The Sia (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))

Part 15

Chapter 153,900 wordsPublic domain

The Society of Warriors and the Knife Society have a ceremonial chamber in common; and in a certain sense these societies are closely allied, the former having had originally as its presiding officers Ma´asewe and U´yuuyewĕ, the twin children of the sun, the latter society having derived its name from the arrows which were given by the sun father to the invulnerable twins, and with which they destroyed the enemies of the earth. Each of these societies, therefore, has a share in the initiation of a victor.

The killing of an enemy is not sufficient to admit a man into the Society of Warriors; he must return with such trophies as the scalp and buckskin apparel. The victor carries the scalp on an arrow until he draws near to the village, when he transfers it to a pole some 5 feet in length, the pole being held with both hands. The victor’s approach is heralded, and if it be after the sun has eaten his midday meal he must not enter the village, but remain near it until morning, food being carried to him by the war chief. In the morning the Society of the Knife, followed by the Warriors and the male populace of the town, join the victor. An extended prayer is offered by the ho´naaite of the Knife Society, and then, addressing the spirit of the enemy, he says: “You are now no longer our enemy; your scalp is here; you will no more destroy my people.” The ho´naaite of the Warriors and his vicar respond, “So! So!” The air is resonant the remainder of the day with the war song, there being occasional intermissions for prayers; and at sundown the ho´naaite of the Warriors and his vicar, with the victor, bearing the pole and scalp between them, lead the way to the village, followed by the members of the society, and then the Knife Society, led by its ho´naaite and his vicar. After encircling the village from right to left, the party enters the ceremonial chamber, when the scalp is deposited before the meal painting, the ho´naaite of the Knife Society having prepared the painting and arranged the fetiches about it in the morning before going to meet the victor. The two large stone images of Ma´asewe and U´yuuyewĕ, which are brought out only upon the initiation of a victor into the Society of Warriors, are kept in a room exclusively their own; these particular fetiches of the war heroes are never looked upon by women, consequently they have remained undisturbed in their abiding place a number of years, the exception being when all the fetiches and paraphernalia of the cult of the Sia were displayed in 1887 for Mr. Stevenson’s and the writer’s inspection. The members of the Knife Society sit on the west side of the room and the Warriors on the east side, the ho´naaites of the societies sitting at the north end of either line, each ho´naaite having his vicar by his side, and the victor by the side of the vicar of the Warriors; he does not join in the song, but sits perfectly still. At sunrise the scalp is washed in yucca suds and cold water by each member of the Knife Society, and the victor’s hands are then bathed for the first time since the scalping, and he proceeds to paint his body. The face and lower portion of the legs are colored red and the remainder black, and galena is then spread over the greater portion of the face. The Knife Society wears white cotton embroidered Tusayan kilts and moccasins, and the Warriors wear kilts of unornamented buckskin, excepting the fringes at the bottom and the pouch made from the buckskin apparel captured from the enemy. The victor wears the buckskin kilt, moccasins, and pouch, and he carries a bow and arrows in his left hand, and the pole with the scalp attached to it in the right. Each member of the society also carries a bow and arrows in the left hand and a single arrow in the right. The members of the Knife Society have gourd rattles in their right hands and bows and arrows in the left. The hair of all is left flowing.

An arrow point is placed in the mouth of the victor by the ho´naaite of the Knife Society, and they all then proceed to the plaza, the members of each society forming in a line and the victor dancing to and fro between the lines, raising the scalp as high as the pole will reach, but he does not sing or speak a word. The numbers in the lines are increased by the men of the village carrying war clubs and firearms, keeping up a continual volley with their pistols and guns until the close of the dance at sundown. The women are not debarred from exhibiting their enthusiasm, and they join in the dance.

Upon their return to the ceremonial chamber the scalp is again deposited before the meal painting and the ho´naaite of the Knife Society proceeds with the final epic ritual which completes the initiation of the victor into the Society of Warriors, closing with these words: “You are now a member of the Society of Warriors,” and he then removes the arrow point from the victor’s mouth. The members, in conjunction with the victor, respond “Yes! Yes!”

The cotton shirt and trousers are then donned and the scalp is carried to the scalp-house (a cavity in the earth covered with a mound of stone) and deposited with food for the spirit of the departed enemy. Again returning to the ceremonial chamber, fast is broken for the first time during the day, when a feast, which is served by the female relatives of the victor, is enjoyed. After the meal they go to the river and remove all evidences of the paint upon their bodies. Continency is observed four days.

The few songs of the cult which the writer was able to collect are direct invocations for rain, or for the presence of zoomorphic beings in ceremonials for healing the sick, a few words sufficing for many unexpressed ideas. The epic ritual of the Sia is so elaborate that much time and careful instruction are required to impress it upon the mind, and the younger men either have not the mind necessary for the retention of the ritual or will not tax their memories; therefore the web of Sia myth and religion is woven into the minds of but few.

The aged theurgists were eager to intrust to the writer the keeping of their songs, which are an elaborate record of the lives of their mythic heroes and of the Sia themselves.

