{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16932/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16932","id":"gutenberg_16932","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16932","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Archaeology & Anthropology","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Indian children -- North America","Native America","Zuni Indians -- Religion"],"text":"Produced by Carlo Traverso, William Flis, and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net, from\nimages generously made available by the Biblioth\u00e8que\nNationale de France at http://gallica.bnf.fr.\n\n\n\n\n\n  Transcriber's Note:\n  [)x] represents any letter \"x\" with a superior breve.\n  [=x] represents any letter \"x\" with a superior macron.\n  [t] represents a raised (superscript) \"t\"\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION--BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTHE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE ZU\u00d1I CHILD.\n\nBY\n\nMRS. TILLY E. STEVENSON.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n                                                    Page.\n\n  Brief account of Zu\u00f1i mythology................... 539\n\n  Birth customs..................................... 545\n\n  Involuntary initiation into the K[=o]k-k[=o]...... 547\n\n  Voluntary initiation into the K[=o]k-k[=o]........ 553\n\n\n\n\nILLUSTRATIONS.\n\n\n  PLATE                                             Page.\n\n     XX. Zu\u00f1i masks and K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi....... 545\n\n    XXI. Group of S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya masks........ 548\n\n   XXII. Zu\u00f1i sand altar in Kiva of the North....... 550\n\n  XXIII. [=O]h-h[=e]-i-que, Kiva of the East........ 552\n\n    Page.\n\n\n\n\nTHE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE ZU\u00d1I CHILD.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nBY MRS. TILLY E. STEVENSON.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nBRIEF ACCOUNT OF ZU\u00d1I MYTHOLOGY.\n\n\nThe Pueblo of Zu\u00f1i is situated in Western New Mexico on the Rio Zu\u00f1i,\na tributary of the Little Colorado River. The Zu\u00f1i have resided\nin this region for several centuries. The peculiar geologic and\ngeographic character of the country surrounding them, as well as its\naridity, furnishes ample sources from which a barbarous people would\nderive legendary and mythologic history. A brief reference to these\nfeatures is necessary to understand more fully the religious phases of\nZu\u00f1i child life.\n\nThree miles east of the Pueblo of Zu\u00f1i is a conspicuously beautiful\nmesa, of red and white sandstone, t[=o]-w[=a]-y\u00e4l l\u00e4n-ne (corn\nmountain). Upon this mesa are the remains of the old village of Zu\u00f1i.\nThe Zu\u00f1i lived during a long period on this mesa, and it was here that\nCoronado found them in the sixteenth century. Tradition tells that\nthey were driven by a great flood from the site they now occupy, which\nis in the valley below the mesa, and that they resorted to the mesa\nfor protection from the rising waters. The waters rose to the very\nsummit of the mesa, and to appease the aggressive element a human\nsacrifice was necessary. A youth and a maiden, son and daughter of two\npriests, were thrown into this ocean. Two great pinnacles, which have\nbeen carved from the main mesa by weathering influences, are looked\nupon by the Zu\u00f1i as the actual youth and maiden converted into stone,\nand are appealed to as \"father\" and \"mother.\" Many of the Zu\u00f1i legends\nand superstitions are associated with this mesa, while over its summit\nare spread the extensive ruins of the long ago deserted village.\nThere are in many localities, around its precipitous sides and walls,\nshrines and groups of sacred objects which are constantly resorted\nto by different orders of the tribe. Some of the most interesting of\nthese are the most inaccessible. When easy of approach they are in\nsuch secluded spots that a stranger might pass without dreaming of\nthe treasures within his reach. On the western side of this mesa\nare several especially interesting shrines. About half way up the\nacclivity on the west side an overhanging rock forms the base of one\nof the pinnacles referred to. This rock is literally honeycombed\nwith holes, from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. I\nvisited the spot in the fall of 1884, with Professors E.B. Tylor and\nH.N. Moseley, of Oxford, England, and Mr. G.K. Gilbert, of the United\nStates Geological Survey. These gentlemen could not determine whether\nthe tiny excavations were originally made by human hands or by some\nother agency. The Indian's only answer when questioned was, \"They\nbelong to the old; they were made by the gods.\" Hundreds of these holes\ncontain bits of cotton and wool from garments. In the side of this\nrock there are larger spaces, in which miniature vases, filled with\nsand, are placed. The sand is ground by rubbing stones from the same\nrock. The vases of sand, and also the fragments of wool and cotton,\nare offerings at the feet of the \"mother\" rock. Here, too, can be seen\na quantity of firewood heaped as shown in the right-hand corner of\nthe illustration. Each man and woman deposited a piece, that he or\nshe might always have plenty of wood for heat and light. Some three\nhundred feet above is another shrine, directly attached to the\n\"father\" rock, and to the white man difficult of access. Here I found\nmany offerings of plume sticks (T[=e] l[=i]k-tk[=i]-n[=a]-we).\n\nBefore entering upon the purely mythologic phases of Zu\u00f1i child life\nI will present a brief sketch of some of the Zu\u00f1i beliefs. There are\nthirteen secret orders in Zu\u00f1i, in many of which women and children\nare conspicuous, besides the purely mythologic order of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o]. All boys are initiated into this order, while but few\ngirls enter it. It is optional with a girl; she must never marry if\nshe joins the K[=o]k-k[=o], and she is not requested to enter this\norder until she has arrived at such age as to fully understand its\ngrave responsibilities and requirements.\n\nLet us follow the Zu\u00f1i tradition of the ancient time, when these\npeople first came to this world. In journeying hither they passed\nthrough four worlds, all in the interior of this, the passageway\nfrom darkness into light being through a large reed. From the inner\nworld they were led by the two little war gods [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and\nM[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we, twin brothers, sons of the Sun, who were sent by\nthe Sun to bring these people to his presence. They reached this world\nin early morning, and seeing the morning star they rejoiced and said\nto the war gods: \"We see your father, of whom you have told us.\" \"No,\"\nsaid the gods, \"this is the warrior who comes before our father;\"\nand when the sun arose the people fell upon the earth and bowed their\nheads in fear. All their traditions point to the distant land of their\nappearance in this world as being in the far northwest; from, there\nthey were accompanied by [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we.\nThese little gods occupy important positions in Zu\u00f1i myth and legend.