Title: The Religious Life of the Zuñi Child
Author: Stevenson, Matilda Coxe Evans, 1849-1915
Language: English
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       *       *       *       *       *

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION--BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY

       *       *       *       *       *

THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE ZUÑI CHILD.

BY

MRS. TILLY E. STEVENSON.

       *       *       *       *       *



CONTENTS.

                                                  Page.

  Brief account of Zuñi mythology................. 539

  Birth customs................................... 545

  Involuntary initiation into the Kōk-kō.......... 547

  Voluntary initiation into the Kōk-kō............ 553



ILLUSTRATIONS.


  PLATE                                           Page.

     XX. Zuñi masks and Kō-yē-mē-shi.............. 545

    XXI. Group of Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya masks............ 548

   XXII. Zuñi sand altar in Kiva of the North..... 550

  XXIII. ōh-hē-i-que, Kiva of the East............ 552



THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE ZUÑI CHILD.

       *       *       *       *       *

BY MRS. TILLY E. STEVENSON.

       *       *       *       *       *



BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ZUÑI MYTHOLOGY.


The Pueblo of Zuñi is situated in Western New Mexico on the Rio
Zuñi, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. The Zuñi have
resided in this region for several centuries. The peculiar geologic
and geographic character of the country surrounding them, as well as
its aridity, furnishes ample sources from which a barbarous people
would derive legendary and mythologic history. A brief reference to
these features is necessary to understand more fully the religious
phases of Zuñi child life.

Three miles east of the Pueblo of Zuñi is a conspicuously beautiful
mesa, of red and white sandstone, tō-wā-yäl län-ne (corn
mountain). Upon this mesa are the remains of the old village of Zuñi.
The Zuñi lived during a long period on this mesa, and it was here
that Coronado found them in the sixteenth century. Tradition tells
that they were driven by a great flood from the site they now occupy,
which is in the valley below the mesa, and that they resorted to the
mesa for protection from the rising waters. The waters rose to the
very summit of the mesa, and to appease the aggressive element a human
sacrifice was necessary. A youth and a maiden, son and daughter of two
priests, were thrown into this ocean. Two great pinnacles, which have
been carved from the main mesa by weathering influences, are looked
upon by the Zuñi as the actual youth and maiden converted into
stone, and are appealed to as "father" and "mother." Many of the Zuñi
legends and superstitions are associated with this mesa, while over
its summit are spread the extensive ruins of the long ago deserted
village. There are in many localities, around its precipitous sides
and walls, shrines and groups of sacred objects which are constantly
resorted to by different orders of the tribe. Some of the most
interesting of these are the most inaccessible. When easy of approach
they are in such secluded spots that a stranger might pass without
dreaming of the treasures within his reach. On the western side of
this mesa are several especially interesting shrines. About half way
up the acclivity on the west side an overhanging rock forms the
base of one of the pinnacles referred to. This rock is literally
honeycombed with holes, from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in
diameter. I visited the spot in the fall of 1884, with Professors E.B.
Tylor and H.N. Moseley, of Oxford, England, and Mr. G.K. Gilbert,
of the United States Geological Survey. These gentlemen could not
determine whether the tiny excavations were originally made by
human hands or by some other agency. The Indian's only answer when
questioned was, "They be long to the old; they were made by the gods."
Hundreds of these holes contain bits of cotton and wool from garments.
In the side of this rock there are larger spaces, in which miniature
vases, filled with sand, are placed. The sand is ground by rubbing
stones from the same rock. The vases of sand, and also the fragments
of wool and cotton, are offerings at the feet of the "mother" rock.
Here, too, can be seen a quantity of firewood heaped as shown in the
right-hand corner of the illustration. Each man and woman deposited
a piece, that he or she might always have plenty of wood for heat
and light. Some three hundred feet above is another shrine, directly
attached to the "father" rock, and to the white man difficult
of access. Here I found many offerings of plume sticks (Tē
līk-tkī-nā-we).

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
magic deed, he again joined his sister on the mountain, from which
they could see their people approaching. The mountain has since that
time borne the name of Kō-kōk-shi--kōk-shi meaning good.

The first of the āh-shi-wi, or Zuñi, to cross this river were
the Än-shi-i-que, or Bear gens; Tō-wā-que, Corn gens; and
[t]Ko-ōh-lōk-tā-que, Sand Hill Crane gens. When in the middle
of the river the children of these gentes were transformed into
tortoises, frogs, snakes, ducks, and dragonflies. The children thus
transformed, while tightly clinging to their mother's necks, began
to bite and pinch. The mothers, trembling with fear, let them fall
into the river. āh-ai-ū-ta and Mā-ā-sē-we, missing the children,
inquired, "Where are the little ones?" The mothers replied, "We were
afraid and dropped them into the water." The war gods then cried out
to the remainder of the people, "Wait, wait until we speak with you,"
and they told the women to be brave and cling tightly to the children
until they crossed the river. Obeying the gods' commands, they carried
the little ones over, though they were transformed just as the others.
Upon reaching the opposite shore, they were again restored to their
natural forms, excepting their hands, which were duck-webbed. These
webs were cut with āh-ai-ū-ta's stone knife and thus restored to
perfect hands.

