The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
The Dĭgí̆n made their homes near Chóĭli, close to the place of emergence.
It was there that all ceremonies took place. From their homes the people
saw a dark Cloud settle and cover the top of Chóĭli. For four days it kept
lowering until the mountain was completely shrouded in dark blue fog. They
did not know whether it portended good or evil, but realized that
something of moment was at hand. Ástsĕ Hástĭn ascended the mountain
through the fog to learn what it meant, but found nothing unusual. As he
turned to descend, a faint, apparently distant cry reached his ears, but
he paid no heed. Ere long the same sound came to him again; then a third
and a fourth time, whereupon he turned and walked in the direction whence
it came. On the eastern slope he found a tiny baby, and wrapping it in
rays of sunbeams he carried it home to his wife.
The Cloud that descended was a portion of the sky which had come to meet
the Earth; from the union of the two Yólkai Ĕstsán, White-Shell Woman, was
born. In twelve days the baby had grown to maturity, subsisting on pollen
only. Ástsĕ Hástĭn and Ástsĕ Ĕstsán sent messengers to all the Dĭgín to
tell them of the marvel and to summon them to a ceremony which would be
held four days later. Word was sent also to the gods on the four sacred
mountains.
Ástsĕ Ĕstsán dressed Yólkai Ĕstsán in fine garments ornamented with
beautiful jewels. At the western side of her hogán she placed a sacred
deerskin and laid upon it several wool and cotton blankets, covering the
whole with a mountain-lion skin. These were arranged as the seat of honor
for White-Shell Woman, for whom was about to be held a ceremony
celebrating her maturity.
On the appointed day all assembled. The first matter to decide was the
number of songs to be sung. Some wished fourteen, others thought twelve
sufficient. Hasché̆ltĭ, Talking God, sang the songs and chose to sing
fourteen. When he had finished, each of the Holy People sang six songs,
making in all two hundred and eighty-two. An entire night was thus
consumed. At dawn Ástsĕ Ĕstsán came into the hogán with a white-shell bowl
containing yucca root, a black _tózŭs_, or water bottle, containing black
rain, and a blue one with blue rain. From each bottle she poured a little
water upon the yucca root and proceeded to wash Yólkai Ĕstsán and all her
finery. That done, Yólkai Ĕstsán was directed to run toward the rising sun
for a short distance and return. Many of the young people followed, a
chosen singer chanting eight songs during their absence. The ceremony
finished, the assemblage returned to their homes, each of the selected
singers taking one of the blankets from the seat in return for his
services.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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