Native American Legends
The Kokoshori Katcina and the Shongopavi Maiden
A Hopi Legend
In Shongópavi they were living, and over there at Kíshiwu[2]
the Katcinas were living, and the Kokóshori was going about
at the Hopi village.
But he was stealing the Hopi children, and (one time) a Shongópavi
woman went to get water and her child followed her, crying. The
mother threw a stone back because she was angry. The child now was
afraid and sat down there and cried there. Thus the Kokóshori
arrived and pitied it. Now he said (to the child): "Oh! now
why do you cry?" The child said, "My mother has been hurting
me." "Let us go to my house," he said. The child
was a little girl.
Now the child sat upon the back of the Katcina and the latter took
it along. They now arrived at the village of those who lived at
Kíshiwu. There were a great many Katcinas. They saw somebody
coming carrying a little girl. Now, those Katcinas were glad. "You,
whom do you bring there?" they said. Now the Hahái Wuhti
was very happy. "Ishuní!" she said. Now he put
it down. "Where did you get that?" said the Hahái
Wuhti. "I went about at Shongópavi and the mother of
this one went to get water, and this one followed her, and alas!
she threw at it with a stone, and I pitied it and have brought it."
And now they pitied the child. "Very well," they said.
"Alas! Why is it thus." Now they fed it. The Hahái
Wuhti spread out pövö'lpiki, handed the child a vessel
with peaches, she also cut up melons, split a watermelon, and laid
before it some steamed corn. Having done this she said. "Now
eat." And the child ate. When it had eaten a little it was
satisfied.
After that it lived there. Now they always provided food for it.
And because it ate this food it became big very soon. But now it
became homesick. In the night the Katcinas danced. After the dance
they would distribute steamed corn, watermelons and melons, but
the child would only eat one occasionally, because it was homesick.
It did not talk, it was sad.
Now they said, "Come, let us take it to the village."
Now the Kokóshori went to look after the father and the mother,
and, alas! they too were homesick. They only lived a little yet,
they were very homesick. They were no longer sitting up because
they were so homesick. When he returned to Kíshiwu he said,
"Why, your parents are very homesick." And now they who
lived there busied themselves. "Now then, dress yourself,"
said the chief, ''when you are dressed we shall fetch you."
Now they all put on something and now the Katcinas came and fetched
the child. But the little girl had on an atö'ö and a beautiful
belt and a pretty dress and some fine moccasins. But a Qö'oqöqlöm
carried something in a burden basket on his back, a melon, peaches,
and watermelons, etc. All the Katcinas brought something to eat.
When they came to the village it rained very hard. So they arrived
at Shongópavi. They did not arrive dancing, but singing and
walking. They sang as follows:
Kokooshori, Kokooshori, Kokooshori,
Hakipa tiwungwiniyata
Whose raised (we),
Okwatowakae. Yuyata, Nayata
Because (we) pitied (her). Mothers, fathers,
Amutpipoo kachiyata nawoto.
In front of them or their home heard (the girl)
Katchíyata nawoto hap itamu,
The home (of) having heard now we
Ohokio! mana wungwupui
Alas! maiden bringing up (her) Soon
shuhtokinihihi.
Not will forget.
Ahayahai Kokóhoshori, Kokohoshori shori
Ahahaha ihihihihihi.
They now arrived (at the parents' house). "Now go up, here
you live," they said (to the girl), so she went into the house,
but her mother was sleeping. "My mother, get up, my father,
get up, I have come," said the little maiden. Now they looked
up a little, and recognized the child. Now they sat up quickly and
embraced the child at once. Now the father also did so. The maiden
now cried, but she was now comforted and was happy.
They now revived and they were good. Now they (the Katcinas) came
to offer some food. Now they ascended to the house and entered it.
The Qö'oqöqlöm had wrapped up some meat and laid
it down. He also laid down some peaches and watermelons, so that
everything there became filled up; and they also now distributed
some among the people. Having done that they went home. "You
must at once send your father," the Katcinas instructed the
mána, "then your father will make the following announcement:
"You people that are living here, thus I am informing you;
from your houses there you must come down. Now you know our friends
have brought something for us, and now you must all put that away
somewhere, and tomorrow, when the sun shall rise, then we shall
examine it."
The Katcinas now went home, and the rain clouds went home, and
hence it did not rain, and the people were now thinking: "Why
did he announce that we should clean our houses?" but the people
now slept. Now, in the morning the sun was rising and they looked
through their houses, and they were filled with everything; corn
ears, watermelons, melons, meat, beans, and with everything. And
from then the people were rich on account of that maiden. So they
were very happy.
But when after a while they had eaten all that, they had no longer
meat to eat. The maiden now became homesick after Kíshiwu,
and she thought of going there. She became sick and died, and on
that account she went to Kishíwu, and there she is now living.
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