The mothers whose children fell into the waters were grieved and
refused to be comforted. The Priest Doctor was also grieved, and
said, "Alas, where have the little ones gone?" āh-ai-ū-ta and
Mā-ā-sē-we replied, "We will go and learn something of them," and
upon descending into the lake they found the beautiful kiva, in
which the children were assembled; but again they had been changed;
they were no longer reptiles, but were of a similar type to the
Kō-yē-mē-shi and Kō-mō-kĕt-si, and since that time they have
been worshiped as ancestral gods, bearing the name of Kōk-kō; but
the little war gods knew them, and addressed them as "My children,"
and they replied, "Sit down and tell us of our mothers." When they
told them that their mothers refused to be comforted at their loss,
they said, "Tell our mothers we are not dead, but live and sing in
this beautiful place, which is the home for them when they sleep. They
will wake here and be always happy. And we are here to intercede with
the Sun, our father, that he may give to our people rain, and the
fruits of the earth, and all that is good for them." The āh-shi-wi
then journeyed on, led by āh-ai-ū-ta and Mā-ā-sē-we, to the
present site of Zuñi. Many, however, lingered at a spring some
fifteen miles west of Zuñi, and there established the village
Tkāp-quē-nā (Hot Spring).

The Kō-yē-mē-shi and Kō-mō-kĕt-si passed down through the
interior of the mountain into the depths of the lake, the waters of
everlasting happiness. In the passageway are four chambers, where
the couple tarried on their way and where at the present time the two
priests of the Kōk-kō rest in their journey to the sacred waters. So
credulous are the people that the priests delude them into the belief
that they actually pass through the mountain to the lake.

Having heard of the wonderful cave in this mountain, our little party
visited the place, prepared to explore it. Mr. Stevenson and Mr.
H.L. Turner entered the fissure in the rock and squeezed through the
crevice for sixteen or eighteen feet to where the rock was so solid
that they both determined no human creature could penetrate farther.
They examined the place most carefully by means of an artificial
light. Through a small aperture stones could be thrown to a depth from
which no sound returned, but excepting this solitary opening all was
solid, immovable rock. In this cave many plume sticks were gathered.
Near the opening of the cave, or fissure, is a shrine to the Kōk-kō,
which must be very old, and over and around it are hundreds of the
plume sticks and turquoise and shell beads.

I would mention here a little incident illustrative of the
superstitious dread these Indians entertain of violating the priestly
commands. We found it very difficult to persuade an old Zuñi guide,
who had visited the sacred salt lake, the mountain of the war gods,
and other places of interest with us (to these he had gone by special
permission of the High Priest), to accompany us to the spirit lake
and the mountain of the Kōk-kō. Our persuasive powers were almost
exhausted ere we could induce him to guide us to them, but having
consented he was willing to go even if he should be punished by death.
He was a man renowned for bravery, but he was so overcome by his
superstitious fears that his voice sank to a whisper and finally
became scarcely audible. The morning of the day on which we reached
this place, the old man, who had been riding by my side, ahead of the
rest of the party, suddenly halted and said in a half-angry voice,
"Why do I go ahead? I am not the chief of this party. Those who belong
at the head must go to the head." And he would not move until Mr.
Stevenson and I went in advance. By this change he sought to transfer
the responsibility to us. Finally he rode up to us and said in a
whisper, "We will camp here." The whole expression of the old man's
face was that of ghastly terror. I was much annoyed, for I thought
that, at the eleventh hour, his fear had overcome his desire to
gratify us. Just then a Mexican lad on horseback approached; we were
all mounted. I asked the lad, "Is there a lake near by?" He replied,
"Yes, a half a mile off." The old Indian said, speaking in a whisper,
"And you have seen it?" "Yes." "And you were not afraid?" "No; why
afraid?" "And you looked into the waters and you did not die!" With a
look of bewilderment the youth rode off. I signaled to the old man to
accompany us to the lake. "No, no; I would only die, and you must not
go or you will die." "No," said I, "we will not die if our hearts are
good, and if you will not go it is because your heart is not good and
you are afraid."

We found the lake so surrounded by marshes that we could not get
within an eighth of a mile of the waters. One of our party attempted
to reach it on foot, but could get very little nearer. We made a
circuit of the lake along the slightly elevated ground and could
distinctly see it.

On completing the circle a striking picture met our eyes. Boldly
outlined by the setting sun stood the old man, his hair blown by the
evening breeze, for he had bared his head of the usual kerchief worn
around it, and, with his hand holding the sacred meal extended toward
the glorious sunset, he stood repeating a prayer. We halted, and he
continued his prayer, wholly unconscious of our presence; as he turned
we surprised him. I extended my hand and said, "Now I am happy, for
you are again brave and strong." "Yes," said he, "my heart is glad.
I have looked into the waters of my departed people. I am alive, but
I may die; if I die it is well; my heart is glad." From that moment
the gloom was gone and he was bright and happy. We could not induce
the old man to ascend the mountain of the Kōk-kō with us, as none go
there except certain priests; but the lake is visited by those who are
designated by these priests.

Several days were consumed by us in exploring this immediate vicinity.
On breaking camp, our old Indian guide seemed determined to tarry
behind. I remained with him. As the party rode off he took a large
quantity of food which he had carefully stored away behind a tree--he
having observed an almost absolute fast in order to make a large
offering to the spirits of the departed--and heaped this food upon
the embers of the camp fire, by the side of which he stood for a long
time, supplicating in a most solemn manner the spirits of the departed
to receive his offering.

