Sacred Texts Native American Hopi Index Previous Next
Buy this Book at Amazon.com
The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com
In Shongópavi they were living, and over there at Kíshiwu 2 the Katcinas were living, and the Kokóshori was going about at the Hopi village. Bui he was stealing the Hopi children, and (one time) a Shongópavi woman went to get water and her child followed her, crying. The mother threw a stone back because she was angry. The child now was afraid and sat down there and cried there. Thus the Kokóshori arrived and pitied it. Now he said (to the child): "Oh! now why do you cry?" The child said, "My mother has been hurting me." "Let us go to my house," he said. The child was a little girl.
Now the child sat upon the back of the Katcina and the latter took it along. They now arrived at the village of those who lived at Kíshiwu. 2 There were a great many Katcinas. They saw somebody coming carrying a little girl. Now, those Katcinas were glad. "You, whom do you bring there?" they said. Now the Hahái Wuhti was very happy. "Ishuní!" she said. Now he put it down. "Where did you get that?" said the Hahái Wuhti. "I went about at Shongópavi and the mother of this one went to get water, and this one followed her, and alas! she threw at it with a stone, and I pitied it and have brought it." And now they pitied the child. "Very well," they said. "Alas! Why is it thus." Now they fed it. The Hahái Wuhti spread out pövö'lpiki, handed the child a vessel with peaches, she also cut up melons, split a watermelon, and laid before it some steamed corn. Having done this she said. "Now eat." And the child ate. When it had eaten a little it was satisfied.
After that it lived there. Now they always provided food for it. And because it ate this food it became big very soon. But now it became homesick. In the night the Katcinas danced. After the dance they would distribute steamed corn, watermelons and melons, but the child would only eat one occasionally, because it was homesick. It did not talk, it was sad. Now they said, "Come, let us
take it to the village." Now the Kokóshori went to look after the father and the mother, and, alas! they too were homesick. They only lived a little yet, they were very homesick. They were no longer sitting up because they were so homesick. When he returned to Kíshiwu he said, "Why, your parents are very homesick." And now they who lived there busied themselves. "Now then, dress yourself," said the chief, ''when you are dressed we shall fetch you."
Now they all put on something and now the Katcinas came and fetched the child. But the little girl had on an atö'ö and a beautiful belt and a pretty dress and some fine moccasins. But a Qö'oqöqlöm carried something in a burden basket on his back, a melon, peaches, and watermelons, etc. All the Katcinas brought something to eat. When they came to the village it rained very hard. So they arrived at Shongópavi. They did not arrive dancing, but singing and walking. They sang as follows:
Kokooshori, Kokooshori, Kokooshori,
Hakipa tiwungwiniyata
Whose raised (we),
Okwatowakae. Yuyata, Nayata
Because (we) pitied (her). Mothers, fathers,
Amutpipoo kachiyata nawoto.
In front of them or their home heard (the girl)
Katchíyata nawoto hap itamu,
The home (of) having heard now we
Ohokio! mana wungwupui
Alas! maiden bringing up (her)
Soon shuhtokinihihi.
Not will forget.
Ahayahai Kokóhoshori,
Kokohoshori shori
Ahahaha ihihihihihi.
They now arrived (at the parents' house). "Now go up, here you live," they said (to the girl), so she went into the house, but her mother was sleeping. "My mother, get up, my father, get up, I have come," said the little maiden. Now they looked up a little, and recognized the child. Now they sat up quickly and embraced the child at once. Now the father also did so. The maiden now cried, but she was now comforted and was happy. They now revived and they were good. Now they (the Katcinas) came to offer some food. Now they ascended to the house and entered it. The Qö'oqöqlöm had wrapped up some meat and laid it down. He also laid
down some peaches and watermelons, so that everything there became filled up; and they also now distributed some among the people. Having done that they went home. "You must at once send your father," the Katcinas instructed the mána, "then your father will make the following announcement:
"You people that are living here, thus I am informing you; from your houses there you must come down. Now you know our friends have brought something for us, and now you must all put that away somewhere, and to-morrow, when the sun shall rise, then we shall examine it."
The Katcinas now went home, and the rain clouds went home, and hence it did not rain, and the people were now thinking: "Why did he announce that we should clean our houses?" but the people now slept. Now, in the morning the sun was rising and they looked through their houses, and they were filled with everything; corn ears, watermelons, melons, meat, beans, and with everything. And from then the people were rich on account of that maiden. So they were very happy.
But when after a while they had eaten all that, they had no longer meat to eat. The maiden now became homesick after Kíshiwu, and she thought of going there. She became sick and died, and on that account she went to Kishíwu, and there she is now living.
71:1 Told by Lomávântiwa (Shupaúlavi).
71:2 This name is spoken differently in different villages: Kí'shiwuu, Kíshiwu, and Kishíwu.