FIRE WORSHIP — FEWKES. 



603 



of primitive pueblos unaffected by white influence. Possibly the 

 cliff dwellers formerh' had elaborate altars, the stone idols, of 

 which they carried away when they deserted their eyrie dwellings. 

 Sacred paraphernalia that could be moved would certainly be the last 

 to be left behind, but the heavy stone idols (fig. 2) representing sym- 

 bolically the Germ God could not be transported far by a people with- 

 out domestic animals, and, falling in the debris, are now excavated by 

 the archeologist. The Hopi ceremonies which have the most elaborate 

 altars are ascribed to clans that came from the south and east, where 

 the influence of the Catholic missions is most pronounced. 



The student of the winter solstice sun ceremony at TValpi and of the 

 new fire rite at the same 

 pueblo is continually re- 

 minded of their connection, 

 and at Oraibi it is even 

 closer. The fact that the 

 same societies take promi- 

 nent parts in both shows 

 the intimate connection of 

 sun and fire worship 

 among this people. It is 

 perfectly logical from the 

 point of view of primitive 

 man that as the sun is the 

 source of heat, sun rites 

 should be connected with 

 those of fire. The anal- 

 ogies that associate heat 

 with life are equally ob- 

 vious to him. The living 

 human body is warm; the 

 corpse is cold. Heat, life, 

 light, and fire are directly 

 associated and may be re- 

 garded as synonyms. The rite of kindling the new fire is connected with 

 those for creation of heat. The worship of the sun shares with that of 

 fire a common purpose, even if the rites of one or the other are more 

 elaborate. Fundamentally, sun and fire worship are readily consid- 

 ered phases of a reverence for life and a desire for its production. 



Fire worship of the Hopi, as shown by objective and other evi- 

 dences, originated in the most remote past, long before several other 

 specialized cultural features, and possibly before the cultural modifica- 

 tions which now designate this tribe had developed. It may be said 

 that it had a prominent place in the dawn of religious customs and be- 



Fig. 2. — Stone idol from Mesa Verde pueblo, Far 

 View House. Supposed to be an idol of the god 

 of serms. 