The Sia sometimes adopt the poet’s license in their songs and alter a word; for example, the name for “badger” is tuo´pi, but is changed in the sko´yo song for rain to tupi´na, because, they say, the latter word renders the stanza more rhythmical. And, again, different words are synonymously used.

The hĭs´tiän and quer´ränna have each a similar song of petition for rain, this song having been given to the hĭs´tiän by the sun. It will be remembered that the name of this society indicates the knives or arrows of lightning given to the heroes by their sun father.

SONGS.

A RAIN SONG OF THE SHU´-WI CHAI´ÄN (SNAKE SOCIETY).

1. Hĕn´-na-ti 2. Hĕn´-na-ti shi´-wan-na He´-äsh He´-äsh shi-wan-na Pûr´-tu-wĭsh-ta Pûr´-tu-wĭsh-ta shi-wan-na Kŏw-mots Kŏw-mots shi´-wan-na Kash´-ti-arts Kash´-ti-arts shi´-wan-na Ka´-chard Ka´-chard shi´-wan-na

(1) _Translation_:—Hĕnnati, white floating masks, behind which the cloud people pass about over ti´ni´a for recreation; He´äsh, masks like the plains, behind which the cloud people pass over ti´ni´a to water the earth; Pûrtuwĭshta, lightning people; Kŏwmots, thunder people; Kashtiarts, rainbow people; Ka´chard, rain, the word being used in this instance, however, as an emphatic invocation to the rulers of the cloud people.

(2) Shi´wanna, people.

_Free translation_:—An appeal to the priests of ti´nia. Let the white floating clouds—the clouds like the plains—the lightning, thunder, rainbow, and cloud peoples, water the earth. Let the people of the white floating clouds—the people of the clouds like the plains—the lightning, thunder, rainbow and cloud peoples—come and work for us, and water the earth.

3. Sha´-ka-ka 4. Sha´-ka-ka shi´-wan-na Shwi´-ti-ra-wa-na Shwi´-ti-ra-wa-na shi´-wan-na Mai´-chi-na Mai´-chi-na shi´-wan-na Shwi´-si-ni-ha-na-we Shwi´-si-ni-ha-na-we shi´-wan-na Marsh´-ti-tä-mo Marsh’ ti-tä-mo shi’-wan-na Mor´-ri-tä-mo Mor´-ri-tä-mo shi´-wan-na

_Translation_:—Sha´kaka, spruce of the north; Shwi´tirawana, pine of the west. Mai´china, oak of the south. Shwi´sinihanawe, aspen of the east. Marsh´titämo, cedar of the zenith; Mor´ritämo, oak of the nadir.

(2) Shi´wanna, people.

_Free translation_:—Cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the spruce of the north; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the pine of the west; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the oak of the south; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the aspen of the east; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the cedar of the zenith; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia, through the heart of the oak of the nadir; send your people to work for us, that the waters of the six great springs may impregnate our mother, the earth, that she may give to us the fruits of her being.

Though the trees of the cardinal points are addressed, the supplication is understood to be made to priestly rulers of the cloud peoples of the cardinal points.

5. Hĕn´-na-ti ka´-shi-wan-na He´-äsh ka´shi-wan-na Pûr´-tu-wĭsh-ta ka´shi-wan-na Kŏw-mots ka´shi-wan-na Kash-ti-arts ka´shi-wan-na Ka´chard ka´shi-wan-na ka´shi-wan-na (all people).

_Free translation_:—All the white floating clouds—all the clouds like the plains—all the lightning, thunder, rainbow and cloud peoples, come and work for us.

6. Sha´-ka-ka ka´-shi-wan-na hwi´-ti-ra-wa-na ka´-shi-wan-na Mai´-chi-na ka´-shi-wan-na Shwi´-si-ni-ha-na-we ka´-shi-wan-na Marsh´-ti-tä-mo ka´-shi-wan-na Mor´-ri-tä-mo ka´-shi-wan-na

_Free translation_:—

Priest of the spruce of the north, send all your people to work for us; Priest of the pine of the west, send all your people to work for us; Priest of the oak of the south, send all your people to work for us; Priest of the aspen of the east, send all your people to work for us; Priest of the cedar of the zenith, send all your people to work for us; Priest of the oak of the nadir, send all your people to work for us.

7. Hĕn´-na-ti ho´-chän-ni He´-äsh ho´-chän-ni Pûr-tu-wĭsh-ta ho´-chän-ni Kŏw´-mots ho´-chän-ni Kash´-ti-arts ho´-chän-ni Ka´-chard ho´-chän-ni

_Translation_:—Ho´chänni, arch ruler of the cloud priests of the world.

_Free translation_:—

Ho´chänni of the white floating clouds of the world; Ho´chänni of the clouds like the plains of the world (referring to the cloud people behind their masks); Ho´chänni of the lightning peoples of the world; Ho´chänni of the thunder peoples of the world; Ho´chänni of the rainbow peoples of the world; Ho´chänni of the cloud peoples of the world—send all your peoples to work for us.