Certain men are selected, who, with bodies nude save the loin skirt
and with bare feet, walk from Zuñi to the lake, a distance of 45
miles, exposed to the scorching rays of the summer sun, to deposit
plume sticks and pray for rain. If the hearts of those sent be pure
and good, the clouds will gather and rain will fall, but if evil be in
their hearts no rain will fall during the journey and they return with
parched lips and blistered skin. The Kōk-kō repeat the prayers for
rain with their intercessions to the Yä-tō-tka, the Sun, and by them
the plume sticks are sent to the same great god. So constantly are the
lesser gods employed in offering plumes to the great god that at night
the sacred road (the Galaxy) can be seen filled with feathers, though
by day they are invisible. They believe that the soul or essence of
the plumes travels over this road, just as the soul from the body
travels from Zuñi to the spirit lake, and in their offerings of food
the food itself is not received by the gods, but the spiritual essence
of the food.

One of the most important characters in Zuñi mythology, the Käk-lō,
finding himself alone in the far Northwest, saw many roads, but could
not tell which one led to his people, and he wept bitterly. The tear
marks are still to be seen on the Käk-lō's face. A duck, hearing
some one's cries, appeared and inquired the cause of the trouble. "I
wish to go to my people, but the roads are many, and I do not know the
right one." The sagacious duck replied, "I know all roads, and I will
lead you to your people." Having led the Käk-lō to the spirit lake,
he said, "Here is the home of the Kōk-kō; I will guide you to the
kiva and open for you the door." After entering the kiva the Käk-lō
viewed all those assembled and said, "Let me see; are all my people
here? No; the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si (plumed serpent) is not here; he must
come," and two of the Kōk-kō (the Soot-īke) were dispatched for
him. This curious creature is the mythical plumed serpent whose home
is in a hot spring not distant from the village of Tkāp-quē-nā, and
at all times his voice is to be heard in the depths of this boiling
water.

In the days of the old, a young maiden, strolling along, saw a
beautiful little baby boy bathing in the waters of this spring; she
was so pleased with his beauty that she took him home and told her
mother that she had found a lovely little boy. The mother's heart told
her it was not a child really, and so she said to the daughter; but
the daughter insisted that she would keep the baby for her own. She
wrapped it carefully in cotton cloth and went to sleep with it in her
arms. In the morning, the mother, wondering at her daughter's absence,
sent a second daughter to call her. Upon entering the room where the
girl had gone to sleep she was found with a great serpent coiled round
and round her body. The parents were summoned, and they said, "This is
some god, my daughter; you must take him back to his waters," and the
maiden followed the serpent to the hot spring, sprinkling him all the
while with sacred meal. Upon reaching the spring the serpent
entered it, the maiden following, and she became the wife of the
Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si.

The Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si soon appeared with the two Soot-īke who had
been dispatched for him. They did not travel upon the earth, but
by the underground waters that pass from the spring to the spirit
lake. Upon the arrival of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si, the Käk-lō issued
to this assemblage his commands, for he is the great father of the
Kōk-kō. Those who were to go to the North, West, South, East, to
the Heavens, and to the Earth to procure cereals for the āh-shi-wi
he designated as the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya. Previous to this time the
āh-shi-wi had subsisted on seeds of a grass. "When the seeds are
gathered," he said, addressing the serpent, "you will carry them
with water to the āh-shi-wi and tell them what to do with the seeds.
I will go in advance and prepare them for your coming." "But,"
said his people, "you are our father; you must not walk," and the
ten Kō-yē-mē-shi accompanied him, carrying him on their backs,
relieving each other when fatigued. The Käk-lō visited the
āh-shi-wi nine days in advance of the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya and
Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si, instructing the people regarding the Kōk-kō, how
they must represent them in the future and hold their ceremonials,
and telling them that the boys must be made members of the Kōk-kō,
and that this particular ceremony must occur but once in four years.
He also gave to the people the history of himself, how the duck had
befriended him and led him to the home of his people.



BIRTH CUSTOMS.


Having now briefly sketched the mythology relating to the ceremonials
to be described, I invite your attention to the main subject of the
present paper: the Religious Life of the Zuñi Child.

First we will notice the birth customs.

Zuñi child life may be divided into two parts. One I will call the
practical or domestic; the other, the mythologic or religious. The
former is fairly exemplified in the habits, customs, games, and
experiences of our own domestic child life. The other is essentially
different; in it are involved the ceremonials, legends, and myths
which surround the Zuñi child from its birth.

Previous to the birth of a child, if a daughter be desired, the
husband and wife proceed together to the "mother" rock, and at her
feet make offerings and prayers, imploring her to intercede with
the great father, the Sun, to give to them a daughter, and that this
daughter may grow to be all that is good in woman; that she may be
endowed with the power of weaving beautifully and may be skilled in
the potter's art. Should a son be desired, the couple repair to the
shrine above, and here, at the breast and heart of the "father" rock,
prayers and plume sticks are offered that a son may be given them, and
that he may have power to conquer his enemies, and that he may become
distinguished in the Kōk-kō and other orders, and have power over
the field to produce abundant crops. In both cases the sacred meal is
sprinkled, and, should the prayer not be answered, there is no doubt
that the heart of one or the other was not earnest when the prayer was
offered.