\nAfter long journeying, it was decided that the Priest Doctor (K[=a]\nwi-m[=o] sa) should send his son and his daughter in advance to\ndiscover some favorable spot upon which to build a village. The youth\nand the maiden finally ascended a peak from, which to have an extended\nview of the country. \"Rest here, my sister, for you are tired,\" said\nthe youth, \"and I will go alone.\" From fatigue, the girl soon sank\ninto a slumber, and when the youth returned, he was impressed with the\nsurpassing loveliness of his sister. They remained for a time on this\nmountain, and at their union they were transformed--the youth into a\nhideous looking creature, the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi (Plate XX); the\nmaiden into a being with snow white hair, the K[=o]-m[=o]-k[)e]t-si.\nThe [t]K[=o]-thl[=a]-ma (hermaphrodite) is the offspring of this\nunnatural union. The youth said to his sister, \"We are no longer like\nour people; we will therefore make this mountain our home. But it\nis not well for us to be alone; wait here and I will go and prepare\na place for our others.\" Descending the mountain, he swept his foot\nthrough the sands in the plains below, and immediately a river flowed\nand a lake appeared, and in the depths of this lake a group of houses,\nand in the center of this group a religious assembly house, or kiva,\nprovided with many windows, through which those not privileged to\nenter the kiva might view the dance within. After he performed this\nmagic deed, he again joined his sister on the mountain, from which\nthey could see their people approaching. The mountain has since that\ntime borne the name of K[=o]-k[=o]k-shi--k[=o]k-shi meaning good.\n\nThe first of the [=A]h-shi-wi, or Zu\u00f1i, to cross this river were\nthe \u00c4n-shi-i-que, or Bear gens; T[=o]-w[=a]-que, Corn gens; and\n[t]Ko-[=o]h-l[=o]k-t[=a]-que, Sand Hill Crane gens. When in the\nmiddle of the river the children of these gentes were transformed into\ntortoises, frogs, snakes, ducks, and dragonflies. The children thus\ntransformed, while tightly clinging to their mother's necks, began to\nbite and pinch. The mothers, trembling with fear, let them fall into\nthe river. [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we, missing the\nchildren, inquired, \"Where are the little ones?\" The mothers replied,\n\"We were afraid and dropped them into the water.\" The war gods then\ncried out to the remainder of the people, \"Wait, wait until we speak\nwith you,\" and they told the women to be brave and cling tightly to\nthe children until they crossed the river. Obeying the gods' commands,\nthey carried the little ones over, though they were transformed just\nas the others. Upon reaching the opposite shore, they were again\nrestored to their natural forms, excepting their hands, which were\nduck-webbed. These webs were cut with [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta's stone knife\nand thus restored to perfect hands.\n\nThe mothers whose children fell into the waters were grieved and\nrefused to be comforted. The Priest Doctor was also grieved, and\nsaid, \"Alas, where have the little ones gone?\" [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta and\nM[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we replied, \"We will go and learn something of them,\"\nand upon descending into the lake they found the beautiful kiva, in\nwhich the children were assembled; but again they had been changed;\nthey were no longer reptiles, but were of a similar type to the\nK[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi and K[=o]-m[=o]-k[)e]t-si, and since that\ntime they have been worshiped as ancestral gods, bearing the name\nof K[=o]k-k[=o]; but the little war gods knew them, and addressed\nthem as \"My children,\" and they replied, \"Sit down and tell us of\nour mothers.\" When they told them that their mothers refused to be\ncomforted at their loss, they said, \"Tell our mothers we are not dead,\nbut live and sing in this beautiful place, which is the home for them\nwhen they sleep. They will wake here and be always happy. And we are\nhere to intercede with the Sun, our father, that he may give to our\npeople rain, and the fruits of the earth, and all that is good for\nthem.\" The [=A]h-shi-wi then journeyed on, led by [=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta\nand M[=a]-[=a]-s[=e]-we, to the present site of Zu\u00f1i. Many, however,\nlingered at a spring some fifteen miles west of Zu\u00f1i, and there\nestablished the village Tk[=a]p-qu[=e]-n[=a] (Hot Spring).\n\nThe K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi and K[=o]-m[=o]-k[)e]t-si passed down\nthrough the interior of the mountain into the depths of the lake, the\nwaters of everlasting happiness. In the passageway are four chambers,\nwhere the couple tarried on their way and where at the present time\nthe two priests of the K[=o]k-k[=o] rest in their journey to the\nsacred waters. So credulous are the people that the priests delude\nthem into the belief that they actually pass through the mountain to\nthe lake.\n\nHaving heard of the wonderful cave in this mountain, our little party\nvisited the place, prepared to explore it. Mr. Stevenson and Mr.\nH.L. Turner entered the fissure in the rock and squeezed through the\ncrevice for sixteen or eighteen feet to where the rock was so solid\nthat they both determined no human creature could penetrate farther.\nThey examined the place most carefully by means of an artificial\nlight. Through a small aperture stones could be thrown to a depth from\nwhich no sound returned, but excepting this solitary opening all was\nsolid, immovable rock. In this cave many plume sticks were gathered.\nNear the opening of the cave, or fissure, is a shrine to the\nK[=o]k-k[=o], which must be very old, and over and around it are\nhundreds of the plume sticks and turquoise and shell beads.\n\nI would mention here a little incident illustrative of the\nsuperstitious dread these Indians entertain of violating the priestly\ncommands. We found it very difficult to persuade an old Zu\u00f1i guide,\nwho had visited the sacred salt lake, the mountain of the war gods,\nand other places of interest with us (to these he had gone by special\npermission of the High Priest), to accompany us to the spirit lake and\nthe mountain of the K[=o]k-k[=o]. Our persuasive powers were almost\nexhausted ere we could induce him to guide us to them, but having\nconsented he was willing to go even if he should be punished by death.\nHe was a man renowned for bravery, but he was so overcome by his\nsuperstitious fears that his voice sank to a whisper and finally\nbecame scarcely audible. The morning of the day on which we reached\nthis place, the old man, who had been riding by my side, ahead of the\nrest of the party, suddenly halted and said in a half-angry voice,\n\"Why do I go ahead? I am not the chief of this party. Those who belong\nat the head must go to the head.\" And he would not move until Mr.\nStevenson and I went in advance. By this change he sought to transfer\nthe responsibility to us. Finally he rode up to us and said in a\nwhisper, \"We will camp here.\" The whole expression of the old man's\nface was that of ghastly terror. I was much annoyed, for I thought\nthat, at the eleventh hour, his fear had overcome his desire to\ngratify us. Just then a Mexican lad on horseback approached; we were\nall mounted. I asked the lad, \"Is there a lake near by?