Zuni Fetiches
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Frank Hamilton Cushing >> Zuni Fetiches
In the center of the great sea of each of these regions stood a very
ancient sacred place (Te-thlae-shi-na-kwin), a great mountain peak. In
the North was the Mountain Yellow, in the West the Mountain Blue, in the
South the Mountain Red, in the East the Mountain White, above the
Mountain All-color, and below the Mountain Black.
We do not fail to see in this clear reference to the natural colors of
the regions referred to--to the barren north and its auroral hues, the
west with its blue Pacific, the rosy south, the white daylight of the
east, the many hues of the clouded sky, and the black darkness of the
"caves and holes of earth." Indeed, these colors are used in the
pictographs and in all the mythic symbolism of the Zunis, to indicate
the directions or regions respectively referred to as connected with
them.
Then said Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia to the Mountain Lion (Plate II, Fig. 1),
"Long Tail, thou art stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore give I
unto thee and unto thy children forever the mastership of the gods of
prey, and the guardianship of the great Northern World (for thy coat is
of yellow), that thou guard from that quarter the coming of evil upon my
children of men, that thou receive in that quarter their messages to me,
that thou become the father in the North of the sacred medicine orders
all, that thou become a Maker of the Paths (of men's lives)."
Thither went the Mountain Lion. Then said Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia to the Bear
(Plate II, Fig. 2), "Black Bear, thou art stout of heart and strong of
will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Mountain Lion,
the guardian and master of the West, for thy coat is of the color of the
land of night," etc.
To the Badger (Plate II, Fig. 3), "Thou art stout of heart but _not_
strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Bear,
the guardian and master of the South, for thy coat is ruddy and marked
with black and white equally, the colors of the land of summer, which is
red, and stands between the day and the night, and thy homes are on the
sunny sides of the hills," etc.
To the White Wolf (Plate II, Fig. 4), "Thou art stout of heart and
strong of will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Badger,
the guardian and master of the East, for thy coat is white and gray, the
color of the day and dawn," etc.
And to the Eagle (Plate II, Fig. 5), he said: "White Cap (Bald Eagle),
thou art passing stout of heart and strong of will. Therefore make I
thee the younger brother of the Wolf, the guardian and master of the
Upper regions, for thou fliest through the skies without tiring, and thy
coat is speckled like the clouds," etc.
"Prey Mole (Plate II, Fig. 6), thou art stout of heart and strong of
will. Therefore make I thee the younger brother of the Eagle, the
guardian and master of the Lower regions, for thou burrowest through the
earth without tiring, and thy coat is of black, the color of the holes
and caves of earth," etc.
THEIR POWER AS MEDIATORS.
Thus it may be seen that all these animals are supposed to possess not
only the guardianship of the six regions, but also the mastership, not
merely geographic, but of the medicine powers, etc., which are supposed
to emanate from them; that they are the mediators between men and
Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a, and conversely, between the latter and men.
As further illustrative of this relationship it may not be amiss to add
that, aside from representing the wishes of men to Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a,
by means of the spirits of the prayer plumes, which, it is supposed, the
prey gods take into his presence, and which are, as it were, memoranda
(like _quippus_) to him and other high gods of the prayers of men, they
are also made to bear messages to men from him and his associated gods.
For instance, it is believed that any member of the medicine orders who
neglects his religious duties as such is rendered liable to punishment
(Hae[']-ti-a-k'ia-na-k'ia=reprehension) by Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a through
some one of his warriors.
As illustrative of this, the story of an adventure of Mi-tsi, an Indian
who "still lives, but limps," is told by the priests with great emphasis
to any backsliding member.
MI-TSI.
Mi-tsi was long a faithful member of the Little Fire order
(Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe), but he grew careless, neglected his sacrifices, and
resigned his rank as "Keeper of the Medicines," from mere laziness. In
vain his fathers warned him. He only grew hot with anger. One day Mi-tsi
went up on the mesas to cut corral posts. He sat down to eat his dinner.
A great black bear walked out of the thicket near at hand and leisurely
approached him. Mi-tsi dropped his dinner and climbed a neighboring
little dead pine tree. The bear followed him and climbed it, too. Mi-tsi
began to have sad thoughts of the words of his fathers.
"Alas," he cried, "pity me, my father from the West-land!" In vain he
promised to be a good Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe. Had not Po-shai-a[n,]-ki'a
commanded?