The Zuñi child is born amid ceremony. At its birth only the maternal
grandmother and two female doctors are present. After the birth of the
child, the paternal grandmother enters, bearing as offerings to the
new born babe a large pottery bowl and inside of it a tiny blanket.
She then prepares warm suds of yucca root in the bowl, in which she
bathes the infant, at the same time repeating a prayer of thanks for
the life that has been given them and praying for the future of the
child. She then rubs the entire body of the child, except the head,
with warm ashes held in the palm of the hand and moistened with water.
This process is repeated every morning during infancy and the same
paste is put upon the face of the child until it is several years
old. I would remark that this paste is seldom noticed upon the
older children because it is put on in the morning and drying soon
is brushed off by the child. It is asserted by the Zuñi that in
four days after the birth of a child the first skin is removed by
exfoliation and is supplanted by a new one. After applying the ashes,
the paternal grandmother places the infant in the arms of the maternal
grandparent, who performs other offices for the little one and wraps
it in a piece of cotton cloth. The paternal grandmother prepares a bed
of warm sand by the right side of the mother (leaving a cool spot for
the child's head); she then receives the infant and lays it upon its
bed, and over it she arranges the little blanket which she brought;
she then places upon the sand and at the right side of the child
an ear of white corn; if the child be a girl, the mother, or a
three-plumule, corn is selected; if a boy, the father, or single ear,
corn. The fourth day after the birth the child is again bathed in
the yucca root suds by the same grandmother, who again repeats a long
prayer. During the first ten days of the child's life the paternal
grandmother remains in the daughter-in-law's house, looking after the
mother and helping in the preparation of the feast that is to occur.
On the morning of the tenth day the child is taken from its bed
of sand, to which it is never to return, and upon the left arm of
the paternal grandmother it is carried for the first time into the
presence of the rising sun. To the breast of the child the grandmother
carrying it presses the ear of corn which lay by its side during the
ten days; to her left the mother of the infant walks, carrying in her
left hand the ear of corn which lay by her side. Both women sprinkle
a line of sacred meal, emblematic of the straight road which the child
must follow to win the favor of its gods. Thus the first object which
the child is made to behold at the very dawn of its existence is the
sun, the great object of their worship; and long ere the little lips
can lisp a prayer it is repeated for it by the grandmother.

The Zuñi are polytheists; yet, while they have a plurality of gods,
many of whom are the spirits of their ancestors, these gods are but
mediums through which to reach their one great father of all--the Sun.

[Illustration XX: ZUÑI MASKS AND KŌ-YĒ-MĒ-SHI.

2 PĀ-OO-Tī-WA. 1 KŌ-YĒ-MĒ-SHI. 3 SAI-Ā-HLI-A.]

Returning to the house, the paternal grandmother again bathes the
child in yucca suds; then, for the first time, the little one is put
into the cradle. The baby's arms are placed straight by its sides, and
in this position it is so strapped in its cradle that it cannot even
move a hand. These cradles have hood-shaped tops, and over the whole
thick coverings are placed, so that the wonder is the child does not
smother. The cradle is usually deposited in some safe corner, and the
baby is left to sleep or amuse itself with its infantine thoughts. The
cradle is sometimes attached to two ropes to form a swing, and when
the mother becomes conscious of the child's awakening she uncovers its
head at times and the tiny thing casts its eyes around. On the tenth
morning both parents of the child are bathed in suds of yucca, the
whole body of the mother but only the head of the father. This office
is also performed by the paternal grandmother. The immediate blood
relations (female only) then assemble at the infant's home; that is,
all the household of the father's house and those of the mother's
house. Each woman from the father's house brings to the baby a gift of
a little blanket. This select gathering partakes of a feast, which is
presided over by the maternal grandmother. At the close of the feast
the infant is carried by the oldest sister of the father to the
paternal grandmother's house, where it is presented to the paternal
grandfather, who prays to the Sun (Yä-tō tka) to send down blessings
upon the child.



INVOLUNTARY INITIATION INTO THE KŌK-KŌ.


The present ceremonials are in direct obedience to the orders and
instructions given at the time of the appearance of the Kōk-kō
upon the earth, and their masks are counterparts of the original or
spiritual Kōk-kō (Plate XX). The Käk-lō rides, as of old, upon the
backs of the Kō-yē-mē-shi, and he is the heralder for the coming
of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si. Arriving at the village in the morning, he
divides his time between the kivas, there being six of these religious
houses in Zuñi, one for each of the cardinal points, one for the
zenith, and one for the nadir. In each of these kivas he issues
to the people assembled the commands of the Kōk-kō and gives the
history of the Käk-lō and the gathering of the cereals of the earth
by the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya. At sunrise he is gone. The morning after
the arrival of the Käk-lō, those who are to represent the Kōk-kō
prepare plume sticks, and in the middle of the same day these are
planted in the earth. The same night they repair to their respective
kivas, where they spend the following eight nights, not looking upon
the face of a woman during that period. Each night is spent in smoking
and talking and rehearsing for the coming ceremony. The second day all
go for wood, bringing it home on their backs, for so the ancients
did when beasts of burden were unknown to them. The third day is also
spent in gathering wood, and the fourth day likewise. On the same day
the ten men who are to personate the Kō-yē-mē-shi, in company with
the [t]Sī-[t]sī-[t]ki (great-grandfather of the Kō-yē-mē-shi),
pass through the village, inquiring for the boys who are to be
initiated; before such houses as have boys ready for this ceremonial
these men assemble; one of them enters the house and, greeting the
mother of the boy with "Good morning," inquires the name of her son.
She replies: "He has no name," and requests the Kō-yē-mē-shi to
give him one. The man then joins the group, repeating the words of the
woman. In passing from the kiva through the village the Indian screens
his face with a blanket, so as not to see the women as he passes. On
the fifth day they go on a rabbit hunt, the capture of but one rabbit
being necessary. The rabbit is carried to the He-i-i-que (or Kiva of
the North) by the [t]Sī-[t]Sī [t]ki, who, after skinning the rabbit,
fills the skin with cedar bark; a pinch of meal is placed for the
heart and the eye sockets are filled with mica; a hollow reed is
passed through the inside filling to the mouth. The sixth day
the inmates of the kivas again go for wood; the seventh day large
Tē-līk-tkī-nā-we are made of eagle plumes; the eighth day is
consumed in decorating the masks to be worn. As these people have
not the art of mixing their pigments so as to be permanent, masks and
altars have to be freshly decorated before using; and, when the masks
are completely decorated, they, with the other paraphernalia, are
carried on the same day by the men and youths who have to wear them to
some secluded nooks among the rocks, a distance from the town, where
they put them on, returning to the village by early moonlight.

