Part 2

In ancient times, while yet all beings belonged to one family, Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia, the father of our sacred bands, lived with his children (disciples) in the City of the Mists, the middle place (center) of the Medicine societies of the world. There he was guarded on all sides by his six warriors, A-pi-thlan shi-wa-ni (_pi-thlan_=bow, _shi-wa-ni_=priests), the prey gods; toward the North by the Mountain Lion (Long Tail); toward the West by the Bear (Clumsy Foot); toward the South by the Badger (Black Mark Face); toward the East by the Wolf (Hang Tail); above by the Eagle (White Cap); and below by the Mole. When he was about to go forth into the world, he divided the universe into six regions, namely, the North (Pi[']sh-lan-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Swept or Barren place); the West (K'iae[']-li-shi-in-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Home of the Waters); the South (A-la-ho-in-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Place of the Beautiful Bed); the East (Te-lu-a-in-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Home of Day); the Upper Regions (I-ya-ma-in-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Home of the High); and the Lower Regions (Ma-ne-lam-in-kwin tah-na=Direction of the Home of the Low)."

All, save the first of these terms, are archaic. The modern names for the West, South, East, Upper and Lower Regions signifying respectively--"The Place of Evening," "The Place of the Salt Lake" (Las Salinas), "The Place whence comes the Day," "The Above," and "The Below."

In the center of the great sea of each of these regions stood a very ancient sacred place (Te-thlae-shi-na-kwin), a great mountain peak. In the North was the Mountain Yellow, in the West the Mountain Blue, in the South the Mountain Red, in the East the Mountain White, above the Mountain All-color, and below the Mountain Black.

We do not fail to see in this clear reference to the natural colors of the regions referred to--to the barren north and its auroral hues, the west with its blue Pacific, the rosy south, the white daylight of the east, the many hues of the clouded sky, and the black darkness of the "caves and holes of earth." Indeed, these colors are used in the pictographs and in all the mythic symbolism of the Zunis, to indicate the directions or regions respectively referred to as connected with them.

Then said Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia to the Mountain Lion (Plate II, Fig. 1), "Long Tail, thou art stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore give I unto thee and unto thy children forever the mastership of the gods of prey, and the guardianship of the great Northern World (for thy coat is of yellow), that thou guard from that quarter the coming of evil upon my children of men, that thou receive in that quarter their messages to me, that thou become the father in the North of the sacred medicine orders all, that thou become a Maker of the Paths (of men's lives)."

Thither went the Mountain Lion. Then said Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia to the Bear (Plate II, Fig. 2), "Black Bear, thou art stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Mountain Lion, the guardian and master of the West, for thy coat is of the color of the land of night," etc.

To the Badger (Plate II, Fig. 3), "Thou art stout of heart but _not_ strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Bear, the guardian and master of the South, for thy coat is ruddy and marked with black and white equally, the colors of the land of summer, which is red, and stands between the day and the night, and thy homes are on the sunny sides of the hills," etc.

To the White Wolf (Plate II, Fig. 4), "Thou art stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Badger, the guardian and master of the East, for thy coat is white and gray, the color of the day and dawn," etc.

And to the Eagle (Plate II, Fig. 5), he said: "White Cap (Bald Eagle), thou art passing stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Wolf, the guardian and master of the Upper regions, for thou fliest through the skies without tiring, and thy coat is speckled like the clouds," etc.

"Prey Mole (Plate II, Fig. 6), thou art stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Eagle, the guardian and master of the Lower regions, for thou burrowest through the earth without tiring, and thy coat is of black, the color of the holes and caves of earth," etc.

THEIR POWER AS MEDIATORS.

Thus it may be seen that all these animals are supposed to possess not only the guardianship of the six regions, but also the mastership, not merely geographic, but of the medicine powers, etc., which are supposed to emanate from them; that they are the mediators between men and Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a, and conversely, between the latter and men.

As further illustrative of this relationship it may not be amiss to add that, aside from representing the wishes of men to Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a, by means of the spirits of the prayer plumes, which, it is supposed, the prey gods take into his presence, and which are, as it were, memoranda (like _quippus_) to him and other high gods of the prayers of men, they are also made to bear messages to men from him and his associated gods.

