said to Po´shaiyänne: “Come and sit with us; surely you are now equal
with me, and you are rich indeed, for you have all my houses,” but
he refused, only passing among theurgists and people to offer the
lighted stick for the cigarettes. When he extended his hand a bracelet
was discovered more beautiful than any of the others. It was pink and
the stones were very large. The ti´ämoni upon seeing it cried, “Alas!
alas! This is more beautiful and precious than all the others, but all
my houses and treasures are gone. I have nothing left but my people;
my old men and old women; young men and maidens and little ones.”
Addressing the people, he said: “My children, what would you think
of your ti´ämoni should he wish to give you to this youth for the
beautiful beads?” They replied, “You are our father and ruler; you are
wise and know all things that are best for us;” but their hearts were
heavy and sad, and the ti´ämoni hesitated, for his heart was touched
with the thought of giving up his people whom he loved; but the more he
thought of the bracelet the greater became his desire to secure it, and
he appealed a second time to his people and they answered: “You know
best, our father,” and the people were very sad, but the heart of the
ti´ämoni though touched was eager to possess the bracelet. He sent one
of his men to offer in exchange for the bracelet all his people, and
Po´shaiyänne replied that he would give the bracelet for the people.
Then the ti´ämoni called the youth to him, and they repeated the game
of the four sticks, hollowed at the ends. Po´shaiyänne was successful,
and the ti´ämoni said: “Take all my people; they are yours; my heart
is sad to give them up, and you must be a good father to them. Take
all the things I have, I am no longer of any consequence.” “No,” said
Po´shaiyänne; “I will not, for should I do so I would lose my power
over game.” The two remained in the chita and talked for a long time,
the ti´ämoni addressing Po´shaiyänne as father and Po´shaiyänne calling
the ti´ämoni father.
After a time Po´shaiyänne determined to visit all the pueblos, and then
go into Mexico.
He was recognized by the Sia at once upon his arrival, for they had
known of him and sung of him, and they looked for him. He entered the
chita in company with the ti´ämoni (the one appointed by Ût´sĕt) and
the theurgists. It was not until Po´shaiyänne’s visit to the Sia that
they possessed the power to capture game. The men were often sent out
by the ti´ämoni to look for game, but always returned without it,
saying they could see the animals and many tracks but could catch none;
and their ruler would reply: “Alas! my children, you go for the deer
and return without any;” and thus they hunted all over the earth but
without success.
After Po´shaiyänne’s talk with the ti´ämoni, and learning his wish for
game, he said: “Father, what have you for me to do?” And the ti´ämoni
replied: “My children have looked everywhere for deer, and they can
find none; they see many tracks, but they can not catch the deer.”
“Well,” replied Po´shaiyänne, “I will go and look for game.” He visited
a high mountain in the west, from whose summit he could see all over
the earth, and looking to the north, he saw on the top of a great
mountain a white deer. The deer was passing toward the south, and he
said to himself, “Why can not the Sia catch deer?” And looking to the
west, he saw a yellow antelope on the summit of a high mountain. He,
too, was passing to the south, and Po´shaiyänne said to himself, “Why
can they not catch antelope?” And he looked to the south, and saw on
the great mountain of the south a sheep, which was also passing to
the south, and he looked to the east, and there, on a high peak, he
saw the buffalo, who was passing to the south; and then, looking all
over the earth, he saw that it was covered with rabbits, rats, and all
kinds of small animals, and that the air was filled with birds of every
description. Then, returning to the ti´ämoni, he said: “My mother, my
father, why do your children say they can catch no game? When I first
looked to the mountain of the north I saw the deer, and to the west I
saw the antelope, and to the south the mountain sheep, and to the east
the buffalo, and the earth and air were filled with animals and birds.”
The ti´ämoni inquired how he could see all over the earth. He doubted
Po´shaiyänne’s word. Then Po´shaiyänne said: “In four days I will go
and catch deer for you.” “Well,” said the ti´ämoni, “when you bring the
deer I will believe. Until then I must think, perhaps, you do not speak
the truth.”
