village of Zuñi. The Zuñi lived during a long period on this mesa, and it was here that Coronado found them in the sixteenth century. Tradition tells that they were driven by a great flood from the site they now occupy, which is in the valley below the mesa, and that they resorted to the mesa for protection from the rising waters. The waters rose to the very summit of the mesa, and to appease the aggressive element a human sacrifice was necessary. A youth and a maiden, son and daughter of two priests, were thrown into this ocean. Two great pinnacles, which have been carved from the main mesa by weathering influences, are looked upon by the Zuñi as the actual youth and maiden converted into stone, and are appealed to as father and mother. Many of the Zuñi legends and superstitions are associated with this mesa, while over its summit are spread the extensive ruins of the long ago deserted village. There are in many localities, around its precipitous sides and walls, shrines and groups of sacred objects which are constantly resorted to by different orders of the tribe. Some of the most interesting of these are the most inaccessible. When easy of approach they are in such secluded spots that a stranger might pass without dreaming of the treasures within his reach. On the western side of this mesa are several especially interesting shrines. About half way up the acclivity on the west side an overhanging rock forms the base of one of the pinnacles referred to. This rock is literally honeycombed with holes, from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. I visited the spot in the fall of 1884, with Professors E.B. Tylor and H.N. Moseley, of Oxford, England, and Mr. G.K. Gilbert, of the United States Geological Survey. These gentlemen could not determine whether the tiny excavations were originally made by human hands or by some other agency. The Indian’s only answer when questioned was, They belong to the old; they were made by the gods. Hundreds of these holes contain bits of cotton and wool from garments. In the side of this rock there are larger spaces, in which miniature vases, filled with sand, are placed. The sand is ground by rubbing stones from the same rock. The vases of sand, and also the fragments of wool and cotton, are offerings at the feet of the mother rock. Here, too, can be seen a quantity of firewood heaped as shown in the right-hand corner of the illustration. Each man and woman deposited a piece, that he or she might always have plenty of wood for heat and light. Some three hundred feet above is another shrine, directly attached to the father rock, and to the white man difficult of access. Here I found many offerings of plume sticks (Te lik-tki-na-we). Before entering upon the purely mythologic phases of Zuñi child life I will present a brief sketch of some of the Zuñi beliefs. There are thirteen secret orders in Zuñi, in many of which women and children are conspicuous, besides the purely mythologic order of the Kok-ko. All boys are initiated into this order, while but few girls enter it. It is optional with a girl; she must never marry if she joins the Kok-ko, and she is not requested to enter this order until she has arrived at such age as to fully understand its grave responsibilities and requirements. Let us follow the Zuñi tradition of the ancient time, when these people first came to this world. In journeying hither they passed through four worlds, all in the interior of this, the passageway from darkness into light being through a large reed. From the inner world they were led by the two little war gods Ah-ai-u-ta and Ma-a-se-we, twin brothers, sons of the Sun, who were sent by the Sun to bring these people to his presence. They reached this world in early morning, and seeing the morning star they rejoiced and said to the war gods: We see your father, of whom you have told us. No, said the gods, this is the warrior who comes before our father; and when the sun arose the people fell upon the earth and bowed their heads in fear. All their traditions point to the distant land of their appearance in this world as being in the far northwest; from, there they were accompanied by Ah-ai-u-ta and Ma-a-se-we. These little gods occupy important positions in Zuñi myth and legend. After long journeying, it was decided that the Priest Doctor (Ka wi-mo sa) should send his son and his daughter in advance to discover some favorable spot upon which to build a village. The youth and the maiden finally ascended a peak from, which to have an extended view of the country. Rest here, my sister, for you are tired, said the youth, and I will go alone. From fatigue, the girl soon sank into a slumber, and when the youth returned, he was impressed with the surpassing loveliness of his sister. They remained for a time on this mountain, and at their union they were transformed—the youth into a hideous looking creature, the Ko-ye-me-shi (Plate XX); the maiden into a being with snow white hair, the Ko-mo-ket-si. The tKo-thla-ma (hermaphrodite) is the offspring of this unnatural union. The youth said to his sister, We are no longer like our people; we will therefore make this mountain our home. But it is not well for us to be alone; wait here and I will go and prepare a place for our others. Descending the mountain, he swept his foot through the sands in the plains below, and immediately a river flowed and a lake appeared, and in the depths of this lake a group of houses, and in the center of this group a religious assembly house, or kiva, provided with many windows, through which those not privileged to enter the kiva might view the dance within. After he performed this magic deed, he again joined his sister on the mountain, from which they could see their people approaching. The mountain has since that time borne the name of Ko-kok-shi—kok-shi meaning good