\" He replied,\n\"Yes, a half a mile off.\" The old Indian said, speaking in a whisper,\n\"And you have seen it?\" \"Yes.\" \"And you were not afraid?\" \"No; why\nafraid?\" \"And you looked into the waters and you did not die!\" With a\nlook of bewilderment the youth rode off. I signaled to the old man to\naccompany us to the lake. \"No, no; I would only die, and you must not\ngo or you will die.\" \"No,\" said I, \"we will not die if our hearts are\ngood, and if you will not go it is because your heart is not good and\nyou are afraid.\"\n\nWe found the lake so surrounded by marshes that we could not get\nwithin an eighth of a mile of the waters. One of our party attempted\nto reach it on foot, but could get very little nearer. We made a\ncircuit of the lake along the slightly elevated ground and could\ndistinctly see it.\n\nOn completing the circle a striking picture met our eyes. Boldly\noutlined by the setting sun stood the old man, his hair blown by the\nevening breeze, for he had bared his head of the usual kerchief worn\naround it, and, with his hand holding the sacred meal extended toward\nthe glorious sunset, he stood repeating a prayer. We halted, and he\ncontinued his prayer, wholly unconscious of our presence; as he turned\nwe surprised him. I extended my hand and said, \"Now I am happy, for\nyou are again brave and strong.\" \"Yes,\" said he, \"my heart is glad. I\nhave looked into the waters of my departed people. I am alive, but I\nmay die; if I die it is well; my heart is glad.\" From that moment the\ngloom was gone and he was bright and happy. We could not induce the\nold man to ascend the mountain of the K[=o]k-k[=o] with us, as none go\nthere except certain priests; but the lake is visited by those who are\ndesignated by these priests.\n\nSeveral days were consumed by us in exploring this immediate vicinity.\nOn breaking camp, our old Indian guide seemed determined to tarry\nbehind. I remained with him. As the party rode off he took a large\nquantity of food which he had carefully stored away behind a tree--he\nhaving observed an almost absolute fast in order to make a large\noffering to the spirits of the departed--and heaped this food upon\nthe embers of the camp fire, by the side of which he stood for a long\ntime, supplicating in a most solemn manner the spirits of the departed\nto receive his offering.\n\nCertain men are selected, who, with bodies nude save the loin skirt\nand with bare feet, walk from Zu\u00f1i to the lake, a distance of 45\nmiles, exposed to the scorching rays of the summer sun, to deposit\nplume sticks and pray for rain. If the hearts of those sent be pure\nand good, the clouds will gather and rain will fall, but if evil be in\ntheir hearts no rain will fall during the journey and they return with\nparched lips and blistered skin. The K[=o]k-k[=o] repeat the prayers\nfor rain with their intercessions to the Y\u00e4-t[=o]-tka, the Sun, and\nby them the plume sticks are sent to the same great god. So constantly\nare the lesser gods employed in offering plumes to the great god\nthat at night the sacred road (the Galaxy) can be seen filled with\nfeathers, though by day they are invisible. They believe that the soul\nor essence of the plumes travels over this road, just as the soul from\nthe body travels from Zu\u00f1i to the spirit lake, and in their offerings\nof food the food itself is not received by the gods, but the spiritual\nessence of the food.\n\nOne of the most important characters in Zu\u00f1i mythology, the K\u00e4k-l[=o],\nfinding himself alone in the far Northwest, saw many roads, but could\nnot tell which one led to his people, and he wept bitterly. The tear\nmarks are still to be seen on the K\u00e4k-l[=o]'s face. A duck, hearing\nsome one's cries, appeared and inquired the cause of the trouble. \"I\nwish to go to my people, but the roads are many, and I do not know the\nright one.\" The sagacious duck replied, \"I know all roads, and I will\nlead you to your people.\" Having led the K\u00e4k-l[=o] to the spirit lake,\nhe said, \"Here is the home of the K[=o]k-k[=o]; I will guide you\nto the kiva and open for you the door.\" After entering the kiva the\nK\u00e4k-l[=o] viewed all those assembled and said, \"Let me see; are all my\npeople here? No; the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si (plumed serpent) is not\nhere; he must come,\" and two of the K[=o]k-k[=o] (the Soot-[=i]ke)\nwere dispatched for him. This curious creature is the mythical plumed\nserpent whose home is in a hot spring not distant from the village of\nTk[=a]p-qu[=e]-n[=a], and at all times his voice is to be heard in the\ndepths of this boiling water.\n\nIn the days of the old, a young maiden, strolling along, saw a\nbeautiful little baby boy bathing in the waters of this spring; she\nwas so pleased with his beauty that she took him home and told her\nmother that she had found a lovely little boy. The mother's heart told\nher it was not a child really, and so she said to the daughter; but\nthe daughter insisted that she would keep the baby for her own. She\nwrapped it carefully in cotton cloth and went to sleep with it in her\narms. In the morning, the mother, wondering at her daughter's absence,\nsent a second daughter to call her. Upon entering the room where the\ngirl had gone to sleep she was found with a great serpent coiled round\nand round her body. The parents were summoned, and they said, \"This is\nsome god, my daughter; you must take him back to his waters,\" and the\nmaiden followed the serpent to the hot spring, sprinkling him all the\nwhile with sacred meal. Upon reaching the spring the serpent\nentered it, the maiden following, and she became the wife of the\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si.\n\nThe K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si soon appeared with the two Soot-[=i]ke\nwho had been dispatched for him. They did not travel upon the earth,\nbut by the underground waters that pass from the spring to the spirit\nlake. Upon the arrival of the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si, the K\u00e4k-l[=o]\nissued to this assemblage his commands, for he is the great father\nof the K[=o]k-k[=o]. Those who were to go to the North, West, South,\nEast, to the Heavens, and to the Earth to procure cereals for the\n[=A]h-shi-wi he designated as the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya. Previous to\nthis time the [=A]h-shi-wi had subsisted on seeds of a grass. \"When\nthe seeds are gathered,\" he said, addressing the serpent, \"you will\ncarry them with water to the [=A]h-shi-wi and tell them what to\ndo with the seeds. I will go in advance and prepare them for your\ncoming.\" \"But,\" said his people, \"you are our father; you must not\nwalk,\" and the ten K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi accompanied him, carrying\nhim on their backs, relieving each other when fatigued. The\nK\u00e4k-l[=o] visited the [=A]h-shi-wi nine days in advance of the\nS\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya and K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si, instructing the\npeople regarding the K[=o]k-k[=o], how they must represent them in the\nfuture and hold their ceremonials, and telling them that the boys must\nbe made members of the K[=o]k-k[=o], and that this particular ceremony\nmust occur but once in four years. He also gave to the people the\nhistory of himself, how the duck had befriended him and led him to the\nhome of his people.