So the black bear seized him by the foot and pulled until Mi-tsi
screamed from pain; but, cling as he would to the tree, the bear pulled
him to the ground. Then he lay down on Mi-tsi and pressed the wind out
of him so that he forgot. The black bear started to go; but eyed Mi-tsi.
Mi-tsi kicked. Black bear came and pressed his wind out again. It hurt
Mi-tsi, and he said to himself, "Oh dear me! what shall I do? The father
thinks I am not punished enough." So he kept very still. Black bear
started again, then stopped and looked at Mi-tsi, started and stopped
again, growled and moved off, for Mi-tsi kept very still. Then the black
bear went slowly away, looking at Mi-tsi all the while, until he passed
a little knoll. Mi-tsi crawled away and hid under a log. Then, when he
thought himself man enough, he started for Zuni. He was long sick, for
the black bear had eaten his foot. He "still lives and limps," but he is
a good Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe. Who shall say that Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia did not
command?
THEIR WORSHIP.
The prey gods, through their relationship to Po-shai-a[n,]-k'ia, as
"Makers of the Paths of Life," are given high rank among the gods. With
this belief, their fetiches are held "as in captivity" by the priests of
the various medicine orders, and greatly venerated by them as mediators
between themselves and the animals they represent. In this character
they are exhorted with elaborate prayers, rituals, and ceremonials.
Grand sacrifices of plumed and painted prayer-sticks (Tethl-na-we) are
made annually by the "Prey Brother Priesthood" (We-ma a-pa-pa
a-shi-wa-ni) of these medicine societies, and at the full moon of each
month lesser sacrifices of the same kind by the male members of the
"Prey gentes" (We-ma a-no-ti-we) of the tribe.
PREY GODS OF THE HUNT.
THEIR RELATION TO THE OTHERS.
The fetich worship of the Zunis naturally reaches its highest and most
interesting development in its relationship to the chase, for the
We-ma-a-ha-i are considered _par excellence_ the gods of the hunt. Of
this class of fetiches, the special priests are the members of the
"Great Coyote People" (Sa-ni-a-k'ia-kwe, or the Hunting Order), their
keepers, the chosen members of the Eagle and Coyote gentes and of the
Prey Brother priesthood.
The fetiches in question (Plate III) represent, with two exceptions, the
same species of prey animals as those supposed to guard the six regions.
These exceptions are, the Coyote (Sus-ki, Plate III, Fig. 2), which
replaces the Black Bear of the West, and the Wild Cat (Te-pi, Plate III,
Fig. 3), which takes the place of the Badger of the South.
In the prayer-songs of the Sa-ni-a-kia-kwe, the names of all of these
prey gods are, with two exceptions, given in the language of the Rio
Grande Indians. This is probably one of the many devices for securing
greater secrecy, and rendering the ceremonials of the Hunter Society
mysterious to other than members. The exceptions are, the Coyote, or
Hunter god of the West, known by the archaic name of Thlae[']-k'iae-tchu,
instead of by its ordinary name of Sus-ki, and the Prey Mole or god of
the Lower regions (Plate III, Fig. 5), which is named Mai-tu-pu, also
archaic, instead of K'iae[']-lu-tsi. Yet in most of the prayer and
ritualistic recitals of this order all of these gods are spoken of by
the names which distinguish them in the other orders of the tribe.
[Illustration: PREY GOD FETICHES OF THE HUNT.]
THEIR ORIGIN.
While all the prey gods of the hunt are supposed to have functions
differing both from those of the six regions and those of the Priesthood
of the Bow, spoken of further on, they are yet referred, like those of
the first class, to special divisions of the world. In explanation of
this, however, quite another myth is given. This myth, like the first,
is derived from the epic before referred to, and occurs in the latter
third of the long recital, where it pictures the tribes of the Zunis,
under the guidance of the Two Children, and the Ka[']-ka at
Ko-thlu-el-lon-ne, now a marsh-bordered lagune situated on the eastern
shore of the Colorado Chiquito, about fifteen miles north and west from
the pueblo of San Juan, Arizona, and nearly opposite the mouth of the
Rio Concho. This lagune is probably formed in the basin or crater of
some extinct geyser or volcanic spring, as the two high and wonderfully
similar mountains on either side are identical in formation with those
in which occur the cave-craters farther south on the same river. It has,
however, been largely filled in by the _debris_ brought down by the Zuni
River, which here joins the Colorado Chiquito. Ko-thlu-el-lon signifies
the "standing place (city) of the Ka[']-ka" (from _Ka_=a contraction of
Ka[']-ka, the sacred dance, and _thlu-el-lon_=standing place).
