The Sia: (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
History
The Sia: (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))
Stevenson, Matilda Coxe
Zia Indians
a bunch of corn husks, he handed them to the man who sat next to him,
who was careful to manipulate them under his blanket, drawn around him.
The writer thinks that they were made into funnels, in which he placed
tiny pebbles from ant hills. The vice-ho´naaite, at the north end of
the line, left the room, and during his absence the ho´naaite, taking
a bunch of straws which lay by the bear-leg skins, divided it into
five parts, giving a portion to each one present. He reserved a share
for the absent member, who returned in a short time, bearing the sick
child in his arms, being careful to walk on the line of meal; he set
the child upon a low stool placed on the broad band of embroidery of
the blanket. (Pl. XXI) The man then handed the basket of meal
to the child, who, obeying the instructions of the vice-ho´naaite, took
a pinch and threw it toward the altar with a few words of prayer to
Ko´pĭshtaia. The vicar then returned to his seat, and the members, with
eagle plumes and straws in their left hands and rattles in their right,
began the ritual; they were nine minutes singing the first stanza,
which was sung slowly and in very low tones, and at its close each
one drew a breath from the eagle plumes and straws. The second stanza
was sung louder and faster. The monotony of the song was broken by an
occasional animal-like call, which was a request to the cougar of the
north to give them power over the angry ants. The child was afflicted
with a severe sore throat, caused by ants having entered his body when
he was in the act of micturition upon their house, and ascending they
located in his throat. After the second stanza the ho´naaite blew first
on the right side of the child, then on his back, his left side, and
his breast; the other members continuing the song to the accompaniment
of the rattle. When he took his seat, the ti´ämoni and the man who sat
next to him each drew a breath from their eagle plumes and straws, and
dipping them into the medicine water, each one extended his plumes
to the child, who drew a breath from them. The two men then resumed
their seats. The ho´naaite, again dipping his plumes in the medicine
water, passed the ends through the ti´ämoni’s mouth, and afterwards
through the mouth of each member, the plumes being dipped each time
into the bowl of medicine water. The men were occupied a few moments
in drawing something from several of the bear-leg skins. All except
the ho´naaite gathered around the altar, dancing and gesticulating in
excessive excitement and blowing upon the whistles suspended from their
necklaces. They constantly dipped their eagle plumes into the medicine
water, throwing their arms vehemently about, sprinkling the altar and
touching the animal fetiches with their plumes, and then placing the
plumes to the mouths, absorbing from them the sacred breath of the
animal. The ho´naaite with bowed head continued his invocations to the
cougar of the north, seemingly unconscious of all that was going on
about him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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