Part 4

Sûs´sĭstinnako placed a huge reed upon the mesa top and said: “My people will pass up through this to the world above.” Ût´sĕt led the way, carrying a sack containing many of the star people; she was followed by all the theurgists, who carried their precious articles in sacred blankets, on their backs; then followed the laity and all animals, snakes and birds; the turkey was far behind, and the foam of the waters rose and reached the tip ends of his feathers, and to this day they bear the mark of the waters. Upon reaching the top of the reed, the solid earth barred their exit, and Ût´sĕt called ᵗSi´ka (the locust), saying, “Man, come here.” The locust hastened to her, and she told him that the earth prevented their exodus. “You know best how to pass through the earth; go and make a door for us.” “Very well, mother,” he replied, “I will, and I think I can make a way.” He began working with his feet, and after a time he passed through the earth, entering another world. As soon as he saw the world, he returned to Ût´sĕt saying, “It is good above.” Ût´sĕt then called the Tuo´ pi (badger), and said to him, “Make a door for us; the ᵗSi´ka has made one, but it is very small.” “Very well, mother; I will,” replied the badger; and after much work he passed into the world above, and returning said, “Mother, I have opened the way.” Ût´sĕt is appealed to, to the present time, as father and mother, for she acts directly for Sûs´sĭstinnako, the creator. The badger said, “Mother, father, the world above is good.” Ût´sĕt then called the deer, saying to him, “You go first, and if you pass through all right, if you can get your head through, others may pass.” The deer after ascending returned saying, “Father, it is all right; I passed without trouble.” She then called the elk, and told him if he could get his head through the door, all could pass. He returned, saying, “Father, it is good; I passed without trouble.” She then had the buffalo try and he returned, saying, “Father, mother, the door is good; I passed without trouble.”

Ût´sĕt then called the I-shits (_Scarabæus_) and gave him the sack of stars, telling him to pass out first with the sack. The little animal did not know what the sack contained, but he grew very tired carrying it, and he wondered what could be in the sack. After entering the new world he was very tired, and laying the sack down he thought he would peep into it and see its contents. He cut only a tiny hole, but immediately the stars began flying out and filling the heavens everywhere. The little animal was too tired to return to Ût´sĕt, who, however, soon joined him, followed by all her people, who came in the order above mentioned. After the turkey passed out the door was firmly closed with a great rock so that the waters below could not follow them. When Ût´sĕt looked for her sack she was astonished to find it nearly empty and she could not tell where the contents had gone; the little animal sat by, very scared, and sad, and Ût´sĕt was angry with him and said, “You are very bad and disobedient and from this time forth you shall be blind,” (and this is the reason the scarabæus has no eyes, so the old ones say). The little fellow, however, had saved a few of the stars by grabbing the sack and holding it fast; these Ût´sĕt distributed in the heavens. In one group she placed seven stars (the great bear), in another three (part of Orion,) into another group she placed the Pleiades, and throwing the others far off into the heavens, exclaimed, “All is well!”

The cloud, lightning, thunder, and rainbow peoples followed the Sia into the upper world, making their homes in springs similar to those they had occupied in the lower world; these springs are also at the cardinal points, zenith and nadir, and are in the hearts of mountains with trees upon their summits. All of the people of Tínia, however, did not leave the lower world; only a portion were sent by Sûs´sĭstinnako to labor for the people of the upper world. The cloud people are so numerous that, though the demands of the people of the earth are great, there are always many passing about over Tínia for pleasure; these people ride on wheels, small wheels being used by the children and larger ones by the elders. In speaking of these wheels the Sia add: “The Americans have stolen the secret of the wheels (referring to bicycles) from the cloud people.”

The cloud people are careful to keep behind their masks, which assume different forms according to the number of people and the work being done; for instance, Hĕn´nati are white floating clouds behind which the people pass about for pleasure. He´äsh are clouds like the plains, and behind these, the cloud people are laboring to water the earth. The water is brought from the springs at the base of the mountains in gourd jugs and vases, by the men, women, and children, who ascend from these springs to the base of the tree and thence through the heart or trunk to the top of the tree which reaches to Ti´nia; they then pass on to the designated point to be sprinkled. Though the lightning, thunder and rainbow peoples of the six cardinal points[5] have each their priestly rulers and theurgists of their cult societies, these are subordinate to the priest of the cloud people, the cloud people of each cardinal point having their separate religious and civil organizations. Again these rulers are subordinate to Ho´chänni, arch ruler of the cloud people of the world, the cloud people hold ceremonials similar to the Sia; and the figures of the slat altars of the Sia are supposed to be arranged just as the cloud people sit in their ceremonies, the figures of the altars representing members of the cult societies of the cloud and lightning peoples. The Sia in performing their rites assume relatively similar positions back of the altars.

