350 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. III. 



were very happy and placed the prayer offerings on their altar. They 

 recognized some of the bdhos as having been made for Kohlcang Wuhti 

 (Spider Woman), and told the young man to take them to her house. 



The man remained there over night, sleeping with the maiden that 

 had received him. During the night the men all turned into rattle- 

 snakes. When the young man awoke they told him not to be afraid. 

 All then went out — the young man, too — to drink (inhale) the morning 

 light. When they returned to the klva they were men again.' 



Hereupon the maiden took the young man, who was now con- 

 sidered to be her husband, to the house of Hurrding Wuhti (one variant 

 says Kohlcang Wdhti), and then returned to her kiva. 



In Hurniing Wiihti's house he found a pretty maiden and also the 

 altar of the Blue Flute ■^ Society. On the ladder, leading into the 

 house, was fastened a natsi (society emblem) and also a turtle rattle. 

 The woman asked the young man the object of his errand and he told 

 her about it and then gave her some bahos, explaining to her what 

 they were for. One baho was also for the sun. She asked him 

 whether the sun was low, to which he replied in the affirmative. She 

 then put him into another room, as something "very living" was 

 coming, as she put it. Presently the turtle rattle on the ladder rattled 

 and the Sun came rushing down in the form of a handsome young 

 man, beautifully painted and dressed up as the Flute players at the 

 Flute ceremony are painted and dressed at the present day. (See 

 PI. 219.) He held before him the sun and prayer offerings that he 

 had collected from the good people as he passed over the earth in his 

 left hand, those gathered from the bad people in his right hand. The 

 latter he threw into the fire; the first, he handed to Hurriiing Wuhti, 

 who placed them on the altar. The good ones asked for old age, good 

 crops, rain, etc., the bad for opportunities to have intercourse with 

 women, etc. 



Presently the Sun Man asked the woman whether she had anybody 

 hidden in her house, saying that he smelled the presence of some one. 

 She admitted that she had, and called the young man out of his room. 

 He at once gave some bahos to the Sun, which had been especially 

 prepared for him. The latter then invited the young man to accom- 

 pany him on his course around the earth. They descended into an 

 opening behind the altar and then sped on under the earth towards the 



' One variant has it that they remained snalces that day and the following-night. 



'There is undoubtedly a confusion here in the narrative as given by the different informants. 

 The Blue Flute cult was brought to OrAibi by the Spider clan, who consider Spider Woman to be their 

 clan deity. Hurriiing Wuhti has nothing to do directly with .this cult. So the correct version and 

 solution of the confusion undoubtedly is, that the young man saw the Flute altar in the house of Spider 

 Woman, but had the experience with the Sun, and received the beads in the house of Hurriiing 

 Wiihti. In the Snake narrative on the other mesas both deities are mentioned. 



