USA > Arizona > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 18
USA > New Mexico > The marvellous country : or, Three years in Arizona and New Mexico, the Apaches' home > Part 18
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It was s me time after we reached the summit of the mesa before we could bring our minds to the examination and contemplation of the objects more immediately around us, so completely were we lost in admiration at the sight of the wonderful and magnificent picture, painted by the hand of the great Creator, that had thus suddenly and unex- pectedly been revealed to our view.
A comprehensive survey of our surroundings discovered the fact that we were upon a level plateau comprising many acres, upon which was standing a magnificent grove of cedars, surrounded by crumbling walls, evidently of great antiquity, some portions of them eight and ten feet in height, while in other places but a few inches were to be discerned peeping out from the luxuriant vegetation, that seemed striving to conceal from human ken all vestige of the ancient ruins with which the top of the lofty summit was covered.
Towering high upon the side of this mighty mesa, two sin- gularly-formed columns of sandstone rose almost to the level
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338
LEGEND OF THE DELUGE.
of the plateau on which we stood, each covered with what, at first sight, appeared to be human figures, of colossal size.
Of these remarkable formations our guide gave us the following history, which I shall here relate, hoping that it may prove as interesting to the reader as it did to us.
"Ages before the first appearance of the white man, a dreadful flood visited the earth. Water fell from the heavens, gushed forth from the earth, and rolled in from the east and from the west, until the whole earth was sub- merged, destroying not only man and beast, but the wild Apache and the tawny coyote as well.
"Many of the people of Zuni rushed to the top of this lofty mesa; but by far the greater part, being unable to reach it, miserably perished in the surging waters.
"In the midst of all this terrible flood, darkness came upon the earth. The sun forgot to rise, and gloom and desolation reigned supreme.
"Still the waters rose higher and higher, the Great Spirit thus showing himself to be exceedingly wroth with his children, who must offer him a fitting sacrifice, in order to appease his anger, and induce him to abate the flood that he hal so suddenly and disastrously visited upon them.
""After much hesitation, and many forebodings of evil, they at last determined to offer the only son and daughter of their cacique, the most beautiful youth and maiden in the tribe, as a propitiatory sacrifice.
339
FOUNDATION OF ZUNI.
"Binding their victims hand and foot, they carried them to the edge of the bluff, and hurled them into the seething waters below.
"In a short time the flood was assuaged, having reached the line, at this day distinctly visible, about thirty feet below the top of the mesa.
"The small remnant of the people of Zuni, who had sought and found a refuge on the summit of the mesa, were thus saved; and they here built the town, the ruins of which were around us, and erected the two monuments before spoken of, to mark the spot where the beautiful victims were made an offering to appease the wrath of the Great Spirit, that the remembrance of this terrible catastrophe might be perpetuated to the end of all time."
These pillars, although bearing a very strange and most remarkable resemblance to human figures, are, without doubt, the work of Nature; yet they are greatly venerated by every Zuni.
We now started to visit the cedar grove, some little dis- tance from the spot where we had been standing.
As we drew near the place that contains the sacred altars where many of the religious rites and ceremonies of the Zunis are celebrated, a singular appearance of mingled veneration and fear came over the countenance of the old councillor who accompanied us; and as he approached the spot with hesitating footsteps, he took from a small bag, that
340
INCANTATION SCENE.
hung suspended from his neck, a quantity of white powder, and placing it upon a small silver plate which he took from his girdle, he turned his face towards the south, holding a small portion of the powder between his thumb and fore- finger; and, while muttering some mysterious words of
th
ZUNI ALTARS AND INCANTATION SCENE.
incantation, gently blew it into the air, after which we were permitted to enter the sacred precincts of the grove.
We were afterwards informed that the scene we had witnessed was a most solemn invocation to the spirit of Montezuma that he might shortly fulfil the promise mad? to
341
ZUNI ALTARS.
his people, to once more return and lead them; that the powder used was obtained in some mysterious manner, known only to the high-priest; and that the offering thus made so pleased the Great Spirit, that he always gladdened the earth with rain, and then blessed them with bountiful crops.