\n\n\n\n\nBIRTH CUSTOMS.\n\n\nHaving now briefly sketched the mythology relating to the ceremonials\nto be described, I invite your attention to the main subject of the\npresent paper: the Religious Life of the Zu\u00f1i Child.\n\nFirst we will notice the birth customs.\n\nZu\u00f1i child life may be divided into two parts. One I will call the\npractical or domestic; the other, the mythologic or religious. The\nformer is fairly exemplified in the habits, customs, games, and\nexperiences of our own domestic child life. The other is essentially\ndifferent; in it are involved the ceremonials, legends, and myths\nwhich surround the Zu\u00f1i child from its birth.\n\nPrevious to the birth of a child, if a daughter be desired, the\nhusband and wife proceed together to the \"mother\" rock, and at her\nfeet make offerings and prayers, imploring her to intercede with\nthe great father, the Sun, to give to them a daughter, and that this\ndaughter may grow to be all that is good in woman; that she may be\nendowed with the power of weaving beautifully and may be skilled in\nthe potter's art. Should a son be desired, the couple repair to the\nshrine above, and here, at the breast and heart of the \"father\" rock,\nprayers and plume sticks are offered that a son may be given them, and\nthat he may have power to conquer his enemies, and that he may become\ndistinguished in the K[=o]k-k[=o] and other orders, and have power\nover the field to produce abundant crops. In both cases the sacred\nmeal is sprinkled, and, should the prayer not be answered, there is\nno doubt that the heart of one or the other was not earnest when the\nprayer was offered.\n\nThe Zu\u00f1i child is born amid ceremony. At its birth only the maternal\ngrandmother and two female doctors are present. After the birth of the\nchild, the paternal grandmother enters, bearing as offerings to the\nnew born babe a large pottery bowl and inside of it a tiny blanket.\nShe then prepares warm suds of yucca root in the bowl, in which she\nbathes the infant, at the same time repeating a prayer of thanks for\nthe life that has been given them and praying for the future of the\nchild. She then rubs the entire body of the child, except the head,\nwith warm ashes held in the palm of the hand and moistened with water.\nThis process is repeated every morning during infancy and the same\npaste is put upon the face of the child until it is several years\nold. I would remark that this paste is seldom noticed upon the older\nchildren because it is put on in the morning and drying soon is\nbrushed off by the child. It is asserted by the Zu\u00f1i that in four days\nafter the birth of a child the first skin is removed by exfoliation\nand is supplanted by a new one. After applying the ashes, the paternal\ngrandmother places the infant in the arms of the maternal grandparent,\nwho performs other offices for the little one and wraps it in a piece\nof cotton cloth. The paternal grandmother prepares a bed of warm sand\nby the right side of the mother (leaving a cool spot for the child's\nhead); she then receives the infant and lays it upon its bed, and over\nit she arranges the little blanket which she brought; she then places\nupon the sand and at the right side of the child an ear of white\ncorn; if the child be a girl, the mother, or a three-plumule, corn is\nselected; if a boy, the father, or single ear, corn. The fourth day\nafter the birth the child is again bathed in the yucca root suds by\nthe same grandmother, who again repeats a long prayer. During the\nfirst ten days of the child's life the paternal grandmother remains in\nthe daughter-in-law's house, looking after the mother and helping in\nthe preparation of the feast that is to occur. On the morning of the\ntenth day the child is taken from its bed of sand, to which it is\nnever to return, and upon the left arm of the paternal grandmother it\nis carried for the first time into the presence of the rising sun. To\nthe breast of the child the grandmother carrying it presses the ear of\ncorn which lay by its side during the ten days; to her left the mother\nof the infant walks, carrying in her left hand the ear of corn which\nlay by her side. Both women sprinkle a line of sacred meal, emblematic\nof the straight road which the child must follow to win the favor of\nits gods. Thus the first object which the child is made to behold at\nthe very dawn of its existence is the sun, the great object of their\nworship; and long ere the little lips can lisp a prayer it is repeated\nfor it by the grandmother.\n\nThe Zu\u00f1i are polytheists; yet, while they have a plurality of gods,\nmany of whom are the spirits of their ancestors, these gods are but\nmediums through which to reach their one great father of all--the Sun.\n\n[Plate XX: ZU\u00d1I MASKS AND K[=O]-Y[=E]-M[=E]-SHI.\n\n2 P[=A]-OO-T[=I]-WA. 1 K[=O]-Y[=E]-M[=E]-SHI. 3 SAI-[=A]-HLI-A.]\n\nReturning to the house, the paternal grandmother again bathes the\nchild in yucca suds; then, for the first time, the little one is put\ninto the cradle. The baby's arms are placed straight by its sides, and\nin this position it is so strapped in its cradle that it cannot even\nmove a hand. These cradles have hood-shaped tops, and over the whole\nthick coverings are placed, so that the wonder is the child does not\nsmother. The cradle is usually deposited in some safe corner, and the\nbaby is left to sleep or amuse itself with its infantine thoughts. The\ncradle is sometimes attached to two ropes to form a swing, and when\nthe mother becomes conscious of the child's awakening she uncovers its\nhead at times and the tiny thing casts its eyes around. On the tenth\nmorning both parents of the child are bathed in suds of yucca, the\nwhole body of the mother but only the head of the father. This office\nis also performed by the paternal grandmother. The immediate blood\nrelations (female only) then assemble at the infant's home; that is,\nall the household of the father's house and those of the mother's\nhouse. Each woman from the father's house brings to the baby a gift of\na little blanket. This select gathering partakes of a feast, which is\npresided over by the maternal grandmother. At the close of the feast\nthe infant is carried by the oldest sister of the father to the\npaternal grandmother's house, where it is presented to the paternal\ngrandfather, who prays to the Sun (Y\u00e4-t[=o] tka) to send down\nblessings upon the child.\n\n\n\n\nINVOLUNTARY INITIATION INTO THE K[=O]K-K[=O].