For three days the men were busy making bows and arrows, and during
these days they observed a strict fast and practiced continency. On the
fourth morning at sunrise Po´shaiyänne, accompanied by Ma´asewe and
Úyuuyewĕ, who came to the earth to greet Po´shaiyänne, and the men of
the village, started on the hunt. They ate before leaving the village,
and after the meal Po´shaiyänne asked: “Are you all ready for the
hunt?” And they replied: “Yes; we are ready.” Po´shaiyänne, Ma´asewe,
and Úyuuyewĕ started in advance of the others, and when some distance
ahead Po´shaiyänne made a fire and sprinkled meal to the north, the
west, the south, and the east, that the deer might come to him over
the roads of meal. He then made a circle of meal, leaving an opening
through which the game and hunters might pass, and when this was done
all of the men of the village formed into a group a short distance from
Po´shaiyänne, who then played on his flute, and, holding it upward, he
played first to the north, then west, then south, and then east. The
deer came over the four roads to him and entered the great circle of
meal. Ma´asewe and Úyuuyewĕ called to all the people to come and kill
the deer. It was now before the middle of the day. There were many deer
in the circle, and as the people approached they said one to another:
“Perhaps the deer are large; perhaps they are small.”
(The deer found by the Sia in this world are quite different from those
in the lower world. Those in the lower world did not come to this
world; they are called sits´tä-ñe, water deer. These deer lived in the
water, but they grazed over the mountains. They were very large, with
great antlers. The deer in this world are much smaller and have smaller
antlers.)
The circle was entered at the southeast, Ma´asewe passing around the
circle to the left was followed by half of the people, Úyuuyewĕ passing
to the right around the circle, preceded the remainder. As soon as they
had all entered Po´shaiyänne closed the opening; he did not go into the
circle but stood by the entrance. The deer were gradually gathered into
a close group and were then shot with arrows. When all the deer had
been killed they were flayed, and the flesh and skins carried to the
village. As they passed from the circle Po´shaiyänne said, “Now carry
your meat home. Give your largest deer to the ti´ämoni and the smaller
ones to the people of your houses.” After the Sia had started for their
village Po´shaiyänne destroyed the circle of meal and then returned to
the ti´ämoni, who said: “You, indeed, spoke the truth, for my people
have brought many deer, and I am much pleased. On the morrow we will
kill rabbits.” The ti´ämoni informed the coyote of his wish for the
rabbits, and in the morning a large fire was made, and the coyote spoke
to the fire, saying: “We desire many rabbits but we do not wish to go
far.” He then threw meal to the cardinal points, zenith, and nadir,
and prayed that the sun father would cause the small and large rabbits
to gather together that they might not have to go a great distance to
find them, for as he, the father, wished, so it would be, and Ma´asewe
and the coyote sat down while the people gathered around the fire and
passed their rabbit sticks through the flames. Then Ma´asewe directed
them to start on the hunt. They formed into an extensive circle
surrounding the rabbits, and a great number were secured. Some were
killed by being struck immediately over their hearts. It was very late
when the people returned to the village laden with rabbits.
The ti´ämoni said: “Day after to-morrow we will have a feast.”
Po´shaiyänne agreeing, said: “It is well, father.” All the women worked
hard for the feast. Half of their number worked for the ti´ämoni
and half for Po´shaiyänne. The ti´ämoni going alone to the house of
Po´shaiyänne, said: “Listen: to-morrow you will have the great feast at
your house.” Po´shaiyänne replied: “No, father; you are the elder, and
you must have it at your house.” The ti´ämoni answered: “Very well, my
house is good and large; I will have it there.”
In the morning, when the sun was still new, the ti´ämoni had the feast
spread—bowls of mush, bread, and meat; and he said to Po´shaiyänne, who
was present: “Father, if you have food bring it to my house and we will
have our feast together.” Po´shaiyänne replied: “It is well, father;”
and, to the astonishment of all, Po´shaiyänne’s food immediately
appeared. It was spread on tables;[9] the bowls holding the food being
very beautiful, such as had never before been seen. The ti´ämoni told
Ma´asewe to bid the people come to the feast; and all, including the
most aged men and women and youngest children, were present. Upon
entering the house they were surprised with the things
they saw on Po´shaiyänne’s table, and all who could went to his
table in preference to sitting before the ti´ämoni’s. Even the water
upon Po´shaiyänne’s table was far better than that furnished by the
ti´ämoni; and those who drank of this water and ate Po´shaiyänne’s food
immediately became changed, their skins becoming whiter than before;
but all could not eat from Po´shaiyänne’s board and many had to take
the food of the ti´ämoni, and they remained in appearance as before.
After this feast, Po´shaiyänne visited all the pueblos and then passed
on to Chihuahua in Mexico. Before Po´shaiyänne left the Sia, he said
to them: “I leave you, but another day I will return to you, for this
village is mine for all time, and I will return first to this village.”
