HOME SONGS OF THE TEWA INDIANS 
By Herbert J. Spinden 
HE songs of the Tewa Indians 
ap may be divided into two broad 
groups, the first religious, the 
second familiar. The songs that are 
primarily religious are the ones used in 
the great ceremonies and dances and 
those that refer to warfare and the chase. 
All songs which are supposed to be en- 
dowed with magical power are called 
“Pina” or “Magic Songs.” Such 
songs in the ceremonies are supposed to 
induce the gods to bring rain and fruits 
or whatever else is required. War songs 
bring confusion to the enemy. Hunting 
songs, sung either by the hunter him- 
self or by a female relative who remains 
at home, are supposed by merely men- 
tioning the lion and the bear to transfer 
the hunting abilities of these animals to 
the hunter, while naming the deer is suffi- 
cient to deliver game into the hands of 
the hunter. The songs that occur in the 
myths nearly always have a deep reli- 
gious significance. There are also witch 
songs which have power to do evil unless 
they are warded off. 
Familiar songs include lullabys, avo- 
cation songs, love songs and homesick 
songs — songs which are intimately con- 
nected with life and which reflect the 
everyday philosophy of the people. I 
will not discuss the question of their 
music, largely because this phase of 
Pueblo life has already been treated by 
persons much more competent to handle 
it than I. What I wish particularly to 
call attention to is the word content, the 
sentiment and the poetic construction of 
the songs. 
Here are two songs in the original text 
and in translation. The first is a little 
song which might be called the “Home 
Sweet Home” of the Tewa: 
Navi Awi niwi, Aawi naiwa 
Navi dwi nawa ndi o” sha 
O’i® pi? ndo mu’iri ké" na nandi 
Na re sité 4 hi yo he’e wa 
A hi yo he’e wi, 4 hi yo he’e wa 
Navi Awi niwa ndi o” sha. 
My home over there, my home over there, 
My home over there, now:I remember it! 
And when I see that mountain far away 
Why, then I weep. Alas! what can I do? 
What canI do? Alas! what can I do? 
My home over there, now I remember it. 
73 
