Zuñi Fetiches: Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-1881, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1883, pages 3-45Cushing, Frank Hamilton
Religion
Zuñi Fetiches: Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-1881, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1883, pages 3-45
Men began their journey from the Red River, and the Kâ′-kâ still
lived, as it does now, at Kó-thlu-ël-lon-ne, when the wonderful Snail
People (not snails, as may be inferred, but a tribe of that name), who
lived in the "Place of the Snails" (K'iá-ma-k'ia-kwïn), far south of
where Zuñi now is, caused, by means of their magic power, all the game
animals in the whole world round about to gather together in the great
forked cañon-valley under their town, and there to be hidden.
The walls of this cañon were high and insurmountable, and the whole
valley although large was filled full of the game animals, so that their
feet rumbled and rattled together like the sound of distant thunder, and
their horns crackled like the sound of a storm in a dry forest. All
round about the cañon these passing wonderful Snail People made a road
(line) of magic medicine and sacred meal, which road, even as a corral,
no game animal, even though great Elk or strong Buck Deer, could pass.
Now, it rained many days, and thus the tracks of all these animals
tending thither were washed away. Nowhere could the Kâ′-kâ or the
children of men, although they hunted day after day over the plains and
mountains, on the mesas and along the cañon-valleys, find prey or trace
of prey.
Thus it happened that after many days they grew hungry, almost famished.
Even the great strong Shá'-la-k'o and the swift Sá-la-mo-pi-a walked
zigzag in their trails, from the weakness of hunger. At first the mighty
Kâ′-kâ and men alike were compelled to eat the bones they had before
cast away, and at last to devour the soles of their moccasins and even
the deer-tail ornaments of their dresses for want of the flesh of
K'iap-in-á-hâ-i, Game animals.
Still, day after day, though weak and disheartened, men and the
Kâ′-kâ sought game in the mountains. At last a great Elk was given
liberty. His sides shook with tallow, his dewlap hung like a bag, so
fleshy was it, his horns spread out like branches of a dead tree, and
his crackling hoofs cut the sands and even the rocks as he ran westward.
He circled far off toward the Red River, passed through the Round
Valley, and into the northern cañons. The Shá'-la-k'o was out hunting.
He espied the deep tracks of the elk and fleetly followed him. Passing
swift and strong was he, though weak from hunger, and ere long he came
in sight of the great Elk. The sight gladdened and strengthened him; but
alas! the Elk kept his distance as he turned again toward the
hiding-place of his brother animals. On and on the Sha'-la-k'o followed
him, until he came to the edge of a great cañon, and peering over the
brink discovered the hiding-place of all the game animals of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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