To the ti´ämoni he said: “Father, you are a ti´ämoni, and I also am
one; we are as brothers. All the people, the men, the women, and the
children are mine, and they are yours; and I will return to them again.
Watch for me. I will return;” and he added, “In a short time another
people will come; but before that time, such time as you may choose, I
wish you to leave this village, for my heart is here and it is not well
for another people to come here; therefore depart from this village
before they come near.”
Upon entering the plaza in Chihuahua Po´shaiyänne met the great chief,
who invited him to his home, where he became acquainted with his
daughter. She was very beautiful, and Po´shaiyänne told the chief that
he was much pleased with his daughter and wished to make her his wife.
The chief replied: “If you desire to marry my daughter and she wishes
to marry you, it is well.” Upon the father questioning the daughter
the girl replied in the affirmative. Then the father and mother talked
much to the daughter and said: “To-morrow you will be married.” The
chief sent one of his officials to let it be known to all the people
that Po´shaiyänne and his daughter were to be united in marriage in
the morning, and many assembled, and there was a great feast in the
house of the chief. Many men were pleased with the chief’s daughter,
and looked with envy upon Po´shaiyänne; and they talked together of
killing him, and finally warriors came to the house of Po´shaiyänne
and carried him off to their camp and pierced his heart with a spear,
and his enemies were contented, but the wife and her father were sad.
The day after Po´shaiyänne’s death he returned to his wife’s home, and
when he was seen alive those who had tried to destroy him were not only
angry but much alarmed; and again he was captured, and they bound gold
and silver to his feet, that after casting him into the lake his body
should not rise; but a white fluffy feather of the eagle fell to him,
and as he touched the feather the feather rose, and Po´shaiyänne with
it, and he lived again, and he still lives, and some time he will come
to us. So say the Sia. Po´shaiyänne’s name is held in the greatest
reverence; in fact, he is regarded as their culture hero[10], and he
is appealed to in daily prayers, and the people have no doubt of his
return. They say: “He may come to-day, to-morrow, or perhaps not in our
lifetime.”
Soon after Po´shaiyänne’s departure from Sia the ti´ämoni decided to
leave his present village, though it pained him much to give up his
beautiful house. And they moved and built the present pueblo of Sia,
which village was very extensive. The ti´ämoni had first a square of
stone laid, which is to be seen at the present day, emblematic of the
heart of the village (for a heart must be, before a thing can exist).
After the building of this village the aged ti´ämoni continued to
live many years, and at his death he was buried in the ground, in a
reclining position. His head was covered with raw cotton, with an eagle
plume attached; his face was painted with corn pollen, and cotton was
placed at the soles of his feet and laid over the heart. A bowl of food
was deposited in the grave, and many hä´chamoni were planted over the
road to the north, the one which is traveled after death. A bowl of
food was also placed on the road. All night they sang and prayed in the
house of the departed ti´ämoni, and early in the morning all those who
sung were bathed in suds of yucca made of cold water.
There are two rudely carved stone animals at the ruined village
supposed to have been visited by Po´shaiyänne. These the Sia always
speak of as the cougar, but they say, “In reality they are not the
cougar, but the lynx, for the cougar remained at the white-house in the
north.”
This cosmogony exhibits a chapter of the Sia philosophy, and though
this philosophy is fraught with absurdities and contradictions, as is
the case with all aboriginal reasoning, it scintillates with poetic
conceptions. They continue:
“The hour is too solemn for spoken words; a new life is to be given to
us.”
Theirs is not a religion mainly of propitiation, but rather of
supplication for favors and payment for the same, and to do the will of
and thereby please the beings to whom they pray. It is the paramount
occupation of their life; all other desirable things come through its
practice. It is the foundation of their moral and social laws. Children
are taught from infancy that in order to please the pantheon of their
mythical beings they must speak with one tongue as straight as the
line of prayer over which these beings pass to enter the images of
themselves.
It will be understood from the cosmogony that the Sia did not derive
their clan names from animal _ancestors_, nor do they believe that
their people evolved from animals, other than the Sia themselves. The
Zuñi hold a similar belief. The Zuñi’s reference to the tortoise and
other animals as ancestors is explained in the “Religious Life of the
Zuñi Child.”[11]
I am of opinion that closer investigation of the North American Indian
will reveal that the belief in the descent of a people from beasts,
plants, or heavenly bodies is not common, though their mythological
heroes were frequently the offspring of the union of some mortal with
the sun or other object of reverence. There is no mystery in such
unions in the philosophy of the Indian, for, as not only animate but
inanimate objects and the elements are endowed with personality, such
beings are not only brothers to one another, but hold the same kinship
to the Sia, from the fact, according to their philosophy, that all are
living beings and, therefore, all are brothers. This is as clearly
defined in the Indian mind as our recognition of the African as a
brother man.
