STEVENSON.] BORN OF A VIRGIN. 59 



The theurgist explained that the cougar could not leave her post at 

 the white stone ^^llage of the north ; therefore, the lynx was selected as 

 her representative at this village. And no such opening as shown in 

 d existed in the duplicated village, as the doorway of the north wind 

 was ever in the north village. And the ti'amoni, with all his peoj)le, 

 entered the large chita and held services of thanksgiving. Great was 

 the rejoicing upon the comi^letion of the village, and the peojile planted 

 corn and soon had line fields. 



The Sia occupied this village at the time of their visit from Po'shai- 

 yiinne, the quasi messiah, after he had attained his greatness, and 

 when he made a tour of the pueblos before going into Mexico. 



Po'shaiyiinne was born of a virgin at the pueblo of Pecos, New Mexico, 

 who became pregnant from eating two pinon nuts. The writer learned 

 through Dr. Shields, of Archuleta, New Mexico, that the Jemez Indians 

 have a similar legend. When want and starvation drove the Pecos 

 Indians from their pueblo they sought refuge with the Jemez. Philol- 

 ogists claim that the languages of the Pecos and Jemez belong to the 

 same stock. The woman was very much chagrined at the birth of her 

 child, and when he was very young she cast him off and closed her 

 doors upon him. He obtained food and shelter as best he could ; of 

 clothing he had none but the rags cast ofi" by others. While still a 

 little boy he would follow the ti'amoni and theurgists into the chita 

 and sit apart by the ladder, and listen to their wise talk, and when 

 they wished a light for their cigarettes Po'shaiyiinne would pass a 

 brand from one to another. But no one ever spoke to him or thanked 

 him, but he continued to follow the wise men into the chita and to 

 light their cigarettes. Even when he reached years when other youths 

 were invited to sit with the ti'amoni and theurgists and learn of them, 

 he was never spoken to or invited to leave his seat by the entrance. 



Upon arriving at the state of manhood he, as usual, sat in the chita 

 and passed the light to those present. Great was the surprise when it 

 was discovered that a string of the rarest turkis encircled his right 

 wrist. After he had lighted each cigarette and had returned to his 

 seat by the entrance, the ti'iimoni called one of his men to him and 

 said, " What is it I see upon the wrist of the boy Po'shaiyanne ; it looks 

 like the richest turkis, but surely it can not be. Go and examine it." 

 The man did as he was bid, and, returning, told the ti'amoni that it was 

 indeed as he had supposed. The ti'iimoni requested the man to say to 

 the youth that he wished to know where he obtained the turkis and 

 that he desired to buy the bracelet of him. When the man repeated 

 the message, Po'shaiyanne said, " I can not tell him how it came upon 

 my wrist, and I do not wish to sell it." The reply being delivered to 

 the ti'amoni, he said to his messenger, " Return to the youth and tell 

 him I have a fine house in the north. It and all its contents shall be 

 his in exchange for the bracelet." The people present, hearing the 

 words of the ti'iimoni, regretted that he offered his house and all therein 