We found many of these altars in the grove. They were generally oval in form, between two and three yards long, quite low, and the head, which was designated by a feathered arrow and a kind of net-work screen, always stood facing the south, towards which point of compass Montezuma was supposed to have gone when he left his children of the pueblos.
The foot of the altars was indicated by a cedar board, or stake, standing about three feet above the ground, while in the centre of the altar lay a small piece of cedar, elaborately carved.
The outside of each one of the altars was marked by a row of shells, or rare stones, or by arrows beautifully feathered and painted. Many of the altars were very ancient, having probably existed hundreds of years.
Under no circumstances is a stranger permitted to touch one of them, or even to visit them, unless accompanied by a proper escort. I very much regretted that it was impos- sible for us to more definitely ascertain the nature of the peculiar rites and ceremonies performed here. We only
342
RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF THE ZUNIS.
learned that they were entirely of a religious character, and that one of them was supposed to be instrumental in averting dire calamity, like that which befell the people in 1852, when nearly half the entire population perished from the ravages of the small-pox.
The people of Zuni cling most devotedly to the old customs and traditions, as well as to the religious rites of
TENAJA TAKEN FROM THE RUINS OF OLD ZUNI.
their ancestors, notwithstanding the fact that they permit a Catholic church to exist among them.
Indeed, they attributed by far the greater portion of all their temporal prosperity, and the immunity of their country from severe droughts, to these observances; consequently, there are but few apostates among the Zunis.
They firmly believe in one Great Spirit, and that Monte- zuma is his son, who, at some future time, will come and lead them, as he has most faithfully promised.
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EXTENT OF THE RUINS.
The ruins which surrounded us consisted for the most part of stone walls, covered, in places, with a kind of stucco made of mud. They extended over an area of about thirty acres, and showed traces of great beauty in their architec- tural strength and design. Of their great antiquity, there can be no doubt.
Many remnants of painted pottery have been discovered, some being quite similar to those found upon the Gila. The accompanying cuts show the general form of the vessels.
DRINKING VESSEL FROM OLD ZUNI.
The earthen spoon, a cut of which is also given, was dug out from beneath a pile of broken pottery found in these ruins. Many arrow-heads of obsidian have also been found here.
Our guide proved a most intelligent and well-informed man, speaking the Spanish language with sufficient fluency to give us much valuable information concerning the customs and traditions of his tribe.
While reclining beneath the shade of the whispering cedars, he gave an account of the Zuni belief of the creation, which I found so interesting that I purpose to give it in the
344
FAITH.
succeeding chapter, hoping it may prove as entertaining to the reader as it did to me-listening to it, within sight of the sacred altars, and upon ground consecrated by the ancestors of the man who related it, with an earnestness and solemnity that did not fail to inspire us with a deep sense of the abiding faith that the narrator placed in its authenticity.
EARTHEN SPOON FROM OLD ZUNI.
Should the reader be tempted to smile at this somewhat amusing history of the creation of the sun and moon, and of the manner of embroidering the stars in the firmament, let him remember that our own religious belief is a simple ques- tion of faith, and that the creed of the Zuni is as dear to him as is the Biblical account sacred to Christian people.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Coyote N the beginning, the Zunis, the Navajoes, the Pueblos, and the Americans, all lived peacefully together in a hollow portion of the San Francisco Mountain. Here they subsisted upon meat alone, for the Great Spirit had beneficently given them all the beasts of the plain and the birds of the air to do with as seemed best while they should be confined in the cave.
The walls of the cave were of solid silver, and reflected the light in such a faint and mysterious manner, that a sort of dim twilight prevailed a certain portion of the time, which answered for their day. Among the Zunis living in the cave was a blind old man, whose sense of hearing was so wonderfully acute, that one day, as a huge eagle was flap- 44 (345)
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LEGEND OF THE CREATION.
ping its great wings, he accidentally struck the top of the cave with one of them, which attracted the attention of the blind man, who fancied it gave forth a hollow sound.
Perplexed and wondering at the phenomenon, he men- tioned it to one of the old men near by, and the two con- ceived the idea of discovering, if possible, the cause of this singular sound.