For instance, it is believed that any member of the medicine orders who neglects his religious duties as such is rendered liable to punishment (Hae[']-ti-a-k'ia-na-k'ia=reprehension) by Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a through some one of his warriors.

As illustrative of this, the story of an adventure of Mi-tsi, an Indian who "still lives, but limps," is told by the priests with great emphasis to any backsliding member.

MI-TSI.

Mi-tsi was long a faithful member of the Little Fire order (Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe), but he grew careless, neglected his sacrifices, and resigned his rank as "Keeper of the Medicines," from mere laziness. In vain his fathers warned him. He only grew hot with anger. One day Mi-tsi went up on the mesas to cut corral posts. He sat down to eat his dinner. A great black bear walked out of the thicket near at hand and leisurely approached him. Mi-tsi dropped his dinner and climbed a neighboring little dead pine tree. The bear followed him and climbed it, too. Mi-tsi began to have sad thoughts of the words of his fathers.

"Alas," he cried, "pity me, my father from the West-land!" In vain he promised to be a good Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe. Had not Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a commanded?

So the black bear seized him by the foot and pulled until Mi-tsi screamed from pain; but, cling as he would to the tree, the bear pulled him to the ground. Then he lay down on Mi-tsi and pressed the wind out of him so that he forgot. The black bear started to go; but eyed Mi-tsi. Mi-tsi kicked. Black bear came and pressed his wind out again. It hurt Mi-tsi, and he said to himself, "Oh dear me! what shall I do? The father thinks I am not punished enough." So he kept very still. Black bear started again, then stopped and looked at Mi-tsi, started and stopped again, growled and moved off, for Mi-tsi kept very still. Then the black bear went slowly away, looking at Mi-tsi all the while, until he passed a little knoll. Mi-tsi crawled away and hid under a log. Then, when he thought himself man enough, he started for Zuni. He was long sick, for the black bear had eaten his foot. He "still lives and limps," but he is a good Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe. Who shall say that Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia did not command?

THEIR WORSHIP.

The prey gods, through their relationship to Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia, as "Makers of the Paths of Life," are given high rank among the gods. With this belief, their fetiches are held "as in captivity" by the priests of the various medicine orders, and greatly venerated by them as mediators between themselves and the animals they represent. In this character they are exhorted with elaborate prayers, rituals, and ceremonials. Grand sacrifices of plumed and painted prayer-sticks (Tethl-na-we) are made annually by the "Prey Brother Priesthood" (We-ma a-pa-pa a-shi-wa-ni) of these medicine societies, and at the full moon of each month lesser sacrifices of the same kind by the male members of the "Prey gentes" (We-ma a-no-ti-we) of the tribe.

PREY GODS OF THE HUNT.

THEIR RELATION TO THE OTHERS.

The fetich worship of the Zunis naturally reaches its highest and most interesting development in its relationship to the chase, for the We-ma-a-ha-i are considered _par excellence_ the gods of the hunt. Of this class of fetiches, the special priests are the members of the "Great Coyote People" (Sa-ni-a-k'ia-kwe, or the Hunting Order), their keepers, the chosen members of the Eagle and Coyote gentes and of the Prey Brother priesthood.

The fetiches in question (Plate III) represent, with two exceptions, the same species of prey animals as those supposed to guard the six regions. These exceptions are, the Coyote (Sus-ki, Plate III, Fig. 2), which replaces the Black Bear of the West, and the Wild Cat (Te-pi, Plate III, Fig. 3), which takes the place of the Badger of the South.

In the prayer-songs of the Sa-ni-a-kia-kwe, the names of all of these prey gods are, with two exceptions, given in the language of the Rio Grande Indians. This is probably one of the many devices for securing greater secrecy, and rendering the ceremonials of the Hunter Society mysterious to other than members. The exceptions are, the Coyote, or Hunter god of the West, known by the archaic name of Thlae[']-k'iae-tchu, instead of by its ordinary name of Sus-ki, and the Prey Mole or god of the Lower regions (Plate III, Fig. 5), which is named Mai-tu-pu, also archaic, instead of K'iae[']-lu-tsi. Yet in most of the prayer and ritualistic recitals of this order all of these gods are spoken of by the names which distinguish them in the other orders of the tribe.

