It will be seen from the preceding account that the Alósaka rites are well developed in the ceremonies of the New-fire and Winter Solstice, in which the clans from the south who joined the Hopi are well represented, or in which religious societies and ceremonial paraphernalia brought by the Patuñ, Píba, Pátki, and related clans have preeminence. Study of the Alósaka myths reveals an explanation of the meaning of this relationship.
During his valuable studies among the Hopi, the late A. M. Stephen obtained an Alósaka legend which is recorded in his notes on the Keam collection, and is here quoted with explanations obtained by the author since Mr Stephen’s death.
“At the Red House in the south[17] internecine wars prevailed, and the two branches of the Pátki[18] people separated from the other Hopi and determined to return to the fatherland in the north.[19] But these two branches were not on the best of terms, and they traveled northward by separate routes, the [later settlers of] Micoñinovi[20] holding to the east of the [later settlers of] Walpi.
“The Pátki traveled north until they came to Little Colorado river, and built houses on both its banks.[21] After living there many years the factional dissensions, which seem to have ever haunted these people, again broke out, and the greater portion of them withdrew still farther north and built villages the ruins[22] of which are still discernible not far from the site of the villages their descendants inhabit at present.
“The Squash [Micoñinovi] also trended slowly northward, occupying, like all their legendary movements, a protracted period of indefinite length—years during which they planted and built homes alternating with years of devious travel. They grew lax in the observance of festivals, and Muinwû inflicted punishment upon them. He caused the water to turn red, and the color of the people also turned red; he then changed the water to blue, and the people changed to a similar color. The Snow katcina appeared and urged them to return to their religion, but they gave no heed to him, so he left them and took away corn. Muinwû then sent Palülükoñ,[23] who killed rabbits and poured their blood in the springs and streams, and all the water was changed to blood and the people were stricken with a plague. They now returned to their religious observances, and danced and sang, but none of the deities would listen to them.
“A horned katcina[24] appeared to the oldest woman and told her that on the following morning the oldest man should go out and procure a root, and that she and a young virgin of her clan should eat it. After a time she (the old woman) would give birth to a son who would marry the virgin, and their offspring would redeem the people. The old woman and the virgin obeyed the katcina, and the former gave birth to a son who had two horns upon his head. The people would not believe that the child was of divine origin; they called it a monster and killed it.
“After this all manner of distressing punishments were inflicted upon them, and wherever they halted the grass immediately withered and dried. Their wanderings brought them to the foot of the San Francisco mountains, where they dwelt for a long time, and at that place the virgin gave birth to a daughter who had a little knob on each side of her forehead. They preserved this child, and when she had grown to be a woman, the horned katcina[25] appeared and announced to her that she would give birth to horned twins, who would bring rain and remove the punishment from their people. This woman was married, and the twins, a boy and a girl, were born; but she concealed their divine origin, fearing they would be destroyed.
“The Patuñ [Squash][26] now moved to the Little Colorado where they built houses and met some of the Pátki people to whom they related their distresses. A wise man of the Pátki came over to them, and on seeing the twins at once pronounced them to be the Alósaka. They had no horns up to this time, but as soon as this announcement was made, their horns became visible and the twins then spoke to the people and said that it had been ordained that they were to be unable to help their people until the people themselves discovered who they were. The Patuñ were so enraged to think that the Alósaka had been with them, unknown so many years, that they killed them, and still greater sufferings ensued.
“They again repented, and carved two stone images of the Alósaka which they painted and decked with feathers and sought to propitiate the mother. She was full of pity for her people, and prayed to the Sky-god[27] to relieve them. A period elapsed in which their sufferings were in great measure abated.
“The Patuñ then sought to join the Pátki clans, but the Pátki would not permit this, and compelled them to keep east of Awatobi.