./ Botanical and Economic Study. 147 



these our fathers sometimes overtook and looked not peace- 

 fully on them. It thus happened, when our ancients came to 

 their fourth resting place on their eastward journey, that 

 they named Shi-po-lo-lon-kaia, or The Place of Misty Waters, 

 there already dwelt a clan of people called A'-ta a, or Seed 

 pie, and the seed clan of our ancients, challenged them 

 to know by what right they assumed the name and attributes 

 of their own clan. It is well, replied the strangers, yet life 

 ye did not bring. Behold ! . . . . Behold, indeed, where 

 the plumes had been planted and the tchu'-e-ton placed, grew 

 seven corn-plants, their tassels waving in the wind, their stalks 

 ladened with ripened grain. These, said the strangers, are the 

 severed flesh of seven maidens, our own sisters and children. 

 The eldest sister was yellow corn ; the second, blue ; the third, 

 red ; the fourth, white ; the fifth, speckled ; the sixth, black ; 



the seventh, sweet corn Aye, we may, replied the 



strangers, and of the flesh of our maidens ye may eat, no 

 more seeking the seeds of grasses." dishing thinks that the 

 strangers A'-ta-a, or Seed People, were the Keres to the east 

 of Zuni, who taught the Zurii the use of corn. 



Bourke 1 describes the snake dance as practiced by the 

 Moquis : " The women extend their line fully, all the while 

 scattering corn-meal. A portion occupy the terrace directly 

 above the arcade, a few on ladders near the archway ; the 

 main body, however, stand in the space between the sacred 

 rock and the sacred lodge. Two or three, reinforced by a 

 lot of old cronies, do effective work at the eastern end of the 

 rectangle. Nearly all carried the beautiful woven baskets, 

 ornamented in yellow and black with the butterfly and thun- 

 der-bird painted on the side. The baskets were filled with 

 finely ground corn-flour, which was scattered with reckless 

 profusion into the air and upon the reptiles as fast as thrown 

 down." 



" This corn-meal has a sacred meaning, which might be 

 well to remember. Every time the corn was scattered the 

 lips of the squaws moved, as if in prayer. A sacred meal is 

 prepared of corn-meal and chalchihuitl, called cunque. All 



1 Bourke, Moquis of Arizona, 163. 



