bunzel] 



PRAYERS AND CHANTS 



719 



Into my warm body 



I drew the misty breath. 



With mist I added to the hearts of my 

 fathers. 



This is well: 



That the rain makers may not with- 

 hold their misty breath, 



With mist I added to their hearts. 



When all this was at an end, 



We greeted one another with terms of 

 kinship: 



Father, 



Son, elder brother, younger brother; 

 uncle, nephew; grandfather, grand- 

 son; ancestor, descendant. 



With this many words we greeted one 

 another. 



When all this was at an end. 



My daylight father questioned me:™ 



"Yes, now indeed 



You have passed us on our roads. 



The one whom all our fathers. 



Desiring something, 



Appointed at the New Year. 



Yonder to the south 



Wherever emerge the precious roads of 



our fathers, 

 Rain maker priests, 

 Rain maker Pekwins, 

 Rain maker bow priests. 

 With your prayer plumes — poorly made 



though they were, 

 You have asked for light for us. 

 Now this day, the appointed time has 



come. " 

 Thus my father said to me. 



Now our fathers, 



Cula-witsi, pekwin priest," 



Sayataca, bow priest,** 



Hututu, bow priest, 



The two Yamuhakto, bow priests, 



Perpetuating their rite. 



Have once more assumed human form. 



Their seeds. 



Their riches. 



Their fecundity, 



The seeds of the yellow corn. 



The seeds of the blue corn. 

 The seeds of the red corn. 

 The seeds of the white corn. 

 The seeds of the speckled corn. 

 The seeds of the black corn. 

 The seeds of the sweet corn, 

 All the clans of beans, 

 AU the ancient round things, 

 The seeds of all the different trees, 

 The seeds of all the wild weeds, 

 I carry over my navel. 

 Those which we brought, 

 These seeds we now leave here 

 In the rain-filled rooms 

 Of our daylight fathers. 

 Our daylight mothers. 



When in the spring. 



Your earth mother is enriched with 

 living waters. 



Then in all your water-filled fields. 



These, with which you will renew your- 

 selves. 



Your mothers, 



All the different kinds of corn, 



Within your earth mother 



You will lay down. 



With our earth mother's living waters. 



They will once more become living 

 beings. 



Into the daylight of our sun father 



They will come out standing. 



They will stand holding out their hands 

 to all the directions. 



Calling for water. 



And from somewhere, 



Our fathers with their fresh water 



Will come to them. 



Their fresh waters 



They will drink in. 



They will clasp their children in their 

 arms; 



Their young will finish their roads. 



Into your house. 



You will bring them, 



To be your beloved ones. 



In order that you may live thus, 



In the rain-filled rooms 



Of our daylight fathers. 



" Pekwin speaks. 



•' The cuJa'witsi personstor, usually a boy 10 to 13 years of age, is always referred to as pekwin tsana, the 

 little sun priest. 



*^ Sayataca is never called k'fi'kawam'osi, house chief, as Mrs. Stevenson reports. The koyemci are the 

 i'a'kwamosi. In prayers their father is always called mo'lan baktu E^'kwemosi ci'wani. 



