The Religious Life of the Zuñi ChildStevenson, Matilda Coxe
Religion
The Religious Life of the Zuñi Child
Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
Indian children -- North America; Zuni Indians -- Religion
Before entering upon the purely mythologic phases of Zuñi child life
I will present a brief sketch of some of the Zuñi beliefs. There are
thirteen secret orders in Zuñi, in many of which women and children
are conspicuous, besides the purely mythologic order of the Kōk-kō.
All boys are initiated into this order, while but few girls enter
it. It is optional with a girl; she must never marry if she joins the
Kōk-kō, and she is not requested to enter this order until she has
arrived at such age as to fully understand its grave responsibilities
and requirements.
Let us follow the Zuñi tradition of the ancient time, when these
people first came to this world. In journeying hither they passed
through four worlds, all in the interior of this, the passageway
from darkness into light being through a large reed. From the inner
world they were led by the two little war gods āh-ai-ū-ta and
Mā-ā-sē-we, twin brothers, sons of the Sun, who were sent by the
Sun to bring these people to his presence. They reached this world in
early morning, and seeing the morning star they rejoiced and said to
the war gods: "We see your father, of whom you have told us." "No,"
said the gods, "this is the warrior who comes before our father;"
and when the sun arose the people fell upon the earth and bowed their
heads in fear. All their traditions point to the distant land of their
appearance in this world as being in the far northwest; from, there
they were accompanied by āh-ai-ū-ta and Mā-ā-sē-we. These little
gods occupy important positions in Zuñi myth and legend. After long
journeying, it was decided that the Priest Doctor (Kā wi-mō sa)
should send his son and his daughter in advance to discover some
favorable spot upon which to build a village. The youth and the maiden
finally ascended a peak from, which to have an extended view of the
country. "Rest here, my sister, for you are tired," said the youth,
"and I will go alone." From fatigue, the girl soon sank into a
slumber, and when the youth returned, he was impressed with the
surpassing loveliness of his sister. They remained for a time on
this mountain, and at their union they were transformed--the youth
into a hideous looking creature, the Kō-yē-mē-shi (Plate XX); the
maiden into a being with snow white hair, the Kō-mō-kĕt-si. The
[t]Kō-thlā-ma (hermaphrodite) is the offspring of this unnatural
union. The youth said to his sister, "We are no longer like our
people; we will therefore make this mountain our home. But it is not
well for us to be alone; wait here and I will go and prepare a place
for our others." Descending the mountain, he swept his foot through
the sands in the plains below, and immediately a river flowed and
a lake appeared, and in the depths of this lake a group of houses,
and in the center of this group a religious assembly house, or kiva,
provided with many windows, through which those not privileged to
enter the kiva might view the dance within. After he performed this
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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