Outlines of Zuñi Creation Myths: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 321-448Cushing, Frank Hamilton
History
Outlines of Zuñi Creation Myths: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 321-448
Cushing, Frank Hamilton
Zuni mythology
Then farther on he planted the red wand, and breathing not, long
watched it closely, bending low. Soon the soft down-plumes began to
wave as though blown by the breath of some small creature; backward
and forward, northward and southward they swayed, as if in time to the
breath of one resting.
"Ha! 'tis the breath of my maidens in Summerland!" quoth Paíyatuma,
"for the plume of the southland sways, soft though, to their gentle
breathing. Lo! thus it is and thus shall it ever be when I set the
down of my mists on the plains, and scatter my bright beads in the
northland; summer shall go thither from afar, borne on the breaths
of the Seed maidens, and where they breathe, warmth, health, showers
and fertility shall follow with the birds of Summerland and the
butterflies, northward over the world." This he said as he uprose and
sped, by the magic of his knowledge how, all swiftly, far southward
into the countries of Summerland; yea, swiftly and all silently as
the soft breath he sought for, bearing his painted flute before him.
And when he paused as though to rest, he played on his painted flute,
and quickly butterflies and birds sought the dew of his breathings
therefrom.
Them he sent forth to seek the Maidens, following swiftly, and long ere
he found them he greeted them, with the music of his song-sound, as the
People of Seed now greet them in the song of their dances.
THE FINDING OF THE MAIDENS OF CORN IN SUMMERLAND.
And when the Maidens heard his music and saw his tall form advancing
through their great fields of ready quickened corn, they plucked ears
thereof, each of her kind, and with them filled their colored trays and
over all spread broidered mantles--broidered in all bright colors and
with the creature-signs of Summerland. From eldest to youngest they
sallied forth to meet and to welcome him, still in their great fields
of corn! Then he greeted them, each with the touch of his hands and the
breath of his flute, and bade them prepare to follow him erewhile to
the northland home of their deserted children.
THE RETURN OF THE MAIDENS OF CORN WITH PAÍYATUMA.
Lo! when the time had come, by the magic of their knowledge how, they
lightened themselves of all weariableness or lingerfulness, and in
their foster-father's lead, his swift lead, sped back as the stars
speed over the world at night time toward the home of our ancients. Yet
at night and dawn only journeyed they, as the dead do and the stars
also. Thus journeying and resting by the way, that the appointed days
might be numbered, they came at evening in the full of the last moon to
the place of the Middle, bearing as at first their trays of seed, each
her own kind.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE PERFECTED SEED TO THE FATHERS OF MEN, AND THE
PASSING OF THE MAIDENS OF SEED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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