The impressive ceremonial of initiating the youth into the order of
the Kōk-kō occurs but once in four years. No male child above the
age of four years may, after death, enter the Kiva of the Kōk-kō
unless he has received the sacred breath of the Kōk-kō. Those who
personate the Kōk-kō are endowed for the time being with their
actual breath. Besides the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North, West,
South, East, Heavens, and Earth, and a number of younger brothers who
appear on this occasion, there are Pā-oo-tī-wa (Plate XX), father of
the Sun, ten Kō-yē-mē-shi, and the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si.

The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North wear yellow (hlūp-si-na) masks;
those from the West, blue (hli-än-na); those from the South, red
(shi-lō-ā); those from the East, white (kō-hān); those from the
Heavens, all colors (ī-tō-pō-nän-ni); those from the Earth, black
(quin-nā). (Plate XXI.) These colors represent the cardinal points,
the zenith, and the nadir:

  North.       Yellow.       Hlūp-si-na.
  West.        Blue.         Hli-än-na.
  South.       Red.          Shi-lō-ā.
  East.        White.        Kō-hān.
  Heavens.     All colors.   ī-tō-pō-nän-ni.
  Earth.       Black.        Quin-nā.

[Illustration XXI: GROUP OF SÄ-LÄ-MŌ-Bī-YA MASKS.

1 NORTH. 2 WEST.    3 SOUTH.
4 EAST.  5 HEAVENS. 6 EARTH.]

They come after sundown to the village. The serpent, made of hide, is
about twelve feet long and eighteen inches through the thickest part
of the body. The abdomen is painted white, the back black, covered
with white stars, which are represented by a kind of semicircle,
an entirely conventional design. The neck rests through a finely
decorated kind of altar carried by the two Soot-īke. The tail end
of the fetich is held by the priest of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si, who
constantly blows through a large shell, which he carries in the right
hand, holding the serpent with the left. The Kōk-kō pass through the
town and visit each kiva; they put the head of the serpent through the
hatchway, that those who are privileged to assemble in the kivas may
see the fetich. The Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si is then taken to the Kiva of
the Earth, Hē-tkā-pa-que. The walls of this kiva are decorated with
two Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si, which extend almost around the entire walls of
the room, the heads nearly meeting at the north end of the room. The
fetich is placed between the heads. The others of the Kōk-kō repair
to their respective kivas, the Hē-i-i-que or Kiva of the North,
the Moo-hē-i-que or Kiva of the West, the Choo-pā-ä-que or
Kiva of the South, the ōh-hē-i-que or Kiva of the East, and the
Oop-tsān-ā-ā-que or Kiva of the Heavens. From each of these kivas
men and youths from the secret orders to which I have referred are
assembled to receive the Kōk-kō. When all the Kōk-kō have gone to
their kivas, the ten Kō-yē-mē-shi, who reach the village after the
others, go to their house, which is not one of the sacred assembly
houses, but chosen from among the Sūs-ki-i-que, or people of the Wolf
gens.

The Kōk-kō sing and dance in their own kivas, then change about,
those of the North passing to the West and those of the West going to
the South, and so on. This is continuous until the first white streak
warns them that day is approaching. At this time the head of the
Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si is put through the opening in the side wall of the
kiva, when all who choose may look upon it. Behind this creature the
old priest stands and blows through the body, making the same peculiar
noise, representing the roaring of a sea monster, that he has kept
up throughout the night. The image is only seen by the uncertain
light of the faintest impression of day. Pā-oo-tī-wa remains with
the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si in the Kiva of the Earth. At sunrise the
Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya go to this kiva, each bearing the plume stick made
on the sixth day and an ear of corn. The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the
North first advances to the priest of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si and,
presenting him with the plumes and ear of yellow corn, prays that the
Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si will give to his people the seeds of the earth; the
Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the West next approaches, presenting his wand
and an ear of blue corn, praying that the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si will
bring to his people the seeds of the earth; and so the red corn of
the South, the white of the East, the all-color of the Heavens and
the black of the Earth are presented with the same prayer. The
Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya remove their masks after entering the kiva, when
they immediately lose their identity as the Kōk-kō. They are merely
men now, praying to the Kōk-kō. This ceremony over, they return to
their respective kivas, having put on their masks before leaving the
Kiva of the Earth.