8. Sha-´ka-ka ho´-chän-ni Shwi´ti-ra-wa-na ho´-chän-ni Mai´-chi-na ho´-chän-ni Shwi´si-ni-ha-na-we ho´-chän-ni Marsh´-ti-tä-mo ho´-chän-ni Mor´-ri-tä-mo ho´-chän-ni

_Free translation_:—

Ho´chänni of the spruce of the north; Ho´chänni of the pine of the west; Ho´chänni of the oak of the south; Ho´chänni of the aspen of the east; Ho´chänni of the cedar of the zenith; Ho´chänni of the oak of the nadir; send all your peoples to work for us, that the waters of the six great springs of the world may impregnate our mother the earth, that she may give to us the fruits of her being.

A SONG OF THE SHU´WI CHAI´ÄN (SNAKE SOCIETY) FOR HEALING THE SICK.

1. Ska´-to-we chai´-än Quĭs´-sĕr-a chai´-än Ka´-span-na chai´-än Hu´-wa-ka-chai´-än Ko´-quai-ra chai’-än Ya´-ai chai´-än

_Translation_:—Snake Society of the north, Snake Society of the west, Snake Society of the south, Snake Society of the east, Snake Society of the zenith, Snake Society of the nadir, come here and work with us.

2. Ho´-na-ai-te Ska´-to-we chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ka´-span-na chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ko´-quai-ra chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Quĭs´-sĕr-a chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Hu´-wa-ka chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ya´-ai chai´-än

An appeal to the ho´-naaites of the snake societies of the cardinal points to be present and work for the curing of the sick.

3. Mo´-kaite chai´-än Ka´-kan chai´-än Ko´-hai chai´-än Tiä´-mi chai´-än Tu-o´-pi chai´-än Mai´tu-bo chai´-än.

An appeal to the animals of the cardinal points to be present at the ceremonial of healing.

4. Ho´-na-ai-te Mo´-kaite chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ko´-hai chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Tu-o´-pi chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ka´-kan chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Ti-ä´-mi chai´-än Ho´-na-ai-te Mai´-tu-bo chai´-än

An appeal to the ho´naaites of the animal societies of the cardinal points to be present at the ceremonial.

A RAIN SONG OF THE SKO´YO CHAI´ÄN (GIANT SOCIETY).

1. Cher-ĕs ti mu ko wai´ yä tu ai´ ya mi wa wa Ĭsh to wa Middle of the door of my medicine is Arrow of world below shi´pa-po precious, it is lightning as my heart

tiᵗkä ᵗsi mai ah kosh´ te än come to us echo

2. Kai´ nu a we eh sha ka ka ka´ shi wan na ti ka´ ru ᵗsin i ah Who is it “spruce of all your people your thoughts north”

3. Kai´ nu ah we he hĕn´ na ti ka´ ru ᵗsin i ah Who is it “white floating your thoughts clouds”

ti´ kä ᵗsi mai ah ka´ shi wan na ti ka´ ru ᵗsin i ah come to us all your people your thoughts

ti´ kä ᵗsi mai ah come to us

4. Kai´ nu ah we eh he´äsh shi ᵗsi ka´ru ᵗsin i ah Who is it “clouds like the your thoughts plains”

ti´ kä ᵗsi mai ah come to us

5. Kai´ nu ah we he ĭsh to wa ka´ru ᵗsin i ah Who is it “arrow of your thoughts lightning”

ti´ kä ᵗsi mai ah come to me

6. Kai´ nu ah we eh ha´ a ᵗsi ᵗsi´ at ᵗsi n̄i ka´ shi wan na ti Who is it “earth horizon” all your people

ka´ ru ᵗsin i ah ti´ kä ᵗsi mai ah your thought come to us

_Free translation_:—We, the ancient ones, ascended from the middle of the world below, through the door of the entrance to the lower world, we hold our songs to the cloud, lightning, and thunder peoples as we hold our own hearts; our medicine is precious. (Addressing the people of ti´nia:) We entreat you to send your thoughts to us that we may sing your songs straight, so that they will pass over the straight road to the cloud priests that they may cover the earth with water, so that she may bear all that is good for us.

Lightning people, send your arrows to the middle of the earth, hear the echo (meaning that the thunder people are flapping their wings among the cloud and lightning peoples). Who is it (the singers pointing to the north)? The people of the spruce of the north. All your people and your thoughts come to us. Who is it? People of the white floating clouds. Your thoughts come to us, all your people and your thoughts come to us. Who is it (pointing above)? People of the clouds like the plains. Your thought comes to us. Who is it? The lightning people. Your thoughts come to us. Who is it? Cloud people at the horizon. All your people and your thoughts come to us.

A SONG OF THE SKO´YO CHAI´ÄN (GIANT SOCIETY) FOR HEALING THE SICK.

Ah´...ha...ha...wa´-mi Sand painting

1. Kai´-nu-a...we...eh mo´kai-ra ho´-na-wa-ai-te Who is it cougar theurgist