\n\n\nThe present ceremonials are in direct obedience to the orders and\ninstructions given at the time of the appearance of the K[=o]k-k[=o]\nupon the earth, and their masks are counterparts of the original or\nspiritual K[=o]k-k[=o] (Plate XX). The K\u00e4k-l[=o] rides, as of old,\nupon the backs of the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi, and he is the heralder\nfor the coming of the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si. Arriving at the\nvillage in the morning, he divides his time between the kivas, there\nbeing six of these religious houses in Zu\u00f1i, one for each of the\ncardinal points, one for the zenith, and one for the nadir. In each\nof these kivas he issues to the people assembled the commands of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o] and gives the history of the K\u00e4k-l[=o] and the gathering\nof the cereals of the earth by the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya. At sunrise he\nis gone. The morning after the arrival of the K\u00e4k-l[=o], those who are\nto represent the K[=o]k-k[=o] prepare plume sticks, and in the middle\nof the same day these are planted in the earth. The same night they\nrepair to their respective kivas, where they spend the following eight\nnights, not looking upon the face of a woman during that period. Each\nnight is spent in smoking and talking and rehearsing for the coming\nceremony. The second day all go for wood, bringing it home on their\nbacks, for so the ancients did when beasts of burden were unknown to\nthem. The third day is also spent in gathering wood, and the fourth\nday likewise. On the same day the ten men who are to personate the\nK[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi, in company with the [t]S[=i]-[t]s[=i]-[t]ki\n(great-grandfather of the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi), pass through the\nvillage, inquiring for the boys who are to be initiated; before such\nhouses as have boys ready for this ceremonial these men assemble;\none of them enters the house and, greeting the mother of the boy with\n\"Good morning,\" inquires the name of her son. She replies: \"He has no\nname,\" and requests the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi to give him one. The\nman then joins the group, repeating the words of the woman. In passing\nfrom the kiva through the village the Indian screens his face with\na blanket, so as not to see the women as he passes. On the fifth\nday they go on a rabbit hunt, the capture of but one rabbit being\nnecessary. The rabbit is carried to the He-i-i-que (or Kiva of the\nNorth) by the [t]S[=i]-[t]S[=i] [t]ki, who, after skinning the\nrabbit, fills the skin with cedar bark; a pinch of meal is placed for\nthe heart and the eye sockets are filled with mica; a hollow reed\nis passed through the inside filling to the mouth. The sixth day\nthe inmates of the kivas again go for wood; the seventh day large\nT[=e]-l[=i]k-tk[=i]-n[=a]-we are made of eagle plumes; the eighth day\nis consumed in decorating the masks to be worn. As these people have\nnot the art of mixing their pigments so as to be permanent, masks and\naltars have to be freshly decorated before using; and, when the masks\nare completely decorated, they, with the other paraphernalia, are\ncarried on the same day by the men and youths who have to wear them to\nsome secluded nooks among the rocks, a distance from the town, where\nthey put them on, returning to the village by early moonlight.\n\nThe impressive ceremonial of initiating the youth into the order\nof the K[=o]k-k[=o] occurs but once in four years. No male child\nabove the age of four years may, after death, enter the Kiva of\nthe K[=o]k-k[=o] unless he has received the sacred breath of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o]. Those who personate the K[=o]k-k[=o] are endowed for the\ntime being with their actual breath. Besides the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya\nof the North, West, South, East, Heavens, and Earth, and a\nnumber of younger brothers who appear on this occasion, there\nare P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa (Plate XX), father of the Sun, ten\nK[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi, and the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si.\n\nThe S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North wear yellow (hl[=u]p-si-na)\nmasks; those from the West, blue (hli-\u00e4n-na); those from the South,\nred (shi-l[=o]-[=a]); those from the East, white (k[=o]-h[=a]n); those\nfrom the Heavens, all colors ([=I]-t[=o]-p[=o]-n\u00e4n-ni); those from\nthe Earth, black (quin-n[=a]). (Plate XXI.) These colors represent the\ncardinal points, the zenith, and the nadir:\n\n  North.       Yellow.       Hl[=u]p-si-na.\n  West.        Blue.         Hli-\u00e4n-na.\n  South.       Red.          Shi-l[=o]-[=a].\n  East.        White.        K[=o]-h[=a]n.\n  Heavens.     All colors.   [=I]-t[=o]-p[=o]-n\u00e4n-ni.\n  Earth.       Black.        Quin-n[=a].\n\n[Plate XXI: GROUP OF S\u00c4-L\u00c4-M[=O]-B[=I]-YA MASKS.\n\n1 NORTH. 2 WEST. 3 SOUTH. 4 EAST. 5 HEAVENS. 6 EARTH.]\n\nThey come after sundown to the village. The serpent, made of hide, is\nabout twelve feet long and eighteen inches through the thickest part\nof the body. The abdomen is painted white, the back black, covered\nwith white stars, which are represented by a kind of semicircle,\nan entirely conventional design. The neck rests through a finely\ndecorated kind of altar carried by the two Soot-[=i]ke. The tail end\nof the fetich is held by the priest of the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si,\nwho constantly blows through a large shell, which he carries in the\nright hand, holding the serpent with the left. The K[=o]k-k[=o] pass\nthrough the town and visit each kiva; they put the head of the serpent\nthrough the hatchway, that those who are privileged to assemble in the\nkivas may see the fetich. The K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si is then taken\nto the Kiva of the Earth, H[=e]-tk[=a]-pa-que. The walls of this kiva\nare decorated with two K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si, which extend almost\naround the entire walls of the room, the heads nearly meeting at the\nnorth end of the room. The fetich is placed between the heads. The\nothers of the K[=o]k-k[=o] repair to their respective kivas, the\nH[=e]-i-i-que or Kiva of the North, the Moo-h[=e]-i-que or Kiva of the\nWest, the Choo-p[=a]-\u00e4-que or Kiva of the South, the [=O]h-h[=e]-i-que\nor Kiva of the East, and the Oop-ts[=a]n-[=a]-[=a]-que or Kiva\nof the Heavens. From each of these kivas men and youths from the\nsecret orders to which I have referred are assembled to receive the\nK[=o]k-k[=o]. When all the K[=o]k-k[=o] have gone to their kivas, the\nten K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi, who reach the village after the others, go\nto their house, which is not one of the sacred assembly houses, but\nchosen from among the S[=u]s-ki-i-que, or people of the Wolf gens.\n\nThe K[=o]k-k[=o] sing and dance in their own kivas, then change about,\nthose of the North passing to the West and those of the West going to\nthe South, and so on. This is continuous until the first white streak\nwarns them that day is approaching. At this time the head of the\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si is put through the opening in the side\nwall of the kiva, when all who choose may look upon it. Behind this\ncreature the old priest stands and blows through the body, making the\nsame peculiar noise, representing the roaring of a sea monster, that\nhe has kept up throughout the night. The image is only seen by the\nuncertain light of the faintest impression of day. P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa\nremains with the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si in the Kiva of the Earth.