At this time the [t]Sī-[t]sī-[t]ki partially ascends the ladder of
the Kiva of the North, remaining just inside of the hatchway, and,
holding the rabbit to his mouth, calls through the reed: "Your little
grandfather is hungry; he wishes something to eat; bring him some
stewed meat." The Kō-yē-mē-shi, in obedience to the request of the
little grandfather, go to the homes of the children to be initiated,
calling for food. At the same time the Kō-yē-mē-shi give to each
novitiate his name. Previous to this the boy is designated as
baby boy, younger boy, older boy, &c. The food is received by
the Kō-yē-mē-shi and taken to the Kiva of the North, where it is
divided and carried to the different kivas. For this occasion the
native beans are prepared. There is as great a variety of color in
these as in the corn. The yellow beans are carried to the Kiva of the
North, the blue beans to the Kiva of the West, the red to the Kiva
of the South, the white to the Kiva of the East, the all color to the
Kiva of the Heavens, the black to the Kiva of the Earth. A sumptuous
meal is now served in each of the kivas.

After this meal the Kōk-kō begin their bodily decorations, with
their bodies almost nude. Those of the North are painted yellow; those
of the West, blue; those of the South, red; those of the East, white;
those of the Heavens, all colors on the body and yellow on the neck
and upper arms; those of the Earth, black, with some bits of color.
This done, the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North passes through the
village and, going for a short distance to the north, deposits a
plume stick, the stick to which the plumes are attached being painted
yellow. The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the West, South, and East plant
their plumes at their respective cardinal points. Those for the zenith
and nadir are planted to the west, on the road to the spirit lake, the
stick of each one having the cardinal color decorations. This done,
all retire to their kivas.

The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North, returning to his kiva, drinks
the medicine water prepared by the priest of the great fire order
(Mā-[t]ke-hlān-ā ā-que), who, with some of his people, is now
busy in the preparation of a sand altar. The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya again
emerge from the kivas, with long bunches of Spanish bayonet in their
hands, in the ends of which grains of corn of the respective colors
are placed and wrapped with shreds of the bayonet. Any man or youth
desiring to raise yellow corn appeals to the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of
the North, who strikes him a severe blow with his bunch of bayonets.
Similar appeals are made to those representing other colors. The
sand altar is made in the Kiva of the North. It is first laid in the
ordinary yellowish sand, in the center of which the bowl of medicine
water is placed. Over the yellow sand a ground of white sand
is sprinkled. All the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya and their brothers are
represented on the altar (Plate XXII). The altar is circular in form
and some twelve feet in diameter. The Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si encircles the
whole.

Throughout the day the Kōk-kō are running around the village
whipping such of the people as appeal to them for a rich harvest,
while the curious performances of the Kō-yē-mē-shi carry one back
to the primitive drama.

[Illustration XXII: ZUÑI SAND ALTAR IN KIVA OF THE NORTH.]

Toward evening the ceremony for initiating the children begins. The
priest of the Sun, entering the sacred plaza (or square), sprinkles a
broad line of sacred meal from the southeast entrance across the south
side, thence along the western side to the Kiva of the North, and up
the ladderway to the entrance (which is always in the roof), and
then passing over the housetops he goes to the Kiva of the Earth and
sprinkles the meal upon the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si. He then precedes the
Kōk-kō to the plaza and deposits a small quantity of yellow meal
on the white line of meal near the eastern entrance. By this spot the
Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North stands, south of the line of meal. The
priest, continuing in advance, deposits a quantity of blue meal on the
line a short distance from the yellow, which indicates the position
for the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the West. In like manner he indicates
the position of the respective Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya with red meal for
the South, white for the East, meal of all colors for the Heavens,
and black meal for the Earth. The remainder of the Kōk-kō take their
positions successively along the line of meal. The Kō-yē-mē-shi
group in the plaza. The godfathers then pass along the line of meal,
each one holding his godchild on his back by a blanket, which he draws
tightly around him. In olden times tanned robes of the buffalo were
used for this purpose. As he passes the line of Kōk-kō each one
strikes the child with his large bunch of Spanish bayonets. While the
Indian from almost infancy looks upon any exhibition of feeling
when undergoing physical suffering as most cowardly and unmanly, the
severity of the pain inflicted by the yucca switches in this ceremony
is at times such as to force tears from the eyes of the little ones,
but a boy over the age of five or six rarely flinches under this
ordeal. After passing the line the godparent enters the Kiva of the
North, where he is met by a priest of the great fire order, who asks,
"Who is your Kōk-kō?" When the godfather replies, he is directed
to select his boy's plume. The plumes which ornament the heads of the
figures have been previously wrapped in corn husks and carried to
the priest by the respective godfathers. The godfather attaches
the feather, which is a soft, downy feather of the eagle, to the
scalp-lock of the child. The godparent is then given a drink of the
holy water, which is dipped from the bowl by the medicine man with
a shell attached to a long reed. The child also drinks and repeats
a prayer after his sponsor. They then leave the kiva, and, taking a
position on the north side of the plaza, the child kneels and clasps
the bent knee of his godfather, who draws him still closer with the
blanket around him. Four new characters of the Kōk-kō now appear,
the Sai-ā-hli-a (see Plate XX). Each one of these strikes the child
four times across the back with his yucca blades, having first tested
with his foot the thickness of the child's clothing. The child must
not have anything over his back but the one blanket, which is a gift
from the godfather. This ceremonial over, each child accompanies his
godparent to his home, where a choice meal is served.

The night ceremonial is conducted in two kivas, that of the South and
that of the East. The Kōk-kō for this ceremony divide and enter the
two kivas.