The spider is an important actor in Sia, Zuñi, and Tusayan mythology.
Sia cosmogony tells us the spider was the primus, the creator of all.
Sûs´sĭstinnako is referred to as a man, or, more properly, a being
possessing all power; and as Sûs´sĭstinnako created first man and
then other beings to serve his first creation, these beings, although
endowed with attributes superior to man in order to serve him, can
hardly be termed gods, but rather agents to execute the will of
Sûs´sĭstinnako in serving the people of his first creation.
Sûs´sĭstinnako must be supplicated through the mediator Ûtsĕt, who is
present at such times in the fetich I´ärriko. Ko´shairi and Quer´ränna
appear for the sun and moon. The war heroes and the warriors of the six
mountains of the world, the women of the cardinal points, and animals,
insects, and birds holding the secrets of medicine, are present, when
invoked, in images of themselves. The Sia can not be said to practice
ancestor worship. While the road to Shipapo (entrance to the lower
world) is crowded with spirits of peoples returning to the lower world,
and spirits of unborn infants coming from the lower world, the Sia do
not believe in the return of ancestors when once they have entered
Shipapo. While many of the kokko (personated by persons wearing masks)
are the immediate ancestors of the Zuñi, the Ka´ᵗsuna of the Sia, also
personated by men and women wearing masks, are altogether a distinct
creation, and can not be considered to bear any relation to ancestor
worship.
The Sia, however, have something as appalling to them as the return of
the dead, in their belief in witchcraft, those possessing this craft
being able to assume the form of dogs and other beasts; and they are
ever on the alert when traveling about on dark nights, especially if
the traveler is a man of wealth, as witches are always envious of the
financial success of others. They create disease by casting into the
body snakes, worms, stones, bits of fabric, etc. Hair must be burned
that it may not be found by wizards or witches, who, combining it with
other things, would cast it into the person from whose head it was
cut, causing illness and perhaps death. There is, however, a panacea
for such afflictions in the esoteric power of the theurgists of the
secret cult societies. A man was relieved of pain in the chest by a
snake being drawn from the body by an eminent theurgist during the
stay of the writer at Sia. Such is the effect of faith cure in Sia
that, though the man was actually suffering from a severe cold, his
improvement dated from the hour the snake was supposed to have been
extracted.
CULT SOCIETIES.
Ût´sĕt, being directed in all things by Sûs´sĭstinnako, originated
the cult societies of the lower world, giving to certain of them the
secrets for the healing of the sick.
The societies are mentioned in their line of succession, most of them
having been named for the animals of which they were composed.
The first society organized was the Ka´pĭna, which included only the
spider people, its ho´-na-ai-te,[12] or theurgist, being Sûs´sĭstinnako
himself; and as the members of this society were directly associated
with Sûs´sĭstinnako, they knew his medicine secrets.
Then followed the societies of the bear, cougar, badger, wolf, and
shrew (_Sorex_).
The hĭs´tiän[13] (knife) was composed of the cougar and the bear, these
two societies being consolidated. Sûs´sĭstinnako finding that the bear
was always dissatisfied and inclined to growl and run from the people
when they approached, decided to make the cougar first and the bear
second, giving as his reason that when the people drew near the cougar
he sat still and looked at them; he neither growled nor ran, and the
people were not afraid; he commanded their respect, but not their fear,
and for this reason Sûs´sĭstinnako united these societies that the bear
might be second, and under the direction of the cougar.
The next six societies organized were the snakes, composed of the
snakes of the cardinal points, the snake of the north being Ska´towe
(Plumed Serpent), the west Ka´spanna, the south Ko´quaira, the east
Quĭs´sĕra, the heavens Hu´waka, the earth Ya´ai. The Ska´towe (Serpent
of the North) and Ko´quaira (Serpent of the South) having special
influence over the cloud people, have their bodies marked with cloud
emblems; the Ka´spanna (Serpent of the West) and the Quĭs´sĕra (Serpent
of the East) hold esoteric relations with the sun and moon; hence their
bodies are painted with the crescent. Hu´waka (Serpent of the Heavens)
has a body like crystal, and it is so brilliant that one’s eyes can not
rest upon him; he is very closely allied to the sun. The Ya´ai (Serpent
of the Earth) has special relations with Ha´arts (the earth). His body
is spotted over like the earth, and he passes about over Ha´arts until
someone approaches, when he hastens into his house in the earth.
