50 ETHNOGEOGRAPHY OF THE TEWA INDIANS [eth. anx. 29 



CONSTELLATIONS 



KsPJitahe 'meal-drying bowl' {Jt^'xrjf 'flour' 'meal'; ia 'to dry'; he 

 'vessel' 'bowl'). This name is given to the Northern Crown constel- 

 lation, the stars of which studded on the black &\ij show beautifully 

 the form of a perfect and symmetrical meal-drying jar. These jars 

 are of black ware, and meal is placed in them and stirred near a fire 

 in order to dry it for keeping. There appears to be no New Mexican 

 Spanish name for this constellation. 



Cassiopeia is not known to the Tewa. Persistent attempts to gain 

 knowledge prove this. The Indians can readily see that it looks like 

 a sqywiyf 'zigzag' or W, but never call it thus. The Mexicans 

 appear to call it "la puerta del cielo.'' 



f'e''e 'ladder'. Said to be a constellation; not 3'et identified. 



^ Agfljoteqwrt, 'star house' {^agojo 'star'; te^wa ''house'). This is a 

 large constellation seen after sunset in the west in September. The 

 writer did not identify the stars. 



Todldsi 'bull's eye' {toJ^i 'bull'<Span. toro; fe/ 'eye'). Name of 

 a constellation called in Span. Ojo del Toro. Not identified. 



But' a 'big round circle,' name of an October dance {hu 'ring' 'cir- 

 cle'; t'a 'large and round'). This is a great irregularly-shaped ring 

 of stars near the Northern Crown. Some of the stars are very dim. 

 No Spanish name. 



El Corral. Spanish name of a constellation near Cassiopeia. 



Los Ojitos de Santa Lucia. Spanish name; consists of two stars, 

 seen east of Orion. 



La Campana. Spanish name of a constellation of perfect bell shape, 

 seen between Orion and the Pleiades. 



'(?Z."g?//JM'M 'sandy corner' i^oVqijf 'sand'; hu'u ' large low round- 

 ish place'). This is a large constellation of dim stars seen near Orion. 



Mq,yf ' hand '. This constellation contains five stars at the tips of 

 the imaginary fingers, and one at the wrist. No Spanish name. 



QioiiPiijf 'in a row' {<iwiii, 'row' 'line'; ''ivf locative and 

 adjective-forming postfix). The San Juan form is qioUiniyf. This 

 refers to the three bright stars in a row in Orion's belt. The Spanish 

 name is Las Tres Marias. 



Tsebege 'seven corner' (fed 'seven'; he'e 'small low roundish 

 place'; ge locative). This name is given to Ursa Major, which is 

 said to contain seven bright stars. Some Indians call it tseqwxrjf, 

 which they translate 'seven tail' or even 'dog tail' {tse 'seven', also 

 'dog'; qwx.>)f 'tail'). It is so called because some of the stars (the 

 handle of the dipper) project like a tail. jNIexicaus call it El Carro. 



Tigvjf 'in a bunch' (tigi 'bunched'; ^iof locative and adjective- 

 forming postfix). The San Juan form is tiginijjf. This is the name 

 of the Pleiades. The Mexicans call them Las Cabrillas. 