After much hesitation and many surmises, they called to their aid a woodpecker, and sending him up to the spot, he attempted to force a hole into the wall with his bill, but it so effectually resisted his efforts that he finally decided that it was an impossible thing to accomplish, so returned to those who had dispatched him on the errand.
Not despairing of ultimate success, however, the two men prevailed upon the eagle to try his strength. He flew to the top of the wall, and striking a tremendous blow with his strong beak, succeeded in cracking it, so that a moth worm, on being sent up, after much difficulty forced an entrance through the opening thus created.
Upon emerging from the crevice, he found himself upon the outside of the cave, and completely surrounded by water ; so he immediately threw up a little mound of earth, and sat down upon it, to consider his situation, and ascertain what was before him.
As soon as his eyes became accustomed to the gloom which prevailed over all things, he saw four great white
347
THE FOUR WHITE SWANS.
swans, stationed at each of the cardinal points, and carrying an arrow under each wing.
The swan from the North, upon observing the worm, immediately came towards it, and, thrusting one of the arrows through its body, quickly withdrew it. After examining it very attentively for a while, he exclaimed, in a loud voice, "This worm is of our race," and then sailed majestically back to his station in the North.
The poor worm was obliged to undergo this terrible ordeal three times more, until each one of the four swans had, in this cruel and barbarous manner, ascertained to their satisfaction that he belonged to their race.
As soon as the last swan had returned to his station, a terrible noise was heard, accompanied by such a com- motion in the water, that the worm gave himself up for lost; when suddenly, out of the noise and confusion, four great aroyas were formed, extending to the north, south, east, and west, which drained off all the waters; leaving a hard, pebbly bottom of dry ground.
Upon seeing this, the worm returned to the old men in the cave, and made report of the wonderful things he had witnessed, showing his wounded body as a proof of his statements.
After deliberation, the old men determined to send the bear up, and he was forthwith dispatched, with orders to enlarge the crevice and force his way through to the
348
THE FOUR NATIONS.
other side. With a great deal of hard work, he finally succeeded in digging a hole sufficiently large to admit the passage of both men and animals. The old men, upon learning this fact, summoned all the residents of the cave, and consulted with them, when it was finally decided to emerge from their present home into the newly-discov- ered country above.
The Navajoes were the first to come forth, and when fairly upon the outside, instead of assisting the others, they organized a game of patole, which they are passion- ately fond of, and play with great dexterity to this day.
Next came the Zunis, who immediately commenced building houses. Then came the Pueblos; and, in order to distinguish themselves from the Navajoes, who had so selfishly deserted them, they cut their hair straight across their foreheads, and also induced the Zunis to imitate their example. Last of all came the Americans, who no sooner succeeded in obtaining their freedom, than they started off by themselves in the direction in which the sun rises, nor have they ever been heard from until very recently.
Up to this point, all the people who inhabited the cave spoke the' same language; but no sooner had they sepa- rated, than, in some mysterious manner, their dialect was changed, each tribe speaking a language that was not un- derstood by the others.
349
WHO BUILT THE SUN?
As the birds and beasts came forth, they at once betook themselves to the woods or to the plains, and there made their abode. The Great Spirit, in pity for their helpless- ness, gave them the domestic animals, and these have always remained with them as their servants.
At the time the earth was first peopled, it was very small, and there existed neither sun, moon, nor stars. As the light was quite insufficient for the needs of the inhabi- tants, a council of all the old men was held to ascertain if something could not be done to remedy this most serious inconvenience, and they finally decided that it was nec- essary, not only to have a sun, moon, and stars, but also a firmament in which to place them.
This decision having been arrived at, each nation was allotted its share of the work of construction.
The Navajoes preferred their claim for the first choice, as they were the most daring, and were the first to take the risk of venturing forth from the cave.
The old men recognized the justice of their claim, and to them was assigned the task of building the sun; but as the Navajoes know nothing of the art of house-building, the Zunis volunteered to help, to the extent of erecting for them a building of sufficient size to serve for a work- shop. This being completed, the Navajoes shut themselves up with the materials they had gathered together for tools, and went to work at their task.
350
THE MOON AND STARS?
