The Religious Life of the Zuñi Child

by Matilda Coxe Stevenson

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 ^tSī-^tsī-^tki (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 ^tSī-^tSī ^tki, 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.

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. XXI.

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

GROUP OF SÄ-LÄ-MŌ-BĪ-YA MASKS.

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 ^tSī-^tsī-^tki 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-^tke-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.

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. 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 ^tSī-^tsī-^tki 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.

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. 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.