The godparents sit upon the stone ledge which passes around the room,
whose walls are rectangular, and, spreading his knees, the boy sits
on the ledge between them. To the right of the guardian his wife sits,
and to his left his sister. In case the wife is not present, the older
sister sits on the right and a younger sister on the left. The father
of the Sun (Pā-oo-tī-wa) enters and sits upon the throne which has
been arranged for him at the west end of the room; this has a sacred
blanket attached to the wall and one to sit upon, the whole profusely
ornamented with white scarfs, woven belts, and many necklaces of
turquoise and other precious beads. To his right and left sit the two
young priests who prepared the throne; to the left of the priest, on
the left of Pā-oo-tī-wa, sit the high priest and priestess of the
Earth. The remainder of the ledge is filled with the boys and their
friends. Nai-ū-chi, the living representative of āh-ai-ū-ta, the
war god, sits to the left of the fire altar as you enter and feeds
the sacred flames. The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya enter immediately after
Pā-oo-tī-wa. All these, including Pā-oo-tī-wa, enter head
foremost; the head touches the stone slab over the fire, and,
completing a somersault, they vault into the room on all fours and in
like manner pass to the right of the kiva and around to their places.
Pā-oo-tī-wa is followed by the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North
and others in proper order and rapid succession, the hind one always
hopping into the foot and hand prints of the former. In the two kivas
mounds of sand have been laid for the Kōk-kō and each one sits upon
his mound. These mounds are some eighteen inches in diameter and a
foot in height (Plate XXIII). When all have taken their places the
Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the North arises and taking the wand from his
mound walks to the group immediately to the right of the ladder as one
enters. Holding the wand between his hands, he goes to each child and
blows four times upon the wand, at the same time extending it toward
the mouth of the child, who draws from it each time the sacred breath
which passes from the mouth of the Kōk-kō over the plumes. The
[t]Sī-[t]sī-[t]ki carries the rabbit in addition to the wand, and
over them he passes the sacred breath of the little grandfather. The
godparent covers the eyes of the child with his hand, for the children
must not look upon the Kōk-kō near by. The Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the
North is followed by the Sä-lä-mō-bī-ya of the West and others,
all in turn going to each child; as each one completes the round he
places his wand in his belt, stands in the center of the kiva, and
turns a somersault over the fire, striking his head on the fire slab
as before, and so leaves the kiva feet foremost.

[Illustration XXIII: ŌH-HĒ-I-QUE, KIVA OF THE EAST.]

The Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si now appears at the hatchways. He is brought
by the priest of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si and the Soot-īke. The high
priest, the priest of the bow, and priestess of the earth advance
to the hatchway, each holding a large earthen bowl, and catch the
water poured from the mouth of the Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si. Each guardian
then fills the small bowl which he carries with the holy water and,
drinking a portion of it, gives the remainder to the boy to drink. The
bowl which contains it is a gift from the godfather. The boy sprinkles
the corn stacked in his house with this water. After the water is
exhausted from the large bowls a blanket is held by four men to catch
the seeds of all the cereals which are sent up from the abdomen of the
Kō-lō-oo-wĭt-si. These are taken from the blankets by three priests
and placed in their own blankets, which rest over the left arm, and
they, passing around, distribute the seeds to all present. The sand
of the fallen mounds is gathered in a blanket and deposited in the
river, to be carried to the home of the Kōk-kō. The boys now return
to their homes, accompanied by the guardian and one other of their
attendants. In the early morning the sister of the godfather goes
for the boy and brings him to her house, where he enjoys a sumptuous
breakfast. The godfather then leads the boy to the east for some
distance from the village, sprinkling a line of sacred meal, and here
he says a prayer, which the boy repeats after him, and the godfather,
making a hole in the ground, plants a plume stick which he has made
for the child.

From this time the child eats no animal food for four days. The plume
which has been placed on the child's head in the kiva during the
initiation is not removed till the fourth morning after the planting
of the feathers, when he again goes over the road with his guardian,
who deposits the plume from the child's head with a prayer, which is
repeated by the child.

Thus ends this remarkable initiation of the Zuñi male child into the
order of the Kōk-kō. This is really mainly done by sponsors, and he
must personally take the vows as soon as he is old enough.



VOLUNTARY INITIATION INTO THE KŌK-KŌ.