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ANIMALS.
Men began their journey from the Red River, and the Ka[']-ka still
lived, as it does now, at Ko-thlu-el-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'ia-ma-k'ia-kwin), far south of
where Zuni 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 canon-valley under their town, and there to be hidden.
The walls of this canon 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 canon 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 Ka[']-ka or the
children of men, although they hunted day after day over the plains and
mountains, on the mesas and along the canon-valleys, find prey or trace
of prey.
Thus it happened that after many days they grew hungry, almost famished.
Even the great strong Sha'-la-k'o and the swift Sa-la-mo-pi-a walked
zigzag in their trails, from the weakness of hunger. At first the mighty
Ka[']-ka 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-a-ha-i, Game animals.
Still, day after day, though weak and disheartened, men and the
Ka[']-ka 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 canons. The Sha'-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 canon, and peering over the
brink discovered the hiding-place of all the game animals of the world.
"Aha! so here you all are," said he. "I'll hasten back to my father,
Pa-u-ti-wa,[1] who hungers for flesh, alas! and grows weak." And like
the wind the Sha'-la-k'o returned to Ko-thlu-el-lon-ne. Entering, he
informed the Ka[']-ka, and word was sent out by the swift
Sa-la-mo-pi-a[2] to all the We-ma-a-ha-i for counsel and assistance, for
the We-ma-a-ha-i were now the Fathers of men and the Ka[']-ka . The
Mountain Lion, the Coyote, the Wild Cat, the Wolf, the Eagle, the
Falcon, the Ground Owl, and the Mole were summoned, all hungry and lean,
as were the Ka'-ka and the children of men, from want of the flesh of
the game animals. Nevertheless, they were anxious for the hunt and moved
themselves quickly among one another in their anxiety. Then the passing
swift runners, the Sa-la-mo-pi-a, of all colors, the yellow, the blue,
the red, the white, the many colored, and the black, were summoned to
accompany the We-ma-a-ha-i to the canon-valley of the Snail People. Well
they knew that passing wonderful were the Snail People, and that no easy
matter would it be to overcome their medicine and their magic. But they
hastened forth until they came near to the canon. Then the
Sha'-la-k'o,[3] who guided them, gave directions that they should make
themselves ready for the hunt.
When all were prepared, he opened by his sacred power the magic corral
on the northern side, and forth rushed a great buck Deer.
"Long Tail, the corral has been opened for thee. Forth comes thy game,
seize him!" With great leaps the Mountain Lion overtook and threw the
Deer to the ground, and fastened his teeth in his throat.
The corral was opened on the western side. Forth rushed a Mountain
Sheep.
"Coyote, the corral has been opened for thee. Forth comes thy game,
seize him!" The Coyote dashed swiftly forward. The Mountain Sheep dodged
him and ran off toward the west. The Coyote crazily ran about yelping
and barking after his game, but the Mountain Sheep bounded from rock to
rock and was soon far away. Still the Coyote rushed crazily about, until
the Mountain Lion commanded him to be quiet. But the Coyote smelled the
blood of the Deer and was beside himself with hunger. Then the Mountain
Lion said to him disdainfully, Satisfy thy hunger on the blood that I
have spilled, for to-day thou hast missed thy game; and thus ever will
thy descendants like thee blunder in the chase. As thou this day
satisfiest thy hunger, so also by the blood that the hunter spills or
the flesh that he throws away shall thy descendants forever have being."
[Footnote 1: The chief god of the Ka[']-ka, now represented by masks,
and the richest costuming known to the Zunis, which are worn during the
winter ceremonials of the tribe.]
[Footnote 2: The Sa-la-mo-pi-a are monsters with round heads, long
snouts, huge feathered necks, and human bodies. They are supposed to
live beneath the waters, to come forth or enter snout foremost. They
also play an important part in the Ka'-ka or sacred dances of winter.]
[Footnote 3: Monster human bird forms, the warrior chiefs of
Pa-u-ti-wa, the representatives of which visit Zuni, from their supposed
western homes in certain springs, each New Year. They are more than
twelve feet high, and are carried swiftly about by persons concealed
under their dresses.]
The corral was opened on the southern side. An Antelope sprang forth.
With bounds less strong than those of the Mountain Lion, but nimbler,
the Wild Cat seized him and threw him to the ground.