The seven ant societies followed the snakes. The five animal
societies, the six snake societies, the first three ant societies,
and the society of the eagle were given the secrets of the medicine
for healing the sick, through the process of sucking, the ant alone
receiving the secret of the medicine by brushing; the last four
societies of ants were instructed in the songs for rain only. The
reason given for this division is that only the first three ants
produced irritation or swelling from their bites, the last four being
peaceable ants. (Fig. 18).
The next six societies were those of the birds of the cardinal points,
zenith and nadir.—The Ha´-te-e, Bird of the North; Shas´-to, Bird of
the West; Ma´-pe-un, Bird of the South; Shu-wa-kai´, Bird of the East;
Tiä´mi, Bird of the Heavens (the eagle); Chas´-ka, Bird of the Earth
(chaparral cock). While these six societies were instructed in the
songs for rain, the eagle alone learned the medicine songs. It will be
noticed that only such animals as were regarded as virulent were given
the secrets of the medicine for healing the sick. All of the animals of
the world were subordinate to the animal societies; all of the snakes
of the world were submissive to the six snake societies; all the ants
and other insects were subject to the seven ant societies, and all the
birds of the world to the six bird societies.
The next society organized was the Ha´kan, fire. Sûs´sĭstinnako,
desiring to have fire that their food might be cooked, placed a round
flat stone on the floor and attached a small sharpened stone to one end
of a slender round stick; he then called together the ho´naaites of the
cult societies, and the priestly rulers of the Sia and other Indians,
requesting each one in proper succession to produce fire by rubbing the
circular stick between the hands upon the round flat stone. As each one
attempted to make the fire, a blanket was thrown over him and the stone
that he might work in perfect seclusion. All failing in their efforts
(this work being performed in the daytime) Sûs´sĭstinnako dismissed
them. He then passed through three chambers, carrying the fire stone
with him, and entering the fourth sat down and thought a long while,
and after a time he attempted to make the fire and was successful.
Sûs´sĭstinnako then called in Ût´sĕt and her principal officer (a man
of the Sia people), and handing her an ignited fire brand of cedar told
her to light a fire, and this fire burned four days and nights. Ût´sĕt,
obeying the command of Sûs´sĭstinnako, requested her officer to place
a ho´naaite of a snake society at the first door, the ho´naaite of the
Hĭs´tiän and his vice (the cougar and a bear) at the second and third
doors, and to guard the inner door himself, that no one might enter and
see the fire. On the fifth day all the people discovered the smoke,
which escaped from the chamber, and they wondered what it could be,
for as yet they did not know fire. On the sixth morning Sûs´sĭstinnako
said to the officer of Ût´sĕt, “I will now organize a fire society and
I appoint you the ho´naaite of the society.” On this same morning the
ho´naaites of the cult societies and the priestly rulers of the Indians
were called to the chamber to see the fire and to understand it. Then
the ho´naaite of the fire society carried some of the fire to the house
of the ruler of the Sia.
[Illustration: Bureau of Ethnology. Eleventh Annual Report. Plate X
GAST LITH. CO. N.Y.
PERSONAL ADORNMENT WHEN RECEIVED INTO THE THIRD DEGREE OF OFFICIAL
MEMBERSHIP CULT, SOCIETY.]
Ko´shairi received directly from the sun valuable medicine for rain,
and so the songs of the Ko´shairi are principally invocations for rain
to fructify the earth.
Quer´ränna’s office is similar to that of the Ko´shairi, though his
dress is different, as he comes from the house of the moon and not the
sun. Besides the songs for rain the sun gave him the secret of the
medicine, which would not only make ha´arts but women pregnant.
After the Sia, animals and Ka’ᵗsuna entered this world, they being led
by the mother Ût´sĕt, the Ka´ᵗsuna were directed by Ût´sĕt to go to
the west and there make their homes. Before their departure, however,
masks were made to represent them. Ût´sĕt sent Ko´shairi and Quer´ränna
to the east, telling the former to make his home near the house of
the sun and the latter to make his house a little to the north of the
sun’s. It will be remembered that Sûs´sĭstinnako sent the sun to this
world before the advent of the Sia. Ko´shairi performs not only the
office of courier between the sun and Ka´ᵗsuna, but is also mediator
between the Sia and the sun. (See Pl. X.)