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To the ladder leading into the kiva were usually tied a skin of a gray
fox and one of a yellow fox. Another Hurúing Wuhti lived in the ocean in
the west in a similar kiva, but to her ladder was attached a turtle-shell
rattle.
The Sun also existed at that time. Shortly before rising in the east the
Sun would dress up in the skin of the gray fox, whereupon it would begin
to dawn--the so-called white dawn of the Hopi. After a little while the
Sun would lay off the gray skin and put on the yellow fox skin, whereupon
the bright dawn of the morning--the so-called yellow dawn of the
Hopi--would appear. The Sun would then rise, that is, emerge from an
opening in the north end of the kiva in which Hurúing Wuhti lived.
When arriving in the west again, the sun would first announce his arrival
by fastening the rattle on the point of the ladder beam, whereupon he
would enter the kiva, pass through an opening in the north end of the
kiva, and continue his course eastward under the water and so on.
By and by these two deities caused some dry land to appear in the midst of
the water, the waters receding eastward and westward. The Sun passing over
this dry land constantly took notice of the fact, that no living being of
any kind could be seen anywhere, and mentioned this fact to the two
deities. So one time the Hurúing Wuhti of the west sent word through the
Sun to the Hurúing Wuhti in the east to come over to her as she wanted to
talk over this matter. The Hurúing Wuhti of the east complied with this
request and proceeded to the West over a rainbow. After consulting each
other on this point the two concluded that they would create a little
bird; so the deity of the east made a wren of clay, and covered it up with
a piece of native cloth (möchápu).
Hereupon they sang a song over it, and after a little while the little
bird showed signs of life. Uncovering it, a live bird came forth, saying:
"Úma hínok pas nui kitâ' náwakna_" (why do you want me so quickly). "Yes,"
they said, "we want you to fly all over this dry place and see whether you
can find anything living." They thought that as the Sun always passed over
the middle of the earth, he might have failed to notice any living beings
that might exist in the north or the south. So the little Wren, flew al
over the earth, but upon its return reported that no living being existed
anywhere.
Tradition says, however, that by this time Spider Woman (Kóhk'ang Wuhti),
lived somewhere in the south-west at the edge of the water, also in a
kiva, but this the little bird had failed to notice.
Hereupon the deity of the west proceeded to make very many birds of
different kinds and form, placing them again under the same cover under
which the Wren had been brought, to life. They again sang a song over
them. Presently the birds began to move under the cover. The goddess
removed the cover and found under it all kinds of birds and fowls. "Why do
you want us so quickly_" the latter asked. "Yes, we want you to inhabit
this world."
Hereupon the two deities taught every kind of bird the sound that it
should make, and then the birds scattered out in all directions.
Hereupon the Hurúing Wuhti of the west made of clay all different kinds of
animals, and they were brought to life in the same manner as the birds.
They also asked the same question: "Why do you want us so quickly_" "We
want you to inhabit this earth," was the reply given them, whereupon they
were taught by their creators their different sounds or languages, after
which they proceeded forth to inhabit the different parts of the earth.
They now concluded that they would create man. The deity of the east made
of clay first a woman and then a man, who were brought to life in exactly
the same manner as the birds and animals before them. They asked the same
question, and were told that they should live upon this earth and should
understand everything. Hereupon the Hurúing Wuhti of the east made two
tablets of some hard substance, whether stone or clay tradition does not
say, and drew upon them with the wooden stick certain characters, handing
these tablets to the newly created man and woman, who looked at them, but
did not know what they meant.
So the deity of the east rubbed with the palms of her hands, first the
palms of the woman and then the palms of the man, by which they were
enlightened so that they understood the writing on the tablets. Hereupon
the deities taught these two a language. After they had taught them the
language, the goddess of the east took them out of the kiva and led them
over a rainbow, to her home in the east. There they stayed four days,
after which Hurúing Wuhti told them to go now and select for themselves a
place and live there.
The two proceeded forth saying that they would travel around a while and
wherever they would find a good field they would remain. Finding a nice
place at last, they built a small, simple house, similar to the old houses
of the Hopi. Soon the Hurúing Wuhti of the west began to think of the
matter again, and said to herself : "This is not the way yet that it
should be. We are not done yet," and communicated her thoughts to the
Hurúing Wuhti of the east. By this time Spider Woman had heard about all
this matter and she concluded to anticipate the others and also create
some beings. So she also made a man and woman of clay, covered them up,
sang over them, and brought to life her handiwork.