The corral was opened on the eastern side. Forth ran the O-ho-li (or
albino antelope). The Wolf seized and threw him. The Jack Rabbit was let
out. The Eagle poised himself for a moment, then swooped upon him. The
Cotton Tail came forth. The Prey Mole waited in his hole and seized him;
the Wood Rat, and the Falcon made him his prey; the Mouse, and the
Ground Owl quickly caught him.
While the We-ma-a-ha-i were thus satisfying their hunger, the game
animals began to escape through the breaks in the corral. Forth through
the northern door rushed the Buffalo, the great Elk, and the Deer, and
toward the north the Mountain Lion, and the yellow Sa-la-mo-pi-a swiftly
followed and herded them, to the world where stands the yellow mountain,
below the great northern ocean.
Out through the western gap rushed the Mountain Sheep, herded and driven
by the Coyote and the blue Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward the great western
ocean, where stands the ancient blue mountain.
Out through the southern gap rushed the Antelope, herded and driven by
the Wild Cat and the red Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward the great land of summer,
where stands the ancient red mountain.
Out through the eastern gap rushed the O-ho-li, herded and driven by the
Wolf and the white Sa-la-mo-pi-a, toward where "they say" is the eastern
ocean, the "Ocean of day", wherein stands the ancient white mountain.
Forth rushed in all directions the Jack Rabbit, the Cotton Tail, the
Bats, and the Mice, and the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl
circled high above, toward the great "Sky ocean," above which stands the
ancient mountain of many colors, and they drove them over all the earth,
that from their homes in the air they could watch them in all places;
and the Sa-la-mo-pi-a of many colors rose and assisted them.
Into the earth burrowed the Rabbits, the Bats, and the Mice, from the
sight of the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl, but the Prey Mole
and the black Sa-la-mo-pi-a thither followed them toward the four
caverns (wombs) of earth, beneath which stands the ancient black
mountain.
Then the earth and winds were filled with rumbling from the feet of the
departing animals, and the Snail People saw that their game was
escaping; hence the world was filled with the wars of the Ka[']-ka, the
Snail People, and the children of men.
Thus were let loose the game animals of the world. Hence the Buffalo,
the Great Elk, and the largest Deer are found mostly in the north, where
they are ever pursued by the great Mountain Lion; but with them escaped
other animals, and so not alone in the north are the Buffalo, the Great
Elk, and the Deer found.
Among the mountains and the canons of the west are found the Mountain
Sheep, pursued by the Coyote; but with them escaped many other animals;
hence not alone in the west are the Mountain Sheep found.
Toward the south escaped the Antelopes, pursued by the Wild Cat. Yet
with them escaped many other animals; hence not alone in the south are
the Antelopes found.
Toward the east escaped the O-ho-li, pursued by the Wolf; but with them
escaped many other animals; hence not alone in the east are the
O-ho-li-we found.
Forth in all directions escaped the Jack Rabbits, Cotton Tails, Rats,
and Mice; hence over all the earth are they found. Above them in the
skies circle the Eagle, the Falcon, and the Ground Owl; yet into the
earth escaped many of them, followed by the Prey Mole; hence beneath the
earth burrow many.
Thus, also, it came to be that the Yellow Mountain Lion is the master
Prey Being of the north, but his younger brothers, the blue, the red,
the white, the spotted, and the black Mountain Lions wander over the
other regions of earth. Does not the spotted Mountain Lion (evidently
the Ocelot) live among the _high_ mountains of the south?
Thus, too, was it with the Coyote, who is the master of the West, but
whose younger brothers wander over all the regions; and thus, too, with
the Wild Cat and the Wolf.
In this tradition there is an attempt, not only to explain the special
distribution throughout the six regions, of the Prey animals and their
prey, but also to account for the occurrence of animals in regions other
than those to which, according to this classification, they properly
belong.
[Illustration: MOUNTAIN LION FETICHES OF THE CHASE--HUNTER GOD
OF THE NORTH]
THEIR VARIETIES.
We find, therefore, that each one of the six species of Prey animals is
again divided into six varieties, according to color, which determines
the location of each variety in that one or other of the regions with
which its color agrees, yet it is supposed to owe allegiance to its
representative, whatsoever this may be or wheresoever placed. For
instance, the Mountain Lion is primarily god of the North, but he is
supposed to have a representative (younger brother) in the West (the
blue Mountain Lion), another in the South (the Red), in the East (the
White), in the Upper regions (the Spotted), and in the Lower regions
(the black Mountain Lion).