When a priest of the cloud people wishes assistance from the thunder and lightning peoples he commands their ti´ämonis to notify the theurgists to see that the labor is performed, he placing his cloud people under the direction of certain of his theurgists, keeping a general supervision himself over all. The people of Ti´nia are compensated by those of Ha´arts for their services. These offerings are placed at shrines, of which there are many, no longer left in view but buried from sight. Cigarettes are made of delicate reeds and filled with down from humming birds and others, minute quantities of precious beads and corn pollen, and are offered to the priestly rulers and theurgists of Ti´nia.

The lightning people shoot their arrows to make it rain the harder, the smaller flashes coming from the bows of the children. The thunder people have human forms, with wings of knives, and by flapping these wings they make a great noise, thus frightening the cloud and lightning peoples into working the harder. The rainbow people were created to work in Ti´nia to make it more beautiful for the people of Ha´arts to look upon; not only the elders making the beautiful bows, but the children assisting in this work. The Sia have no idea how or of what the bows are made. They do, however, know that the war heroes traveled upon these bows.

The Sia entered this world in the far north, and the opening through which they emerged is known as Shí-pa-po. They gathered into camps, for they had no houses, but they soon moved on a short distance and built a village. Their only food was seeds of certain grasses, and Ût´sĕt desiring that her children should have other food made fields north, west, south, and east of the village and planted bits of her heart, and corn was evolved (though Ût´sĕt had always known the name of corn, corn itself was not known until it originated in these fields), and Ût´sĕt declared: “This corn is my heart and it shall be to my people as milk from my breasts.”

After the Sia had remained at this village a year (referring to a time period) they desired to pass on to the center of the earth, but the earth was very moist and Ût´sĕt was puzzled to know how to harden it.

She commanded the presence of the cougar, and asked him if he had any medicine to harden the road that they might pass over it. The cougar replied, “I will try, mother;” but after going a short distance over the road, he sank to his shoulders in the wet earth, and he returned much afraid, and told Ût´sĕt that he could go no farther. She then sent for the bear and asked him what he could do; and he, like the cougar, made an attempt to harden the earth; he had passed but a short distance when he too sank to his shoulders, and being afraid to go farther returned, saying, “I can do nothing.” The badger then made the attempt, with the same result; then the shrew (_Sorex_) and afterward the wolf, but they also failed. Then Ût´sĕt returned to the lower world and asked Sûs´sĭstinnako what she could do to harden the earth so that her people might travel over it. Sûs´sĭstinnako inquired, “Have you no medicine to make the earth firm? Have you asked the cougar and the bear, the wolf, the badger and the shrew to use their medicines to harden the earth?” And she replied, “I have tried all these.” Then, said Sûs´sĭstinnako, “Others will understand;” and he told Ût´sĕt to have a woman of the Ka´pĭna (spider) society to use her medicine for this purpose. Upon the return of Ût´sĕt to the upper world, she commanded the presence of a female member of this society. Upon the arrival of this woman Ût´sĕt said, “My mother, Sûs´sĭstinnako, tells me the Ka´pĭna society understands the secret of how to make the earth strong.” The woman replied, “I do not know how to make the earth firm.” Three times Ût´sĕt questioned the woman regarding the hardening of the earth, and each time the woman replied, “I do not know.” The fourth time the question was put the woman said, “Well, I guess I know; I will try;” and she called together the members of the society of the Ka´pĭna and said to them, “Our mother, Sûs´sĭstinnako bids us work for her and harden the earth so that the people may pass over it.” The woman first made a road of fine cotton which she produced from her body (it will be remembered that the Ka´pĭna society was composed of the spider people), suspending it a few feet above the earth, and told the people they could now move on; but when they saw the road it looked so fragile that they were afraid to trust themselves upon it. Then Ût´sĕt said: “I wish a man and not a woman of the Ka´pĭna to work for me.” A male member of the society then appeared and threw out the serpent (a fetich of latticed wood so put together that it can be expanded and contracted); and when it was extended it reached to the middle of the earth. He first threw it to the south, then to the east, then to the west. The Na´pakatsa (a fetich composed of slender sticks radiating from a center held together by a fine web of cotton; eagle down is attached to the cotton; when opened it is in the form of an umbrella, and when closed it has also the same form minus the handle) was then thrown upon the ground and stamped upon (the original Na´pakatsa was composed of cotton from the spider’s body); it was placed first to the south, then east, west and north. The people being in the far north, the Na´pakatsa was deposited close to their backs.