\nAt sunrise the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya go to this kiva, each bearing\nthe plume stick made on the sixth day and an ear of corn. The\nS\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North first advances to the priest of the\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si and, presenting him with the plumes and ear\nof yellow corn, prays that the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si will give to\nhis people the seeds of the earth; the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the\nWest next approaches, presenting his wand and an ear of blue corn,\npraying that the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si will bring to his people\nthe seeds of the earth; and so the red corn of the South, the white\nof the East, the all-color of the Heavens and the black of the Earth\nare presented with the same prayer. The S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya remove\ntheir masks after entering the kiva, when they immediately lose their\nidentity as the K[=o]k-k[=o]. They are merely men now, praying to\nthe K[=o]k-k[=o]. This ceremony over, they return to their respective\nkivas, having put on their masks before leaving the Kiva of the Earth.\n\nAt this time the [t]S[=i]-[t]s[=i]-[t]ki partially ascends the ladder\nof the Kiva of the North, remaining just inside of the hatchway,\nand, holding the rabbit to his mouth, calls through the reed: \"Your\nlittle grandfather is hungry; he wishes something to eat; bring\nhim some stewed meat.\" The K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi, in obedience\nto the request of the little grandfather, go to the homes of the\nchildren to be initiated, calling for food. At the same time the\nK[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi give to each novitiate his name. Previous to\nthis the boy is designated as baby boy, younger boy, older boy, &c.\nThe food is received by the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi and taken to the\nKiva of the North, where it is divided and carried to the different\nkivas. For this occasion the native beans are prepared. There is as\ngreat a variety of color in these as in the corn. The yellow beans are\ncarried to the Kiva of the North, the blue beans to the Kiva of the\nWest, the red to the Kiva of the South, the white to the Kiva of the\nEast, the all color to the Kiva of the Heavens, the black to the Kiva\nof the Earth. A sumptuous meal is now served in each of the kivas.\n\nAfter this meal the K[=o]k-k[=o] begin their bodily decorations, with\ntheir bodies almost nude. Those of the North are painted yellow; those\nof the West, blue; those of the South, red; those of the East, white;\nthose of the Heavens, all colors on the body and yellow on the neck\nand upper arms; those of the Earth, black, with some bits of color.\nThis done, the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North passes through the\nvillage and, going for a short distance to the north, deposits a\nplume stick, the stick to which the plumes are attached being painted\nyellow. The S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the West, South, and East plant\ntheir plumes at their respective cardinal points. Those for the zenith\nand nadir are planted to the west, on the road to the spirit lake, the\nstick of each one having the cardinal color decorations. This done,\nall retire to their kivas.\n\nThe S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North, returning to his kiva, drinks\nthe medicine water prepared by the priest of the great fire order\n(M[=a]-[t]ke-hl[=a]n-[=a] [=a]-que), who, with some of his people, is\nnow busy in the preparation of a sand altar. The S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya\nagain emerge from the kivas, with long bunches of Spanish bayonet in\ntheir hands, in the ends of which grains of corn of the respective\ncolors are placed and wrapped with shreds of the bayonet. Any\nman or youth desiring to raise yellow corn appeals to the\nS\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North, who strikes him a severe blow with\nhis bunch of bayonets. Similar appeals are made to those representing\nother colors. The sand altar is made in the Kiva of the North. It is\nfirst laid in the ordinary yellowish sand, in the center of which the\nbowl of medicine water is placed. Over the yellow sand a ground\nof white sand is sprinkled. All the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya and their\nbrothers are represented on the altar (Plate XXII). The altar\nis circular in form and some twelve feet in diameter. The\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si encircles the whole.\n\nThroughout the day the K[=o]k-k[=o] are running around the village\nwhipping such of the people as appeal to them for a rich harvest,\nwhile the curious performances of the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi carry one\nback to the primitive drama.\n\n[Plate XXII: ZU\u00d1I SAND ALTAR IN KIVA OF THE NORTH.]\n\nToward evening the ceremony for initiating the children begins. The\npriest of the Sun, entering the sacred plaza (or square), sprinkles a\nbroad line of sacred meal from the southeast entrance across the south\nside, thence along the western side to the Kiva of the North, and\nup the ladderway to the entrance (which is always in the roof), and\nthen passing over the housetops he goes to the Kiva of the Earth and\nsprinkles the meal upon the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si. He then precedes\nthe K[=o]k-k[=o] to the plaza and deposits a small quantity of yellow\nmeal on the white line of meal near the eastern entrance. By this spot\nthe S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North stands, south of the line of\nmeal. The priest, continuing in advance, deposits a quantity of blue\nmeal on the line a short distance from the yellow, which indicates the\nposition for the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the West. In like manner he\nindicates the position of the respective S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya with\nred meal for the South, white for the East, meal of all colors for\nthe Heavens, and black meal for the Earth. The remainder of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o] take their positions successively along the line of meal.\nThe K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi group in the plaza. The godfathers then pass\nalong the line of meal, each one holding his godchild on his back by\na blanket, which he draws tightly around him. In olden times tanned\nrobes of the buffalo were used for this purpose. As he passes the line\nof K[=o]k-k[=o] each one strikes the child with his large bunch of\nSpanish bayonets. While the Indian from almost infancy looks upon\nany exhibition of feeling when undergoing physical suffering as most\ncowardly and unmanly, the severity of the pain inflicted by the yucca\nswitches in this ceremony is at times such as to force tears from the\neyes of the little ones, but a boy over the age of five or six rarely\nflinches under this ordeal. After passing the line the godparent\nenters the Kiva of the North, where he is met by a priest of the great\nfire order, who asks, \"Who is your K[=o]k-k[=o]?