THEIR ORIGIN.

While all the prey gods of the hunt are supposed to have functions differing both from those of the six regions and those of the Priesthood of the Bow, spoken of further on, they are yet referred, like those of the first class, to special divisions of the world. In explanation of this, however, quite another myth is given. This myth, like the first, is derived from the epic before referred to, and occurs in the latter third of the long recital, where it pictures the tribes of the Zunis, under the guidance of the Two Children, and the Ka[']-ka at Ko-thlu-el-lon-ne, now a marsh-bordered lagune situated on the eastern shore of the Colorado Chiquito, about fifteen miles north and west from the pueblo of San Juan, Arizona, and nearly opposite the mouth of the Rio Concho. This lagune is probably formed in the basin or crater of some extinct geyser or volcanic spring, as the two high and wonderfully similar mountains on either side are identical in formation with those in which occur the cave-craters farther south on the same river. It has, however, been largely filled in by the _debris_ brought down by the Zuni River, which here joins the Colorado Chiquito. Ko-thlu-el-lon signifies the "standing place (city) of the Ka[']-ka" (from _Ka_=a contraction of Ka[']-ka, the sacred dance, and _thlu-el-lon_=standing place).

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ANIMALS.

Men began their journey from the Red River, and the Ka[']-ka still lived, as it does now, at Ko-thlu-el-lon-ne, when the wonderful Snail People (not snails, as may be inferred, but a tribe of that name), who lived in the "Place of the Snails" (K'ia-ma-k'ia-kwin), far south of where Zuni now is, caused, by means of their magic power, all the game animals in the whole world round about to gather together in the great forked canon-valley under their town, and there to be hidden.

The walls of this canon were high and insurmountable, and the whole valley although large was filled full of the game animals, so that their feet rumbled and rattled together like the sound of distant thunder, and their horns crackled like the sound of a storm in a dry forest. All round about the canon these passing wonderful Snail People made a road (line) of magic medicine and sacred meal, which road, even as a corral, no game animal, even though great Elk or strong Buck Deer, could pass.

Now, it rained many days, and thus the tracks of all these animals tending thither were washed away. Nowhere could the Ka[']-ka or the children of men, although they hunted day after day over the plains and mountains, on the mesas and along the canon-valleys, find prey or trace of prey.

Thus it happened that after many days they grew hungry, almost famished. Even the great strong Sha'-la-k'o and the swift Sa-la-mo-pi-a walked zigzag in their trails, from the weakness of hunger. At first the mighty Ka[']-ka and men alike were compelled to eat the bones they had before cast away, and at last to devour the soles of their moccasins and even the deer-tail ornaments of their dresses for want of the flesh of K'iap-in-a-ha-i, Game animals.

Still, day after day, though weak and disheartened, men and the Ka[']-ka sought game in the mountains. At last a great Elk was given liberty. His sides shook with tallow, his dewlap hung like a bag, so fleshy was it, his horns spread out like branches of a dead tree, and his crackling hoofs cut the sands and even the rocks as he ran westward. He circled far off toward the Red River, passed through the Round Valley, and into the northern canons. The Sha'-la-k'o was out hunting. He espied the deep tracks of the elk and fleetly followed him. Passing swift and strong was he, though weak from hunger, and ere long he came in sight of the great Elk. The sight gladdened and strengthened him; but alas! the Elk kept his distance as he turned again toward the hiding-place of his brother animals. On and on the Sha'-la-k'o followed him, until he came to the edge of a great canon, and peering over the brink discovered the hiding-place of all the game animals of the world.

