Outlines of Zuñi Creation Myths 1

Outlines of Zuñi Creation Myths 1

Outlines of Zuñi Creation Myths

Thirteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1891-1892,

Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 321-448

: Frank Hamilton Cushing

 

CONTENTS

 

 

Page

Introductory 325

The survival of early Zuñi traits 325

Outline of Spanish-Zuñi history 326

Outline of pristine Zuñi history 341

Outline of Zuñi mytho-sociologic organization 367

General explanations relative to the text 373

 

Myths 379

The genesis of the worlds, or the beginning of newness 379

The genesis of men and the creatures 379

The gestation of men and the creatures 381

The forthcoming from earth of the foremost of men 381

The birth from the sea of the Twain deliverers of men 381

The birth and delivery of men and the creatures 382

The condition of men when first into the world of daylight born 383

The origin of priests and of knowledge 384

The origin of the Raven and the Macaw, totems of winter and

summer 384

The origin and naming of totem-clans and creature kinds, and

the division and naming of spaces and things 386

The origin of the councils of secrecy or sacred brotherhoods 387

The unripeness and instability of the world when still young 388

The hardening of the world, and the first settlement of men 388

The beginning of the search for the Middle of the world, and

the second tarrying of men 390

The learning of war, and the third tarrying 390

The meeting of the People of Dew, and the fourth tarrying 390

The generation of the seed of seeds, or the origin of corn 391

The renewal of the search for the Middle 398

The choosing of seekers for signs of the Middle 398

The change-making sin of the brother and sister 399

The birth of the Old-ones or ancients of the Kâ´kâ 401

The renewal of the great journey, and the sundering of the

tribes of men 403

The origin of death by dying, and the abode of souls and the

Kâ´kâ 404

The loss of the great southern clans 405

The saving of the father-clans 405

The awaiting of the lost clans 406

The straying of K‘yäk´lu, and his plaint to the Water-fowl 406

How the Duck, hearing, was fain to guide K‘yäk´lu 407

How the Rainbow-worm bore K‘yäk´lu to the plain of Kâ´‘hluëlane 408

The tarrying of K‘yäk´lu in the plain, and his dismay 409

How the Duck found the lake of the dead and the gods of the

Kâ´kâ 409

How the gods of the Kâ´kâ counselled the Duck 410

How by behest of the Duck the Kâ´yemäshi sought K‘yäk´lu to

convey him to the lake of the dead 410

How the Kâ´yemäshi bore K‘yäk´lu to the council of the gods 411

The council of the Kâ´kâ, and the instruction of K‘yäk´lu by

the gods 412

The instruction of the Kâ´yemäshi by K‘yäk´lu 413

How the Kâ´yemäshi bore K‘yäk´lu to his people 413

The return of K‘yäk´lu, and his sacred instructions to the

people 413

The enjoining of the K‘yäk´lu Ámosi, and the departure of

K‘yäk´lu and the Old-ones 414

The coming of the brothers Ánahoho and the runners of the Kâ´kâ 414

The dispatching of the souls of things to the souls of the dead 415

The renewal of the great journeying, and of the search for the

Middle 415

The warning-speech of the gods, and the untailing of men 416

The origin of the Twin Gods of War and of the Priesthood of the

Bow 417

The downfall of Hán‘hlipiŋk‘ya, and the search anew for the

Middle 424

The wars with the Black people of the high buildings and with

the ancient woman of the K‘yákweina and other Kâ´kâkwe 424

The adoption of the Black people, and the division of the clans

to search for the Middle 425

The northward eastern journey of the Winter clans 426

The southward eastern journey of the Summer clans 426

The eastward middle journey of the People of the Middle 427

The settlement of Zuñi-land, and the building of the seven

great towns therein 427

The reunion of the People of the Middle with the Summer and

Seed peoples 428

The great council of men and the beings for the determination

of the true Middle 428

The establishment of the fathers and their tabernacle at

Hálonawan or the Erring-place of the Middle 429

The flooding of the towns, and the building of the City of Seed

on the mountain 429

The staying of the flood by sacrifice of the youth and maiden,

and the establishment of Hálona Ítiwana on the true Middle 429

The custom of testing the Middle in the Middle time 429

The cherishing of the Corn maidens and their custom as of old 430

The murmuring of the foolish anent the custom of the Corn

maidens 430

The council of the fathers that the perfection of the custom be

accomplished 431

The observance of the ‘Hláhekwe custom, or dance of the Corn

maidens 431

The sending of the Twain Priests of the Bow, that they bespeak

the aid of Paíyatuma and his Flute people 432

The finding of Paíyatuma, and his custom of the flute 433

The preparations for the coming of Paíyatuma and his People of

the Flute 434

The coming of Paíyatuma and his Dance of the Flute 435

The sacrilege of the youths of the dance, and the fleeting of

the Maidens of Corn 435

The mourning for loss of the Maidens of Corn 435

The seeking of the Maidens of Corn by the Eagle 436

The seeking of the Maidens of Corn by the Falcon 437

The seeking of the Maidens of Corn by the Raven 438

The beseeching of Paíyatuma, and his reversal of the people's

evil 439

The seeking of the Maidens of Corn by Paíyatuma 442

The finding of the Maidens of Corn in Summerland 443

The return of the Maidens of Corn with Paíyatuma 443

The presentation of the perfected seed to the fathers of men,

and the passing of the Maidens of Seed 443

The instructions of Paíyatuma for the ordinances and customs of

the corn perfecting 445

The final instructions of Paíyatuma, and his passing 446

 

 

 

 

OUTLINES OF ZUÑI CREATION MYTHS

 

BY FRANK HAMILTON CUSHING

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTORY

 

 

THE SURVIVAL OF EARLY ZUÑI TRAITS.

 

During the earlier years of my life with the Zuñi Indians of

western-central New Mexico, from the autumn of 1879 to the winter

of 1881--before access to their country had been rendered easy by

the completion of the Atlantic and Pacific railroad,--they remained,

as regards their social and religious institutions and customs and

their modes of thought, if not of daily life, the most archaic of the

Pueblo or Aridian peoples. They still continue to be, as they have

for centuries been, the most highly developed, yet characteristic and

representative of all these people.

 

In fact, it is principally due to this higher development by the

Zuñi, than by any of the other Pueblos, of the mytho-sociologic

system distinctive in some measure of them all at the time of the

Spanish conquest of the southwest, that they have maintained so long

and so much more completely than any of the others the primitive

characteristics of the Aridian phase of culture; this despite the

fact that, being the descendants of the original dwellers in the

famous "Seven Cities of Cibola," they were the earliest known

of all the tribes within the territory of the United States.

Like the other Pueblos, the Zuñians, when discovered, were found