To the Zunis was allotted the building of the heavens, and placing therein the moon, which they were also to construct; while the Pueblos contracted to supply the stars, and broider them in the firmament. The Americans, on account of their hasty departure, and the evident desire man- ifested by them to escape the toil and labor necessarily following in such a work of creation and organization, were assigned no task, the old men declaring they should have no hand in the construction or management. Thus it came to pass that the Americans lost much prestige at the outset.
The heavens being completed, they were at once elevated to their place, where, owing to the pressure of the ascending air from the earth, they have ever since remained.
The Navajoes met with a great many difficulties in the completion of their work, and were finally obliged to call to their assistance the Zunis, who, with a spirit of liberal- ity quite wonderful, when the fact of the selfishness of the Navajoes is taken into consideration, cheerfully acceded to their request, and at once sent a deputation of their most skilled workmen to aid in completing and elevating to its place the great luminary that shines for all.
How they accomplished their work, or what means were used to cause it to so admirably dispense its light and heat, is a subject that our informant did not enlighten us upon. The sun and moon were both placed in charge of the two
351
WHO SPOILT THE BROIDERY?
oldest Zunis in the tribe, who have been carrying them ever since; and as the earth grows each year, they are obliged to remove with them farther back so that they may not scorch its surface. At the time of their construction, the sun and moon were made precisely alike, but the man who carries the moon has got so far from the surface of the earth that we no longer feel the heat from that orb.
In the mean time, the Pueblos had been most vigorously at work manufacturing stars, and had a large number ready for broidering in the firmament.
This they had commenced to do in the most beautiful man- ner, so as to represent bears, fishes, women, etc .; and while engaged in the pleasant occupation, a coyote chanced to pass by, and seeing the great lot of stars, and the delicacy of the operation of embroidering them, said, "What's the use of taking so much trouble with these stars? Stick 'em in anywhere." And, suiting the action to the word, he bounded upon the pile, and in an instant had scattered them promiscuously all over the face of the heavens. This is the reason why we have so few constellations, and why the stars are scattered in so singular and wonderful a man- ner over the firmament, instead of having the beautiful images that the Pueblos originally intended.
Thus is here given, in a most satisfactory and compre- hensive manner, the solution of the problem that, I venture to say, has puzzled quite as many of the leading astrono-
352
THE GOOD GIFTS.
mers, as it has children of all ages and conditions, who have loved to watch the heavens on a starry night.
The springs of water found upon the surface were made when the earth was small; and the Sacred Spring at Zuni, being the first one made, is the great mother spring of all, and hence the Great Spirit has taken it under his especial care and protection, demanding that people of all nations shall hold it sacred.
As the earth grows, the springs become stretched farther and farther apart each year, and this is the reason they are so scarce on the earth's surface.
After the sun, moon, stars, and the heavens had been created, and were each filling their appropriate sphere, the old men called a council for the purpose of seeing how they could benefit their children, who were so dependent upon them for all the good gifts they might enjoy.
After deliberating a long whilc, they finally, with their own hands, constructed three tenajas, or water-jars, one of which they ornamented with figures of most elegant design and brilliant coloring; this they filled with worthless trash, bits of wool, and articles of no possible value.
The other two were of precisely the same size and shape, but made of very coarse common ware, and entirely unor- namented: one of these they filled with flocks and herds and implements of agriculture; the other with tools and all . kinds of useful articles. After covering the three tenajas,
353
THE CHOICE AND PROPHECY.
so as to effectually conceal their contents, they called together the different tribes, and said unto them, "Choose ! And as ye choose, so shall it always be with you through life."
The Navajoes, having preferred their claim to the first choice, upon its being allowed, immediately chose the beautiful tenaja, which they carried in triumph away, leaving the two plain ones to become the property of the Zunis and Pueblos.
The Zunis, choosing next, found their jar filled with agri- cultural and mechanical tools, as well as other useful arti- cles; and the Pueblos, upon opening the remaining jar, found it to contain flocks and herds, and articles with which to manufacture clothes, besides others of less value.
The Navajoes, after witnessing the opening of the plain jars, were quite jubilant at the prospect of the good things in store for them, and it was with no small degree of ostentatious pride that they proceeded to remove the cov- ering from the beautiful jar of their choice.
