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
When people were living below they became quarrelsome, and some very depraved. Chiefs decide to find another place to live. They send bird Mótsni to find place of exit. He is unsuccessful. They then send Mocking-bird, who finds place of exit. In meanwhile chiefs cause great flood. Many Bálölöokong-wuus come with water and many people are destroyed. On return of Mocking-bird chiefs announce they will leave in four days. They then plant pine-tree and make it grow fast by singing. It grows to opening, but it is not strong enough for many people to climb on. They plant a stronger kind of pine. This does Hot reach opening, and they plant reed, which is strong and grows through the opening. They also plant sun-flower, but its disk protrudes downward before it reaches opening. Spider Woman, Pöokonghoya, his brother Bálöongawhoya, and Mocking-bird climb pine through opening, and then Pöokónghoya holds firmly to pine and his brother to reed. Mocking-bird sits singing songs still chanted at Wúwûchim ceremony. People begin to climb, and as they emerge, Mocking-bird assigns them places and gives them languages. Language spoken in under-world that of Pueblo Indians. Songs of Mocking-bird are exhausted before all people come out, and others begin to return. Kik-wongi from below is with people around opening. His
half-grown son dies and is buried. He says some Powáka has come out with them. He makes ball of fine corn-meal and throws it upwards. It comes down on head of chief's nephew. Chief grabs him to throw him back. Nephew tells chief to look down opening. He looks down and sees son walking, so lets nephew remain. There is no sunshine. Light is seen at distance, and chief sends some one to see about it. He finds field where corn, etc., planted, and fire burning all around field to keep ground warm. Then he sees very handsome man, Skeleton, by whose side is standing very ugly mask. Skeleton feeds messenger and invites all people to come to him. They go and remain there. They make fields, and when they have gathered crop they plan to start off again. They still have no sun, and it is cold. They paint disk of buffalo hide white, with picture of woman in black, and place it on large piece of native cloth. Some one stands on moon symbol and chiefs swing cloth and throw it upward. It flies eastward into sky, and moon comes up in cast. The light is dim, and it is still cold, so they try to make something better. They cut round piece of cloth, stretch it over ring, and paint and decorate it, as sun symbol still used, attaching nakwákwosis to it. They place symbol with man on cloth, which they swing into air. It twirls upward toward east and sun rises. It is now warm and light and people think of moving on. They decide to go towards sunrise, but to divide into parties, White People going south, Hopi north, and Pueblos between them. They soon become estranged and attack one another. Castilians are especially bad. They agree that when one of parties reaches place where sun rises, stars will fall from sky, and other parties are to settle down where they are. Woman in one party makes horses from scalps rubbed off from her body, and they arrive first and many stars fall. Those who arrive at sunrise are to help others when they are molested by enemies.