Hence, also, there are six varieties of the fetich representing any one
of these divisions, the variety being determined by the color, as
expressed either by the material of which the fetich is formed, or the
pigment with which it is painted, or otherwise, as, for example, by
inlaying. (Plate III, Fig. 4, and Plate VII, Fig. 2.)
THE MOUNTAIN LION--HUNTER GOD OF THE NORTH.
According to this classification, which is native, the fetiches of the
Mountain Lions are represented on Plate IV. They are invariably
distinguished by the tail, which is represented very long, and laid
lengthwise of the back from the rump nearly or quite to the shoulders,
as well as by the ears, which are quite as uniformly rounded and not
prominent.
The fetich of the yellow Mountain Lion (Ha[']k-ti tae[']sh-a-na
thlup-tsi-na), or God of the North (Plate IV, Fig. 1), is of yellow
limestone.[1] It has been smoothly carved, and is evidently of great
antiquity, as shown by its polish and patina, the latter partly of
blood. The anus and eyes are quite marked holes made by drilling. An
arrow-point of flint is bound to the back with cordage of cotton, which
latter, however, from its newness, seems to have been recently added.
The fetich of the blue Mountain Lion, of the West (Ha[']k-ti
tae[']sh-a-na thli-a-na), is represented in Plate IV, Fig. 2. The
original is composed of finely veined azurite or carbonate of copper,
which, although specked with harder serpentinous nodules, is almost
entirely blue. It has been carefully finished, and the ears, eyes,
nostrils, mouth, tail, anus, and legs are clearly cut.
The fetich of the white Mountain Lion, of the East (Ha[']k-ti
tae[']sh-a-na k'o-ha-na), is represented by several specimens, two of
which are reproduced in Plate IV, Figs. 3 and 4. The former is very
small and composed of compact white limestone, the details being
pronounced, and the whole specimen finished with more than usual
elaboration. The latter is unusually large, of compact gypsum or
alabaster, and quite carefully carved. The eyes have been inlaid with
turkoises, and there is cut around its neck a groove by which the beads
of shell, coral, &c., were originally fastened. A large arrow-head of
chalcedony has been bound with cords of cotton flatwise along one side
of the body.
The only fetich representing the red Mountain Lion, of the South
(Ha[']k-ti tae[']sh-a-na a-ho-na), in the collection was too imperfect
for reproduction.
[Footnote 1: I am indebted to Mr. S.F. Emmons, of the Geological
Survey, for assisting me to determine approximately the mineralogical
character of these specimens.]
The fetich of the spotted or many-colored Mountain Lion (Ha[']k-ti
tae[']sh-a-na su-pa-no-pa _or_ i-to-pa-nah-na-na), of the Upper regions,
is also represented by two specimens (Plate IV, Figs. 5 and 6), both of
fibrous aragonite in alternating thin and thick laminae, or bands of
grayish yellow, white, and blue. Fig. 5 is by far the more elaborate of
the two, and is, indeed, the most perfect fetich in the collection. The
legs, ears, eyes, nostrils, mouth, tail, anus, and genital organs (of
the male) are carefully carved, the eyes being further elaborated by
mosaics of minute turkoises. To the right side of the body, "over the
heart," is bound with blood-blackened cotton cords a delicate flint
arrow-point, together with white shell and coral beads, and, at the
breast, a small triangular figure of an arrow in haliotus, or abalone.
The fetich of the black Mountain Lion (Ha[']k-ti tae[']sh-a-na
shi-k'ia-na) (Pl. IV, Fig. 7) is of gypsum, or white limestone, but has
been painted black by pigment, traces of which are still lodged on
portions of its surface.
THE COYOTE--HUNTER GOD OF THE WEST.
The fetiches of the Coyote, or God of the West, and his younger
brothers, represented on Plate V, are called Tethl-po-k'ia, an archaic
form of the modern word Sus-k'i we-ma-we (Coyote fetiches), from
_tethl-nan_,=a sacred prayer-plume, and _po-an_,=an object or locality
on or toward which anything is placed, a depository, and _k'ia_=the
active participle. They are usually distinguished by horizontal or
slightly drooping tails, pointed or small snouts, and erect ears.
Although the Coyote of the West is regarded as the master of the Coyotes
of the other five regions, yet, in the prayers, songs, and recitations
of the Sa-ni-a-k'ia-kwe, and Prey Brother Priesthood, the Coyote of the
North is mentioned first. I therefore preserve the same sequence
observed in describing the Mountain Lion fetiches.