"Aha! so here you all are," said he. "I'll hasten back to my father, Pa-u-ti-wa,[1] who hungers for flesh, alas! and grows weak." And like the wind the Sha'-la-k'o returned to Ko-thlu-el-lon-ne. Entering, he informed the Ka[']-ka, and word was sent out by the swift Sa-la-mo-pi-a[2] to all the We-ma-a-ha-i for counsel and assistance, for the We-ma-a-ha-i were now the Fathers of men and the Ka[']-ka . The Mountain Lion, the Coyote, the Wild Cat, the Wolf, the Eagle, the Falcon, the Ground Owl, and the Mole were summoned, all hungry and lean, as were the Ka'-ka and the children of men, from want of the flesh of the game animals. Nevertheless, they were anxious for the hunt and moved themselves quickly among one another in their anxiety. Then the passing swift runners, the Sa-la-mo-pi-a, of all colors, the yellow, the blue, the red, the white, the many colored, and the black, were summoned to accompany the We-ma-a-ha-i to the canon-valley of the Snail People. Well they knew that passing wonderful were the Snail People, and that no easy matter would it be to overcome their medicine and their magic. But they hastened forth until they came near to the canon. Then the Sha'-la-k'o,[3] who guided them, gave directions that they should make themselves ready for the hunt.

When all were prepared, he opened by his sacred power the magic corral on the northern side, and forth rushed a great buck Deer.

"Long Tail, the corral has been opened for thee. Forth comes thy game, seize him!" With great leaps the Mountain Lion overtook and threw the Deer to the ground, and fastened his teeth in his throat.

The corral was opened on the western side. Forth rushed a Mountain Sheep.

"Coyote, the corral has been opened for thee. Forth comes thy game, seize him!" The Coyote dashed swiftly forward. The Mountain Sheep dodged him and ran off toward the west. The Coyote crazily ran about yelping and barking after his game, but the Mountain Sheep bounded from rock to rock and was soon far away. Still the Coyote rushed crazily about, until the Mountain Lion commanded him to be quiet. But the Coyote smelled the blood of the Deer and was beside himself with hunger. Then the Mountain Lion said to him disdainfully, Satisfy thy hunger on the blood that I have spilled, for to-day thou hast missed thy game; and thus ever will thy descendants like thee blunder in the chase. As thou this day satisfiest thy hunger, so also by the blood that the hunter spills or the flesh that he throws away shall thy descendants forever have being."

[Footnote 1: The chief god of the Ka[']-ka, now represented by masks, and the richest costuming known to the Zunis, which are worn during the winter ceremonials of the tribe.]

[Footnote 2: The Sa-la-mo-pi-a are monsters with round heads, long snouts, huge feathered necks, and human bodies. They are supposed to live beneath the waters, to come forth or enter snout foremost. They also play an important part in the Ka'-ka or sacred dances of winter.]

[Footnote 3: Monster human bird forms, the warrior chiefs of Pa-u-ti-wa, the representatives of which visit Zuni, from their supposed western homes in certain springs, each New Year. They are more than twelve feet high, and are carried swiftly about by persons concealed under their dresses.]

The corral was opened on the southern side. An Antelope sprang forth. With bounds less strong than those of the Mountain Lion, but nimbler, the Wild Cat seized him and threw him to the ground.

The corral was opened on the eastern side. Forth ran the O-ho-li (or albino antelope). The Wolf seized and threw him. The Jack Rabbit was let out. The Eagle poised himself for a moment, then swooped upon him. The Cotton Tail came forth. The Prey Mole waited in his hole and seized him; the Wood Rat, and the Falcon made him his prey; the Mouse, and the Ground Owl quickly caught him.

While the We-ma-a-ha-i were thus satisfying their hunger, the game animals began to escape through the breaks in the corral. Forth through the northern door rushed the Buffalo, the great Elk, and the Deer, and toward the north the Mountain Lion, and the yellow Sa-la-mo-pi-a swiftly followed and herded them, to the world where stands the yellow mountain, below the great northern ocean.

Out through the western gap rushed the Mountain Sheep, herded and driven by the Coyote and the blue Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward the great western ocean, where stands the ancient blue mountain.

Out through the southern gap rushed the Antelope, herded and driven by the Wild Cat and the red Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward the great land of summer, where stands the ancient red mountain.

Out through the eastern gap rushed the O-ho-li, herded and driven by the Wolf and the white Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward where "they say" is the eastern ocean, the "Ocean of day", wherein stands the ancient white mountain.

