The Religious Life of the Zuñi Child

by Matilda Coxe Stevenson

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.