1898-99. | PRIMITIVE NATURE STUDY. Sah 
a most important role in the remarkable creation-legend of the Zunis, 
obtained by Mr. Cushing. “In the beginning of the new-made,” we are 
told, “ Awonawilona (the Maker and Container of All, the All-father 
Father) conceived within himself and thought outward in space, whereby 
mists of increase, steams potent of growth, were evolved and uplifted ” 
(p. 379). Later on the “ warm breath of Mother-Earth blew the white 
flecks of foam off the primeval waters, so that, meeting the cold breath 
of the Sky-Father, they fell down in gentle mist and spray, whence came 
all life” (p. 380.) Out of the mist of the beginning all things that are 
have really been developed by a sytem of Evolution which Mr. Cushing 
thus outlines: “ The universe is supposed to have been generated from 
haze (shz-waz-a) provided by Light (of the All-Container, Sun-Father) 
out of Darkness. The observed analogy of this in nature is the appear- 
ance of haze (both heat and steam) preceding growth in spring-time ; 
the appearance of the world, of growing and living things, through mist 
seemingly rising out of the darkness each morning. In harmony with 
this conception of the universe is the correlative one, that every being 
(as to soul at least) passes through many successive stages of becoming, 
always beginning as a shz-w-na hd-i (haze being), and passing through 
the Raw or Soft (K’yd-fz-na), the Formative (K’ydz-yu-na), Variable 
(thlim’-ni-na), Fixed or Done (ak’-va), and Finished or Dead (d-shz’-k’ya) 
states; whilst the condition of the Surpassing Beings (gods) may be any 
of these at will (2-thlim-na, or thlim’-nah-na, etc.) There are many 
analogies of this observed by the Zuni, likening as he does the genera- 
tion of being to that of fire with the fire-drill and stick. The most 
obvious of these is the appearance, in volumes, of ‘smoke-steam’ or 
haze just previously to ignition, and its immediate disappearance with 
ignition. Further, the succession of beings in the becoming of a perfect 
being may be regarded as an orderly personification of growth phenomena 
as observed in plants and seeds, for example, in corn, which is charac- 
terized by no fewer than thirteen mystic names, according to its stages 
of growth.” (Journ. Amer. Folk-Lore, V., p. 50.) 
Out of the “hazy steam-growing world” of S/z-w-na, come new- 
born babes to men, and into the “ mist-enshrouded world ” of S/z-po-lo-a 
sink the aged in their second childhood. 
Of the “ Mountain Chant,” Rev. S. D. Peet thus speaks (Loc. czt., p. 
197): 
“This chant describes the adventures of a Navajo hunter who was 
taken captive. He wandered about the mountains in his efforts to 
escape and get back to his home. It describes the wonderful adven- 
tures, which can be compared only to the journey of Virgil through 