Forth rushed in all directions the Jack Rabbit, the Cotton Tail, the Bats, and the Mice, and the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl circled high above, toward the great "Sky ocean," above which stands the ancient mountain of many colors, and they drove them over all the earth, that from their homes in the air they could watch them in all places; and the Sa-la-mo-pi-a of many colors rose and assisted them.

Into the earth burrowed the Rabbits, the Bats, and the Mice, from the sight of the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl, but the Prey Mole and the black Sa-la-mo-pi-a thither followed them toward the four caverns (wombs) of earth, beneath which stands the ancient black mountain.

Then the earth and winds were filled with rumbling from the feet of the departing animals, and the Snail People saw that their game was escaping; hence the world was filled with the wars of the Ka[']-ka, the Snail People, and the children of men.

Thus were let loose the game animals of the world. Hence the Buffalo, the Great Elk, and the largest Deer are found mostly in the north, where they are ever pursued by the great Mountain Lion; but with them escaped other animals, and so not alone in the north are the Buffalo, the Great Elk, and the Deer found.

Among the mountains and the canons of the west are found the Mountain Sheep, pursued by the Coyote; but with them escaped many other animals; hence not alone in the west are the Mountain Sheep found.

Toward the south escaped the Antelopes, pursued by the Wild Cat. Yet with them escaped many other animals; hence not alone in the south are the Antelopes found.

Toward the east escaped the O-ho-li, pursued by the Wolf; but with them escaped many other animals; hence not alone in the east are the O-ho-li-we found.

Forth in all directions escaped the Jack Rabbits, Cotton Tails, Rats, and Mice; hence over all the earth are they found. Above them in the skies circle the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl; yet into the earth escaped many of them, followed by the Prey Mole; hence beneath the earth burrow many.

Thus, also, it came to be that the Yellow Mountain Lion is the master Prey Being of the north, but his younger brothers, the blue, the red, the white, the spotted, and the black Mountain Lions wander over the other regions of earth. Does not the spotted Mountain Lion (evidently the Ocelot) live among the _high_ mountains of the south?

Thus, too, was it with the Coyote, who is the master of the West, but whose younger brothers wander over all the regions; and thus, too, with the Wild Cat and the Wolf.

In this tradition there is an attempt, not only to explain the special distribution throughout the six regions, of the Prey animals and their prey, but also to account for the occurrence of animals in regions other than those to which, according to this classification, they properly belong.

THEIR VARIETIES.

We find, therefore, that each one of the six species of Prey animals is again divided into six varieties, according to color, which determines the location of each variety in that one or other of the regions with which its color agrees, yet it is supposed to owe allegiance to its representative, whatsoever this may be or wheresoever placed. For instance, the Mountain Lion is primarily god of the North, but he is supposed to have a representative (younger brother) in the West (the blue Mountain Lion), another in the South (the Red), in the East (the White), in the Upper regions (the Spotted), and in the Lower regions (the black Mountain Lion).

Hence, also, there are six varieties of the fetich representing any one of these divisions, the variety being determined by the color, as expressed either by the material of which the fetich is formed, or the pigment with which it is painted, or otherwise, as, for example, by inlaying. (Plate III, Fig. 4, and Plate VII, Fig. 2.)

THE MOUNTAIN LION--HUNTER GOD OF THE NORTH.

According to this classification, which is native, the fetiches of the Mountain Lions are represented on Plate IV. They are invariably distinguished by the tail, which is represented very long, and laid lengthwise of the back from the rump nearly or quite to the shoulders, as well as by the ears, which are quite as uniformly rounded and not prominent.

The fetich of the yellow Mountain Lion (Ha[']k-ti tae[']sh-a-na thlup-tsi-na), or God of the North (Plate IV, Fig. 1), is of yellow limestone.[1] It has been smoothly carved, and is evidently of great antiquity, as shown by its polish and patina, the latter partly of blood. The anus and eyes are quite marked holes made by drilling. An arrow-point of flint is bound to the back with cordage of cotton, which latter, however, from its newness, seems to have been recently added.