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In these mountains lived many
Katcinas. Those people sometimes had ceremonies (híhta totók'a yû'ngwa),
but they did not yet know the Katcinas.
One time some of the Katcinas also assembled in their kiva in the
mountains, and dressed up, getting ready for a dance. They then descended
and came to the village in the night, where they commenced to dance on the
plaza. The people were still sleeping, but soon heard the noise of the
dance and arose and came to the Plaza. Here they saw the Katcinas dance.
The latter, however, did not accompany their dance by singing.
By the side of the line of dancers danced a Katcina Uncle (Katcina Táha).
The people, not knowing what or who the dancers were. became angry and
concluded among themselves that they wanted to kill them. The Katcinas
heard what the people said about wanting to kill them and ran away. West
of the village they Jumped from a bluff into a large crack. These were the
Snow (Nûva) Katcinas, the Uncle being a Hotóto Katcina. The Katcina Uncle
was in the lead when they jumped in the crack. Here the people who had
followed them set fire to them and burned them up. The Katcina Uncle who
was at the bottom was not burned. Early in the morning he crept out and
returned home to the mountains, singing the following song as he walked
along:
Tanayo, tanayo,
Kayohatii! kayahatii!
Tanayo, tanayo, tanayo, tanayo
Kayohatii! kayahatii!
Nahanahay, Hotóto, palaka.
I myself (the) Hotóto emerged.
[The meaning of this line only could be ascertained.]
Shiwana towitowi ahaha (a) cloud.
Towiwikaliyoyokana yaaahihi h- h-; h-
Towiwikaliyoyokanayaaahihi h- h- h-
[The "h," with a rising inflection to imitate sobbing.]
The Katcinas living in the mountains had fields at the foot of the
mountains where they were planting corn and watermelons. Here the Hehéa
was hoeing with a wooden hoe (wík'a), still used by the Hehéa Katcinas in
their dances. It was early in the morning. All at once he heard somebody
singing, raised his wík'a and listened, but just then the singing stopped.
The Katcina again commenced to hoe, and again heard the singing. Listening
again he heard the singing and the sobbing and behold' somebody was
walking along crying.
When the Hotóto arrived at the Hehéa Katcina the latter asked: "Why are
you walking along saving, something and crying "Yes,'' the Hotóto replied,
"We were there in the Hopi village dancing, then they came out and
threatened to kill us, so we ran away and jumped into the gulch west of
the village, and there we were piled up, and all were burned up by the
Hopi except myself. I had jumped in first and was not burned and escaped
unharmed. That is the reason why I was moaning as I went along." The Hehéa
Katcina then also commenced to moan as follows:
Ochitana, iyawa, iyava
Ochitana! iyava, iyava.
Alas! (This is the only word of which meaning could be obtained.)
Hininiya ihihi io hiiohiio, h- h- h- h-.
Hereupon they both went home into the mountain where there were a great
many Katcinas, men, women, youths, and maidens. "Why do you come alone_"
they asked the Hotóto. The latter hereupon repeated what he had said to
the Hehéa Katcina. "We shall sometime take revenge," said the chief of the
Katcinas, and ordered the Katcinas to assemble and to dress up. Hereupon
they made it hail for three days.
Early in the morning of the fourth day they caused a cloud to rise which
hovered over the mountains. This was their emblem or standard (nátsi); it
was a very beautiful cloud. Then the Katcinas ate their morning meal.
The people in the village saw the cloud. They had gone to their fields
early in the morning for they had many fields around the village. After
breakfast many more clouds began to rise above the mountains, towering
upon each other. They soon spread out and during the afternoon they
covered the sky, coming up from all four sides. The corn of the Hopi had
at this time begun to mature and the people felt very happy over the
clouds.
They expected that they would have a good rain now. Towards noon it
began to thunder and to rain in the mountains and the clouds began to move
towards the Hopi village. When they had arrived there it was thundering
and lightning and it rained great hailstones. All the crops were
destroyed, and even the people, although they left their houses and fled
to the kivas, were killed.
Only one man and one woman remained alive. When everything had been
destroyed, the clouds said: "We will stop now and return," and then they
began to disperse in all directions, some of them returning to the
mountains. The Katcinas were then happy saying, "Now we have revenged
ourselves, let it be thus." The woman that had been spared again bore
children and the village was by and by again inhabited.
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