After the first initiation of a boy into this order, he is left to
decide for himself when he will assume the vows made for him by his
sponsors, though the father and the godfather do not fail to impress
upon the boy the importance of the second initiation, which occurs at
an annual ceremonial; and when the boy has declared his determination
to enter the order, if the Kōk-kō upon seeing him deem him too
young, he is ordered to return to his home and wait awhile till his
heart has become more wise. For this ceremonial the godparents and
the boys assemble in the Kiva of the North. Each boy in turn takes his
position to receive his whipping, which is necessary for initiation.
The godfather, standing, bends his right knee, which the boy clasps,
bowing his head low. The godfather holds the two ends of the
blanket and buckskin tightly around the boy, while each of the four
Sai-ā-hli-ā in turn give him four strokes across the back with a
bunch of the yucca blades. Two of the Kō-yē-mē-shi stand by and
count the strokes; the others are in the plaza outside, indulging in
their primitive games, which excite much merriment among the large
assemblage of people. After each boy has received the chastisement
and all are again seated, the four Sai-ā-hli-ā pass in turn to each
boy. Each one taking off his mask, places it over the head of the boy,
handing him his Spanish bayonets. The boy strikes the Kōk-kō once
across each arm and once across each ankle. The Kōk-kō does not
speak, but the boy is instructed by his guardian, who talks to him in
a whisper, telling him not to be afraid, but to strike hard. The eyes
of the boys open wide as the Kōk-kō raise their masks and for the
first time familiar faces are recognized. The Kōk-kō leave the
kiva after revealing their identity to the children, and running,
around the village use their switches indiscriminately, with a few
exceptional cases. I saw a woman whipped, she taking the babe from
her back and holding it in her arms. This woman requested the whipping
that she might be rid of the bad dreams that nightly troubled her.
After the Sai-ā-hli-ā leave the kiva the children are called by the
priest of the Kōk-kō and told to sit in front of him and the other
priests, including the High Priest of Zuñi. This august body sits
in the kiva throughout the ceremony. The Priest of the Kōk-kō
then delivers a lecture to the boys, instructing them in some of the
secrets of the order, when they are told if they betray the secrets
confided to them they will be punished by death; their heads will be
cut off with a stone knife; for so the Kōk-kō has ordered. They
are told how the Kōk-kō appeared upon the earth and instructed the
people to represent them. The priest closes by telling the children
that in the old some boys betrayed the secret and told that these
were not the real gods, but men personating the Kōk-kō, and when
this reached the gods the Sai-ā-hli-ā appeared upon the earth
and inquired for the boys. The people then lived upon the mesa
tō-wā-yäl-län-ne. The mothers declared they knew not where they
had fled. The Kōk-kō stamped his feet upon the rocky ground and the
rocks parted, and away down in the depths of the mountain he found
the naughty boys. He ordered them to come to him and he cut off their
heads with his stone knife. This story is sufficient to impress
the children that there is no escape for them if they betray the
confidence reposed in them, for the Kōk-kō can compel the rocks to
part and reveal the secrets.

A repast is now served to the priests and the boys and others in
the kiva. The food is brought by the wives and sisters of the four
Sai-ā hli-ā to the hatch way and carried in by the Kōk-kō, who have
returned to the kiva. The feast opens with a grace said by the priest
of the Kōk-kō, who immediately after collects upon a piece of Hē-wi
(a certain kind of bread) bits of all the food served. This he rolls
up and places by his side, and at the conclusion of the feast he
carries it to a distance from, the village over the road to the spirit
lake and making a hole in the ground he deposits it as an offering to
the gods. Each child goes to the godfather's house, where his head
and hands are bathed in yucca suds by the mother and sisters of the
godfather, they repeating prayers that the youth may be true to his
vows, &c. The boy then returning to his own home is tested by his
father, who says, "You are no longer ignorant; you are no longer a
little child, but a young man. Were you pleased with the words of
the Kōk-kō? What did the priest tell you?" The boy does not forget
himself and reveal anything that was said, for the terror overhanging
him is too great.

When a youth is selected to personate the Kōk-kō he is instructed in
regard to the decorating of the mask he is to wear. When this is done
he goes at night to the proper kiva and seated between two instructors
he learns the song and prayers. In committing songs and prayers
to memory the novice holds a tiny crystal between his thumb and
forefinger for a while, then he puts it into his mouth, and at
the conclusion of the instruction he swallows it. This insures the
remembrance of the prayers and songs, and he awakes the following
morning with them indelibly impressed upon his mind. The pupil is then
struck across each arm and across each ankle with the yucca blades.

There are very few women belonging to the order of the Kōk-kō. I
think there are now only five in Zuñi. When a woman of the order
becomes advanced in age she endeavors to find some maiden who will
take upon herself the vows at her death. Selecting some young woman,
she appeals to her to be received into the order of the Kōk-kō. The
maiden replies, "I know nothing concerning the mysteries of the order.
You must talk to my father." After the father is spoken to, he in
turn spends the night in explaining the duties of the position to his
daughter and that the gods would be displeased if she should marry
after joining the Kōk-kō. Assuming the Kōk-kō vows is entirely
optional with the girl. It is never her duty, but a special privilege
which is rarely accepted. If she accepts she passes through both
ceremonials described. She chooses her godfather, who gives her for
the first ceremony a woman's blanket and for the second a woman's
dress, a white blanket, a quantity of blue yarn, a woman's belt, a
buckskin, a sacred blanket, and the mask she is to wear. But even here
in Zuñi, where the people are so controlled by the priests and have
such a superstitious dread of disobeying the commands of the Kōk-kō,
women have been guilty of desecrating their sacred office and
marrying. At present there is a woman of the order of the Kōk-kō
married to a Navajo. She is of course forever afterwards debarred from
joining in the ceremonials, but she is permitted to live among her
people with no other punishment than their indignation.


INDEX.

Gilbert, G.K., visit of, to Zuñi 540
Käk-lō of Zuñi mythology 544, 547
Kiva, the Zuñi religious house 544, 547, 549, 552
Kōk-kō, the Zuñi order of the 540-548
  admission of women into the 540-555
  involuntary initiation into the 547-553
  voluntary initiation into the 553-555
Moseley, H.N., visit of, to Zuñi 540
Mythology, brief account of Zuñi 539-545
Pueblo of Zuñi, location of 539
Religious life of the Zuñi child, by Mrs. Tilly E. Stevenson l-liii,
  533-555
Stevenson, Mrs. Tilly E., on the religious life of the Zuñi child
  l-liii, 533-555
Turner, H.L., visit of, to Zuñi 542
Tylor, E.B., visit of, to Zuñi 540
Yucca blades in Zuñi ceremonial 550, 551, 553, 555
Zuñi, religious life of children among the, by Mrs. Tilly E. Stevenson
  l-liii, 533-555





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