\" When the godfather\nreplies, he is directed to select his boy's plume. The plumes which\nornament the heads of the figures have been previously wrapped in\ncorn husks and carried to the priest by the respective godfathers. The\ngodfather attaches the feather, which is a soft, downy feather of the\neagle, to the scalp-lock of the child. The godparent is then given a\ndrink of the holy water, which is dipped from the bowl by the medicine\nman with a shell attached to a long reed. The child also drinks and\nrepeats a prayer after his sponsor. They then leave the kiva, and,\ntaking a position on the north side of the plaza, the child kneels and\nclasps the bent knee of his godfather, who draws him still closer with\nthe blanket around him. Four new characters of the K[=o]k-k[=o] now\nappear, the Sai-[=a]-hli-a (see Plate XX). Each one of these strikes\nthe child four times across the back with his yucca blades, having\nfirst tested with his foot the thickness of the child's clothing.\nThe child must not have anything over his back but the one blanket,\nwhich is a gift from the godfather. This ceremonial over, each child\naccompanies his godparent to his home, where a choice meal is served.\n\nThe night ceremonial is conducted in two kivas, that of the South and\nthat of the East. The K[=o]k-k[=o] for this ceremony divide and enter\nthe two kivas.\n\nThe godparents sit upon the stone ledge which passes around the room,\nwhose walls are rectangular, and, spreading his knees, the boy sits\non the ledge between them. To the right of the guardian his wife sits,\nand to his left his sister. In case the wife is not present, the older\nsister sits on the right and a younger sister on the left. The father\nof the Sun (P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa) enters and sits upon the throne which\nhas been arranged for him at the west end of the room; this has a\nsacred blanket attached to the wall and one to sit upon, the whole\nprofusely ornamented with white scarfs, woven belts, and many\nnecklaces of turquoise and other precious beads. To his right and left\nsit the two young priests who prepared the throne; to the left of\nthe priest, on the left of P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa, sit the high priest and\npriestess of the Earth. The remainder of the ledge is filled with the\nboys and their friends. Nai-[=u]-chi, the living representative of\n[=A]h-ai-[=u]-ta, the war god, sits to the left of the fire altar\nas you enter and feeds the sacred flames. The S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya\nenter immediately after P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa. All these, including\nP[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa, enter head foremost; the head touches the stone\nslab over the fire, and, completing a somersault, they vault into the\nroom on all fours and in like manner pass to the right of the kiva\nand around to their places. P[=a]-oo-t[=i]-wa is followed by the\nS\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North and others in proper order and rapid\nsuccession, the hind one always hopping into the foot and hand prints\nof the former. In the two kivas mounds of sand have been laid for the\nK[=o]k-k[=o] and each one sits upon his mound. These mounds are some\neighteen inches in diameter and a foot in height (Plate XXIII). When\nall have taken their places the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North\narises and taking the wand from his mound walks to the group\nimmediately to the right of the ladder as one enters. Holding the wand\nbetween his hands, he goes to each child and blows four times upon the\nwand, at the same time extending it toward the mouth of the child, who\ndraws from it each time the sacred breath which passes from the mouth\nof the K[=o]k-k[=o] over the plumes. The [t]S[=i]-[t]s[=i]-[t]ki\ncarries the rabbit in addition to the wand, and over them he passes\nthe sacred breath of the little grandfather. The godparent covers the\neyes of the child with his hand, for the children must not look upon\nthe K[=o]k-k[=o] near by. The S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the North is\nfollowed by the S\u00e4-l\u00e4-m[=o]-b[=i]-ya of the West and others, all in\nturn going to each child; as each one completes the round he places\nhis wand in his belt, stands in the center of the kiva, and turns\na somersault over the fire, striking his head on the fire slab as\nbefore, and so leaves the kiva feet foremost.\n\n[Plate XXIII: [=O]H-H[=E]-I-QUE, KIVA OF THE EAST.]\n\nThe K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si now appears at the hatchways. He\nis brought by the priest of the K[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si and the\nSoot-[=i]ke. The high priest, the priest of the bow, and priestess\nof the earth advance to the hatchway, each holding a large\nearthen bowl, and catch the water poured from the mouth of the\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si. Each guardian then fills the small bowl\nwhich he carries with the holy water and, drinking a portion of it,\ngives the remainder to the boy to drink. The bowl which contains it\nis a gift from the godfather. The boy sprinkles the corn stacked\nin his house with this water. After the water is exhausted from\nthe large bowls a blanket is held by four men to catch the seeds\nof all the cereals which are sent up from the abdomen of the\nK[=o]-l[=o]-oo-w[)i]t-si. These are taken from the blankets by three\npriests and placed in their own blankets, which rest over the left\narm, and they, passing around, distribute the seeds to all present.\nThe sand of the fallen mounds is gathered in a blanket and deposited\nin the river, to be carried to the home of the K[=o]k-k[=o]. The boys\nnow return to their homes, accompanied by the guardian and one other\nof their attendants. In the early morning the sister of the godfather\ngoes for the boy and brings him to her house, where he enjoys a\nsumptuous breakfast. The godfather then leads the boy to the east for\nsome distance from the village, sprinkling a line of sacred meal,\nand here he says a prayer, which the boy repeats after him, and the\ngodfather, making a hole in the ground, plants a plume stick which he\nhas made for the child.\n\nFrom this time the child eats no animal food for four days. The plume\nwhich has been placed on the child's head in the kiva during the\ninitiation is not removed till the fourth morning after the planting\nof the feathers, when he again goes over the road with his guardian,\nwho deposits the plume from the child's head with a prayer, which is\nrepeated by the child.\n\nThus ends this remarkable initiation of the Zu\u00f1i male child into the\norder of the K[=o]k-k[=o]. This is really mainly done by sponsors, and\nhe must personally take the vows as soon as he is old enough.\n\n\n\n\nVOLUNTARY INITIATION INTO THE K[=O]K-K[=O].\n\n\nAfter the first initiation of a boy into this order, he is left to\ndecide for himself when he will assume the vows made for him by his\nsponsors, though the father and the godfather do not fail to impress\nupon the boy the importance of the second initiation, which occurs at\nan annual ceremonial; and when the boy has declared his determination\nto enter the order, if the K[=o]k-k[=o] upon seeing him deem him too\nyoung, he is ordered to return to his home and wait awhile till his\nheart has become more wise. For this ceremonial the godparents and\nthe boys assemble in the Kiva of the North. Each boy in turn takes his\nposition to receive his whipping, which is necessary for initiation.