The earth now being firm so that the people could travel, Ût´sĕt selected for the ti´ämoni who was to take her place with the people and lead them to the center of the earth, a man of the corn clan, saying to him, “I, Ût´sĕt, will soon leave you; I will return to the home whence I came. You will be to my people as myself; you will pass with them over the straight road. I will remain in my house below and will hear all that you say to me. I give to you all my wisdom, my thoughts, my heart, and all. I fill your head with my mind.” She then gave to her newly appointed representative a crooked staff as insignia of his office, saying, “It is as myself; keep it always.” “Thank you, mother,” he replied, and all the people clasped the staff and drew a breath from it. “I give to you all the precious things which I brought to this world [Ût´sĕt having brought these things in a sacred blanket on her back]. Be sure to follow the one straight road for all years and for all time to come. You will be known as Ti´ämoni [meaning the arch-ruler]. I bid you listen to all things good, and work for all things good, and turn from all things bad.” He replied: “It is well, mother; I will do as you say.” She then instructed this ruler to make the Ï´ärriko[6] (Pl. IX) which was to represent herself that they might have herself always with them and know her always. Again Ût´sĕt said: “When you wish for anything make hä´chamoni and plant them, and they will bear your messages to your mother in the world below.”

Before Ût´sĕt left this world she selected six Sia women, sending one to the north, one to the west, one to the south, one to the east, one to the zenith, and one to the nadir, to make their homes at these points for all time to come, that they might be near the cloud rulers of the cardinal points and intercede for the people of Ha´arts; and Ût´sĕt enjoined her people to remember to ask these women, in times of need, to appeal to the cloud people for them.

The Sia alone followed the command of Ût´sĕt and took the straight road, while all other pueblos advanced by various routes to the center of the earth. After Ût´sĕt’s departure the Sia traveled some distance and built a village of beautiful white stone, where they lived four years (years referring to time periods). The Sia declare that their stay at the white house was of long duration. Here parents suffered great distress at the hand of the tíämoni, who, objecting to the increase of his people, for a time caused all children to be put to death. The Sia had scarcely recovered from this calamity when a serious difficulty arose between the men and women. Many women sat grinding meal and singing; they had worked hard all day, and at sundown, when the men returned to the houses, the women began abusing them, saying: “You are no good; you do not care to work; you wish to be with women all the time. If you would allow four days to pass between, the women would care more for you.” The men replied: “You women care to be with us all day and all night; if you women could have the men only every four days you would be very unhappy.” The women retorted: “It is you men who would be unhappy if you could be with the women only every four days.”

And the men and women grew very angry with one another. The men cried: “Were it ten days, twenty days, thirty days, we could remain apart from you and not be unhappy.” The women replied: “We think not, but we women would be very contented to remain away from you men for sixty days.” And the men said: “We men would be happy to remain apart from you women for five moons.” The women, growing more excited, cried: “You do not speak the truth; we women would be contented to be separated from you ten moons.” The men retorted: “We men could remain away from you women twenty moons and be very happy.” “You do not speak the truth,” said the women, “for you wish to be with us all the time, day and night.”

Three days they quarreled and on the fourth day the women separated from the men, going on one side of the pueblo, the men and boys gathering on the other side. All the women went into one chí-ta, the men into another. The women had a great talk and the men held a council. The men and women were very angry with one another.

The tíämoni, who presided over the council, said: “I think if you and the women live apart you will each be contented.” And on the following morning he had all the men and male children who were not being nourished by their mothers cross the great river which ran by the village, the women remaining in the village. The men departed at sunrise, and the women were delighted. They said: “We can do all the work; we understand the men’s work and we can work like them.” The men said to each, other: “We can do the things the women did for us.” As they left the village the men called to the women: “We leave you to yourselves, perhaps for one year, perhaps for two, and perhaps longer. For one year you may be happy to be apart from us. Perhaps we will be happy to be separated from you; perhaps not; we can not tell. We men are more amorous than you.”

