Zuñi Fetiches | Page 5

in the "days of the new."
Of these petrifactions, which are of course mere concretions or strangely eroded rock-forms, the Zu?is say, "Whomsoever of us may be met with the light of such great good fortune may see (discover, find) them and should treasure them for the sake of the sacred (magic) power which was given them in the days of the new. For the spirits of the We-ma-á-ha-i still live, and are pleased to receive from us the Sacred Plume (of the heart--L?-sho-a-ni), and sacred necklace of treasure (Thla-thle-a); hence they turn their ears and the ears of their brothers in our direction that they may hearken to our prayers (sacred talks) and know our wants."
POWER OF THE FETICHES.
This tradition not only furnishes additional evidence relative to the preceding statements, but also, taken in connection with the following belief, shows quite clearly to the native wherein lies the power of his fetiches. It is supposed that the hearts of the great animals of prey are infused with a spirit or medicine of magic influence over the hearts of the animals they prey upon, or the game animals (K'ia-pin-á-ha-i); that their breaths (the "Breath of Life"--Ha-i-an-pi-nan-ne--and soul are synonymous in Zu?i Mythology), derived from their hearts, and breathed upon their prey, whether near or far, never fail to overcome them, piercing their hearts and causing their limbs to stiffen, and the animals themselves to lose their strength. Moreover, the roar or cry of a beast of prey is accounted its Sá-wa-ni-k'ia, or magic medicine of destruction, which, heard by the game animals, is fatal to them, because it charms their senses, as does the breath their hearts. Since the mountain lion, for example, lives by the blood ("life fluid") and flesh of the game animals, and by these alone, he is endowed not only with the above powers, but with peculiar powers in the senses of sight and smell. Moreover, these powers, as derived from his heart, are preserved in his fetich, since his heart still lives, even though his person be changed to stone.

PREY GODS OF THE SIX REGIONS.
THEIR ORIGIN.
Therefore it happens that the use of these fetiches is chiefly connected with the chase. To this, however, there are some exceptions. One of these may be partly explained by the following myth concerning Pó-shai-a[n,]-k'ia, the God (Father) of the Medicine societies or sacred esoteric orders, of which there are twelve in Zu?i, and others among the different pueblo tribes. He is supposed to have appeared in human form, poorly clad, and therefore reviled by men; to have taught the ancestors of the Zu?i, Taos, Oraibi, and Co?onino Indians their agricultural and other arts, their systems of worship by means of plumed and painted prayer-sticks; to have organized their medicine societies; and then to have disappeared toward his home in Shí-p?-pu-li-ma (from shi-pí-a=mist, vapor; u-lin=surrounding; and i-mo-na=sitting place of--"The mist-enveloped city"), and to have vanished beneath the world, whence he is said to have departed for the home of the Sun. He is still the conscious auditor of the prayers of his children, the invisible ruler of the spiritual Shí-p?-pu-li-ma, and of the lesser gods of the medicine orders, the principal "Finisher of the Paths of our Lives." He is, so far as any identity can be established, the "Montezuma" of popular and usually erroneous Mexican tradition.
Pó-SHAI-A[N,]-K'IA.
In ancient times, while yet all beings belonged to one family, Pó-shai-a[n,]-k'ia, the father of our sacred bands, lived with his children (disciples) in the City of the Mists, the middle place (center) of the Medicine societies of the world. There he was guarded on all sides by his six warriors, á-pi-thlan shí-wa-ni (pí-thlan=bow, shí-wa-ni=priests), the prey gods; toward the North by the Mountain Lion (Long Tail); toward the West by the Bear (Clumsy Foot); toward the South by the Badger (Black Mark Face); toward the East by the Wolf (Hang Tail); above by the Eagle (White Cap); and below by the Mole. When he was about to go forth into the world, he divided the universe into six regions, namely, the North (P?[']sh-lan-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Swept or Barren place); the West (K'i?[']-li-shi-?n-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Home of the Waters); the South (á-la-ho-?n-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Place of the Beautiful Bed); the East (Té-lu-a-?n-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Home of Day); the Upper Regions (í-ya-ma-?n-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Home of the High); and the Lower Regions (Ma-ne-lam-?n-kw?n táh-na=Direction of the Home of the Low)."
[Illustration: PREY GOD FETICHES OF THE SIX REGIONS.]
All, save the first of these terms, are archaic. The modern names for the West, South, East, Upper and Lower Regions signifying respectively--"The Place of Evening," "The Place of the Salt Lake" (Las Salinas), "The Place whence comes the Day," "The Above," and "The Below."
In the center of the great sea of each of these