\nThe godfather, standing, bends his right knee, which the boy clasps,\nbowing his head low. The godfather holds the two ends of the\nblanket and buckskin tightly around the boy, while each of the four\nSai-[=a]-hli-[=a] in turn give him four strokes across the back with\na bunch of the yucca blades. Two of the K[=o]-y[=e]-m[=e]-shi stand by\nand count the strokes; the others are in the plaza outside, indulging\nin their primitive games, which excite much merriment among the large\nassemblage of people. After each boy has received the chastisement and\nall are again seated, the four Sai-[=a]-hli-[=a] pass in turn to each\nboy. Each one taking off his mask, places it over the head of the boy,\nhanding him his Spanish bayonets. The boy strikes the K[=o]k-k[=o]\nonce across each arm and once across each ankle. The K[=o]k-k[=o] does\nnot speak, but the boy is instructed by his guardian, who talks to him\nin a whisper, telling him not to be afraid, but to strike hard. The\neyes of the boys open wide as the K[=o]k-k[=o] raise their masks and\nfor the first time familiar faces are recognized. The K[=o]k-k[=o]\nleave the kiva after revealing their identity to the children, and\nrunning, around the village use their switches indiscriminately, with\na few exceptional cases. I saw a woman whipped, she taking the babe\nfrom her back and holding it in her arms. This woman requested the\nwhipping that she might be rid of the bad dreams that nightly troubled\nher. After the Sai-[=a]-hli-[=a] leave the kiva the children are\ncalled by the priest of the K[=o]k-k[=o] and told to sit in front of\nhim and the other priests, including the High Priest of Zu\u00f1i. This\naugust body sits in the kiva throughout the ceremony. The Priest of\nthe K[=o]k-k[=o] then delivers a lecture to the boys, instructing them\nin some of the secrets of the order, when they are told if they betray\nthe secrets confided to them they will be punished by death; their\nheads will be cut off with a stone knife; for so the K[=o]k-k[=o] has\nordered. They are told how the K[=o]k-k[=o] appeared upon the earth\nand instructed the people to represent them. The priest closes by\ntelling the children that in the old some boys betrayed the secret\nand told that these were not the real gods, but men personating the\nK[=o]k-k[=o], and when this reached the gods the Sai-[=a]-hli-[=a]\nappeared upon the earth and inquired for the boys. The people then\nlived upon the mesa t[=o]-w[=a]-y\u00e4l-l\u00e4n-ne. The mothers declared they\nknew not where they had fled. The K[=o]k-k[=o] stamped his feet upon\nthe rocky ground and the rocks parted, and away down in the depths of\nthe mountain he found the naughty boys. He ordered them to come to\nhim and he cut off their heads with his stone knife. This story is\nsufficient to impress the children that there is no escape for them if\nthey betray the confidence reposed in them, for the K[=o]k-k[=o] can\ncompel the rocks to part and reveal the secrets.\n\nA repast is now served to the priests and the boys and others in\nthe kiva. The food is brought by the wives and sisters of the four\nSai-[=a] hli-[=a] to the hatch way and carried in by the K[=o]k-k[=o],\nwho have returned to the kiva. The feast opens with a grace said by\nthe priest of the K[=o]k-k[=o], who immediately after collects upon\na piece of H[=e]-wi (a certain kind of bread) bits of all the food\nserved. This he rolls up and places by his side, and at the conclusion\nof the feast he carries it to a distance from, the village over the\nroad to the spirit lake and making a hole in the ground he deposits it\nas an offering to the gods. Each child goes to the godfather's house,\nwhere his head and hands are bathed in yucca suds by the mother and\nsisters of the godfather, they repeating prayers that the youth may be\ntrue to his vows, &c. The boy then returning to his own home is tested\nby his father, who says, \"You are no longer ignorant; you are no\nlonger a little child, but a young man. Were you pleased with the\nwords of the K[=o]k-k[=o]? What did the priest tell you?\" The boy does\nnot forget himself and reveal anything that was said, for the terror\noverhanging him is too great.\n\nWhen a youth is selected to personate the K[=o]k-k[=o] he is\ninstructed in regard to the decorating of the mask he is to wear. When\nthis is done he goes at night to the proper kiva and seated between\ntwo instructors he learns the song and prayers. In committing songs\nand prayers to memory the novice holds a tiny crystal between his\nthumb and forefinger for a while, then he puts it into his mouth, and\nat the conclusion of the instruction he swallows it. This insures\nthe remembrance of the prayers and songs, and he awakes the following\nmorning with them indelibly impressed upon his mind. The pupil is then\nstruck across each arm and across each ankle with the yucca blades.\n\nThere are very few women belonging to the order of the K[=o]k-k[=o].\nI think there are now only five in Zu\u00f1i. When a woman of the order\nbecomes advanced in age she endeavors to find some maiden who will\ntake upon herself the vows at her death. Selecting some young woman,\nshe appeals to her to be received into the order of the K[=o]k-k[=o].\nThe maiden replies, \"I know nothing concerning the mysteries of the\norder. You must talk to my father.\" After the father is spoken to, he\nin turn spends the night in explaining the duties of the position to\nhis daughter and that the gods would be displeased if she should marry\nafter joining the K[=o]k-k[=o]. Assuming the K[=o]k-k[=o] vows is\nentirely optional with the girl. It is never her duty, but a special\nprivilege which is rarely accepted. If she accepts she passes through\nboth ceremonials described. She chooses her godfather, who gives her\nfor the first ceremony a woman's blanket and for the second a woman's\ndress, a white blanket, a quantity of blue yarn, a woman's belt, a\nbuckskin, a sacred blanket, and the mask she is to wear. But even\nhere in Zu\u00f1i, where the people are so controlled by the priests and\nhave such a superstitious dread of disobeying the commands of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o], women have been guilty of desecrating their sacred\noffice and marrying. At present there is a woman of the order of the\nK[=o]k-k[=o] married to a Navajo. She is of course forever afterwards\ndebarred from joining in the ceremonials, but she is permitted to live\namong her people with no other punishment than their indignation.\n\n\nINDEX.\n\nGilbert, G.K., visit of, to Zu\u00f1i 540\nK\u00e4k-l[=o] of Zu\u00f1i mythology 544, 547\nKiva, the Zu\u00f1i religious house 544, 547, 549, 552\nK[=o]k-k[=o], the Zu\u00f1i order of the 540-548\n  admission of women into the 540-555\n  involuntary initiation into the 547-553\n  voluntary initiation into the 553-555\nMoseley, H.N., visit of, to Zu\u00f1i 540\nMythology, brief account of Zu\u00f1i 539-545\nPueblo of Zu\u00f1i, location of 539\nReligious life of the Zu\u00f1i child, by Mrs. Tilly E. Stevenson l-liii,\n  533-555\nStevenson, Mrs. Tilly E., on the religious life of the Zu\u00f1i child\n  l-liii, 533-555\nTurner, H.L., visit of, to Zu\u00f1i 542\nTylor, E.B., visit of, to Zu\u00f1i 540\nYucca blades in Zu\u00f1i ceremonial 550, 551, 553, 555\nZu\u00f1i, religious life of children among the, by Mrs. Tilly E. Stevenson\n  l-liii, 533-555","title":"The Religious Life of the Zu\u00f1i Child","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":9543}