Some time was required for the men to cross the river, as it was very wide. The tíämoni led the men and remained with them. The women were compelled by the tíämoni to send their male infants over the river as soon as they ceased nourishing them. For ten moons the men and women were very happy. The men hunted a great deal and had much game for food, but the women had no animal food. At the expiration of the ten moons some of the women were sad away from the men. The men grew stout and the women very thin. As the second year passed more of the women wanted the men, but the men were perfectly satisfied away from the women. After three years the women more and more wished for the men, but the men were but slightly desirous of the women. When the fourth year was half gone the women called to the tíämoni, saying: “We want the men to come to us.” The female children had grown up like reeds; they had no flesh on them. The morning after the women begged the tíämoni for the return of the men they recrossed the river to live again with the women, and in four days after their return the women had recovered their flesh.

Children were born to the women while they were separated from the men, and when born they were entirely unlike the Sia, and were a different people. The mothers, seeing their children were not like themselves, did not care for them and drove them from their homes. These unnatural children matured in a short time, becoming the skóyo (giant cannibals). As soon as they were grown they began eating the Sia. They caught the children just as the coyote catches his prey. They made large fires between great rocks, and throwing the children in, roasted them alive, and afterward ate them. When parents went to the woods to look for their lost children, they too were caught by the giants and roasted. No one ever returned to the village to tell the tale. The Sia were not only devoured by the skóyo, but by those animals who quarreled with their people at the time of the rupture between the Sia men and women, the angry animals joining the skóyo in their attacks upon the Sia.

Although the children were destroyed whenever they ventured from their homes the vigilance of some of the parents saved the race, and in spite of the numerous deaths the people increased, and they built many houses. Four years (referring to periods of time) the Skóyo and animals captured and ate the Sia whenever they left their villages, but the Sia were not always to suffer this great evil.

The sun father determined to relieve the people of their trouble and so he became the father of twin boys.

Ko´chinako, a virgin (the yellow woman of the north), when journeying to visit the center of the earth, lay down to rest. She was embraced by the Sun, and from this embrace she became pregnant. In four days she gave evident signs of her condition, and in eight days it was still more perceptible, and in twelve days she gave birth to male twins. During her condition of gestation her mother, the spider woman, was very angry, and insisted upon knowing the father of the child, but the daughter could not tell her; and when the mother asked when she became pregnant, she could not reply to the question, and the mother said: “I do not care to see the child when it is born; I wish to be far away.” And as soon as the daughter complained of approaching labor the mother left, but her heart softened toward her child and she soon returned. In four days from the birth of the boys they were able to walk. When twins are born, the first-born is called Kat´saya and the second Kat´che.

Ko´chinako named her first-born Ma´-a-se-we and the second U´-yuuyewĕ. These children grew rapidly in intelligence, but they always remained small in stature. One day they inquired of their mother, “Where is our father?” The mother replied, “He is far away; ask no more questions.” But again they asked, “Where is our father?” And they received the same reply from the mother. The third time they asked, and a fourth time, when the mother said, “Poor children, your father lives far away to the east.” They declared they would go to him, but she insisted they could not; that to reach him they would have to go to the center of a great river. The boys were so earnest in their entreaties to be allowed to visit their father, that the mother finally consented. Their grandmother (the spider woman) made them each a bow and arrows, and the boys started off on their journey, traveling along way. Upon reaching the river they were puzzled to know how to enter their father’s house. While they stood thinking, their grandmother (the spider woman) appeared and said, “I will make a bridge for you.” She spun a web back and forth, but when the bridge was completed the boys feared to cross it; it appeared so frail. Then the grandmother tested the bridge to show them it was safe. They, being now satisfied, crossed the bridge and descended to the center of the river, and there found their father’s house. The wife of their father inquired of the boys, “Who are you, and where did you come from?” “We come to find our father.” The woman then asked, “Who is your father?” and they answered, “The Sun is our father;” and the wife was angry and said, “You tell an untruth.” She gave them a bowl of food, which was, however, only the scraps left by her children.

In a little while the Sun returned home. His wife was very indignant; “I thought you traveled only for the world, but these children say you are their father.” The Sun replied, “They are my children, because all people are my children under my arm.” This satisfied the wife, even though the children appealed directly to the Sun as father. When he saw the boys were eating scraps, he took the bowl, threw out the contents, and had his wife give them proper food. He then called one of his men who labored for him, and said, “Build me a large fire in the house,” designating a sweat-house, “lined with turkis, and heat it with hot rocks,” the rocks being also turkis. He sent the children into this house and had the door closed upon them. The Sun then ordered water poured upon the hot rocks through an opening in the roof, but the children cooled the sweat-house by spitting out tiny shells from their mouths.