Imagine their chagrin and disappointment upon finding it filled with worthless trash, and containing not a single useful article. After the choice had been made, and the jars opened, the old men addressed the assembled tribes as fol- · lows: "Thus shall it ever be with you. You Navajoes shall always wander over the plains without permanent homes or habitations; you were pleased with the outside, and
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354
WHAT THE TURKEY BROUGHT.
stopped not to consider that it was but the shell which covered the meat; you permitted your eyes to lead you, to the exclusion of all other senses, and you must now abide the result of your own selfish acts."
To the Zunis and Pueblos they said: "You Zunis and Pueblos shall have fixed residences, be blessed with flocks and herds, and find food in the ground; you shall be an industrious and frugal people, and always enjoy the favor of the Great Spirit. He shall send you food and give you clothing, and thus shall you reap your reward."
Up to this time the people had no grain or fruits, but only the flesh of animals, and such roots and herbs as they had been able to obtain from the ground.
One evening, while the Zunis were sitting around their camp-fire, they heard a great noise, and looking up to ascertain its cause, discovered a beautiful white hen-turkey flying into their midst from the place where the morning- star rises.
This turkey alighted in the valley, upon the very spot where the pueblo of Zuni now stands. The beautiful bird was permitted to remain undisturbed, the people regarding her as a messenger from the Great Spirit.
Early in the morning, while dressing her plumage, an ear of corn dropped from under her wing; which was taken . possession of by the Zunis, and divided into three parts. The small end was given to the Navajoes, who, to this day,
355
SHOT INTO THE CLOUDS.
raise very inferior corn; to the Pueblos was given the middle portion, and they have much finer corn than the Navajoes; while the larger end was kept by the Zunis, who have always raised very fine corn.
The next evening the turkey came again, bringing with her, fruit and cereals ; but a great part of the grain which fell from under her wings was devoured by birds, and the remainder divided between the Zunis and Pueblos, who to this day raise fine fruits, as well as wheat, rye, etc.
Shortly after this, the oldest man among the Zunis determined to make a visit to his neighbors, the Navajoes. He reached their country in safety, but while there got into some difficulty with them, and they, taking advantage of their numbers and strength, and also to revenge them- selves upon the Zunis for the unfortunate choice they had made in the tenajas, placed the old man upon a bowstring, as they would an arrow, and shot him into the clouds, expecting to see him fall and be dashed to pieces upon the ground. Their consternation was great indeed, when they discovered that he did not return. Then they realized that they had given to the Zunis a guiding spirit who would ever watch over and protect them.
After many years the old man sent his son with mes- sages of love and affection, as well as assurances of protection for his children. The son remained with the Zunis for a great while, and they prospered, and became a
356
WHY THE DEAD ARE BURIED.
mighty nation; but one evil day, having become offended with them for some reason, he went away to the South, and was absent for a long time; when he returned he brought with him the Spaniards and fire-arms, as a punish- ment for their wickedness.
After some time the young man died, and the Spaniards returned again into Mexico. The body of the young man was carefully laid away, and two Zunis appointed to watch it. Three days later, when they went for it, they were much surprised to find that in some mysterious manner it had disappeared, nor could it be found.
Many days after, one of the old men of the Zunis visited the cave in the mountains from which the tribes had orig- inally emerged, and to his astonishment discovered the dead man sitting upon a block of solid silver shaped like a throne, engaged in cutting his hair after the fashion of the Pueblos. Upon speaking to him, the young man entirely ignored his question, but in a low, melodious tone spoke as follows : -
"All those who die must come down here and live with me in this our first home; for out of the earth they sprang, and to the earth must they return, where they shall dwell with me, and I with them, for this is our mother's home.".
Since that day the Zunis have always buried their dead in the ground.
From this simple narration of the Zunis' legend of the
STEIN'S PEAK BY MOONLIGHT.
357
DESCENT OF THE APACHES.
creation, it will be seen that they firmly maintain and cling to the idea of an entirely distinct and separate nation from either the Pueblos or Navajoes, from which latter nation they assert the Apaches are an offshoot.
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