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The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com


1.--ORIGIN MYTH.

When nothing but water, Hurúing Wuhti, deity of hard substances, lives in ocean in east. Another Hurúing Wuhti lives in ocean in west. Sun also exists, and before rising in cast dresses in skin of gray fox, but soon exchanges it for skin of yellow fox, whereupon morning dawns. Two deities cause dry land to appear in midst of water. Sun sees no living being and tells deities. They consult and make Wren of clay. Wren flies over earth and reports no living being exists. However, Spider Woman is living in southwest. Deity of west makes many other birds to inhabit world. The two deities teach them sounds they should make. Deity of west makes different kinds of animals, which are taught their different languages. Deity of east makes of clay first woman, then man, to live on earth and understand everything. Deity makes two tablets of hard substance and draws characters on them with wooden stick. She rubs with palms of hands palms of woman and man, who then understand writing on tablets. Deities teach them language. Deity of east takes them over rainbow to her home. They stay four days, and then she tells them to go and select place to live. They build small house. Spider Woman makes man and woman of clay. They are Spaniards. She teaches them Spanish language and gives them tablets and imparts knowledge to them by rubbing hands, as deity of east had done with "white man," She creates two burros for them. Spider Woman creates other men and women, giving different language to each pair. She forgets to create woman for certain man, and afterwards fails to create man for certain woman. Tells woman to go and find man and live with him. They meet and live together, but they soon quarrel and separate. They come together again, and separate, and so on. This is why there are so many contentions between men and their wives. Hurúing Wuhti of west now creates many people in pairs, husband and wife. They live in west and lead nomadic life, living on game. There are many contentions among people, and deity of west goes to live in ocean in west. Tells people to pray to her there. Deity in east does something. Spanish are angry and two go with guns to abiding-place of Hurúing Wuhti. She gets them to lay down their arms and asks them to lift stone. They try and their hands adhere to stone. Deity then rubs guns to powder and disappears through opening in floor of kiva. From there she exerts influence on stone and releases men when they promise to exchange with others good things they have.


Next: 2.--Hurúing Wuhti and the Sun.