But these two proved to be Spaniards. She taught them the Spanish
language, also giving them similar tablets and imparting knowledge to them
by rubbing their hands in the same manner as the woman of the East had
done with the "White Men." Hereupon she created two burros, which she gave
to the Spanish man and woman. The latter settled down close by. After
this, Spider Woman continued to create people in the same manner as she
had created the Spaniards, always a man and a woman, giving a different
language to each pair. But all at once she found that she had forgotten to
create a woman for a certain man, and that is the reason why now there are
always some single men.
She continued the creating of people in the same manner, giving new
languages as the pairs were formed. All at once she found that she had
failed to create a man for a certain woman, in other words, it was found
that there was one more woman than there were men. "Oh my!'' she said,
"How is this_" and then addressing the single woman she said: ''There is a
single man somewhere, who went away from here. You try to find him and if
he accepts you, you live with him. If not, both of you will have to remain
single. You do the best you can about that."
The two finally found each other, and the woman said, "Where shall we
live_" The man answered: "Why here, anywhere. We shall remain together."
So he went to work and built a house for them in which they lived. But it
did not take very long before they commenced to quarrel with each other.
"I want to live here alone," the woman said. "I can prepare food for
myself." ''Yes, but who will get the wood for you_ Who will work the
fields_" the man said. "We had better remain together." They made up with
each other, but peace did not last.
They soon quarreled again, separated for a while, came together again,
separated again, and so on. Had these people not lived in that way, all
the other Hopi would now live in peace, but others learned it from them,
and that is the reason why there are so many contentions between the men
and their wives. These were the kind of people that Spider Woman had
created. The Hurúing Wuhti of the west heard about this and commenced to
meditate upon it.
Soon she called the goddess from the east to come over again, which the
latter did. "I do not want to live here alone," the deity of the west
said, "I also want some good people to live here." So she also created a
number of other people, but always a man and a wife. They were created in
the same manner as the deity of the east had created hers. They lived in
the west. Only wherever the people that Spider Woman had created came in
contact with these good people there was trouble. The people at that time
led a nomadic life, living mostly on game. Wherever they found rabbits or
antelope or deer they would kill the game and eat it.
This led to a good many contentions among the people. Finally the Woman of
the west said to her people: "You remain here; I am going to live, after
this, in the midst of the ocean in the west. When you want anything from
me, you pray to me there." Her people regretted this very much, but she
left them. The Hurúing Wuhti of the east did exactly the same thing, and
that is the reason why at the present day the places where these two live
are never seen.
Those Hopi who now want something from them deposit their prayer offerings
in the village. When, they say their wishes and prayers they think of
those two who live in the far distance, but of whom the Hopi believe that
they still remember them.
The Spanish were angry at Hurúing Wuhti and two of them took their guns
and proceeded to the abiding place of the deity. The Spaniards are very
skillful and they found a way to get there. When they arrived at the house
of Hurúing Wuhti the latter at once surmised what their intentions were.
"You have come to kill me," she said; "don't do that; lay down your
weapons and I shall show you something; I am not going to hurt you."
They laid down their arms, whereupon she went to the rear end of the kiva
and brought out a white lump like a stone and laid it before the two men,
asking them to lift it up. One tried it, but could not lift it up, and
what was worse, his hands adhered to the stone. The other man tried to
assist him, but his hands also adhered to the stone, and thus they were
both prisoners. Hereupon Hurúing Wuhti took the two guns and said: "These
do not amount to anything," and then rubbed them between her hands to
powder.
She then said to them: "You people ought to live in peace with one
another. You people of Spider Woman know many things, and the people whom
we have made also know many, but different, things. You ought not to
quarrel about these things, but learn from one another; if one has or
knows a good thing he should exchange it with others for other good things
that they know and have. If you will agree to this I shall release you.
They said they did, and that they would no more try to kill the deity.
Then the latter went to the rear end of the kiva where she disappeared
through an opening in the floor, from where she exerted a secret influence
upon the stone and thus released the two men.
They departed, but Hurúing Wuhti did not fully trust them, thinking that
they would return, but they never did.
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