676 



ZUNI RITUAL POETRY 



The following prayers represent but the least fragment of this com- 

 plex ritual. They deal almost entirely with the ofhce of scalp chief; 

 that is, the propitiation of the scalp. They were dictated by an old 

 man, a son of a former scalp chief, now deceased. 



At dawn the scalp chief meets four men who announce the return of 

 the war party: " 



Now, neglecting j'our children, 



Neglecting your wives. 



Yonder into the country of the 

 enemy 



You made your road go forth. 

 5 Perhaps one of the enemy, 



Even one who thought himself 

 virile. 



Under a shower of arrows, 



A shower of war clubs, 

 10 With bloody head. 



One of the enemy. 



Reached the end of his life. 



Our fathers. 



Beast bow priests, 

 15 Took from the enemy. 



His water-filled covering.'^" 



Now you will tell us of that. 



And knowing that we shall live. 



20 Is it not so? 



The four announcers reply: 



Indeed it is so. 



Neglecting our children. 



Neglecting our wives. 



Yonder into the enemy's country 

 25 We made our road go forth. 



Indeed it is so. 



We started out. 



We went. 



Yonder at Rock Cave we arrived. 

 30 There we spent the night. 



Early next day we arose. 



We went on. 



At O.x-Eye-Place 



ma' ton yam tca'-teEalacna 



o'ye-teKalacna 



lehok" i'naEw anu'lo'nakwi 



ton o'neal a"'lianapka. 

 5 i'me' i'nakwe te"ona 



o'tsina ya'ntse'ma'ente 



i'nakwe te"ona 



ko''wi co'-li'tekwaneta 



ko-'wi ta-H'tekwanel'a 

 10 ko''wi ce'mEaia 



i'nakwe te"ona 



le'Eohanan pa'Hoj5a 



hon a-'tatc i'lapona 



we''ma' a"'pi'la"ciwan'i 

 15 i'nakwe te"ona 



Ea'cima po"yan ai'yonaplfa 



fe'wuna' u'son ho"na ton ai'yu'ya- 

 Eana'wa 



u'son ai'yu'ya'na 



hon te'wanan a"'teEan-a 

 20 hatci' 



ma' i-na mi'lte 



hon yam tca'-teEalacna 



yam o'ye-teEalacna 



le'hok" i'naEwan u'lo'nakwi 

 25 hon o'neal a-'Eanap^a 



ma'i-'na mi'tte 



Ion u'kwe'lfa. 



hon a''wa'l{a. 



lakw a'mekuliakwi hon a"'te'tcina. 

 30 hon i'sEon a''w'anl;ewa(fa 



te'wap ca'mli 



hon lu'walemakna 



hon a-'wa'ka 



Eanaituna'kwi 



" Twenty-third Ann Rept. Bur. Amer. Kthn., p 579. 



"» Kacima po"yan"e, the scalp. The usual ceremonial appellation . 



