cusnreo.] ANIMAL GODS. 11 



d, Asb-i-k'ifcii-lia-i, from d'sh-li^ia=inade, finished, and d-hdi =hemgs, 

 "Finished Beings," including the dead of mankind. 



That very little distinction is made between these orders of life, or 

 that they are at least closely related, seems to be indicated by the ab- 

 sence from the entire language of any general term for God. True, there 

 are many beings in Zuili Mythology godlike in attributes, anthropomor- 

 phic, monstrous, and elemental, which are known as the "Finishers or 

 makers of the paths of life," while the most superior of all is called the 

 "Holder of the paths (of our lives)," Ha'-no-o-na wi-la-po-na. Not only 

 these gods, but all supernatural beings, men, animals, plants, and many 

 objects in nature, are regarded as personal existences, and are included 

 in the one term d-kd-i, from d, the plural- particle signifying " all," and 

 hd-i, being or life,=" Life," "the Beings." This again leads us to the 

 important and interesting conclusion that all beings, whether deistic 

 and supernatural, or animistic and mortal, are regarded as belonging to 

 one system ; and that they are likewise believed to be related by blood 

 seems to be indicated by the fact that human beings are si^oken of as 

 the "children of men," while all other beings are referred to as "the 

 Fathers," the "All-fathers," and "Our Fathers." 



THE WORSHIP OF ANIMALS. 



It naturally follows from the Zuni's philosophy of life, that his wor- 

 ship, while directed to the more mysterious and remote powers of na- 

 ture, or, as he regards them, existences, should relate more especially 

 to the animals; that, in fact, the animals, as more nearly related to him- 

 self than are these existences, more nearly related to these existences 

 than to himself, should be frequently made to serve as mediators be- 

 tween them and him. We find this to be the case. It follows likewise 

 that in his inability to differentiate the objective from the subjective, 

 he should establish relationships between natural objects which resem- 

 ble animals and the animals themselves; that he should even ultimately 

 imitate these animals for the sake of establishing such relationships, 

 using such accidental resemblances as his motives, and thus developing 

 a conventionality in all art connected with his worshij). It follows that 

 the special requirements of his life or of the life of his ancestors should 

 influence him to select as his favored mediators or aids those animals 

 which seemed best fitted, through peculiar characteristics and powers, 

 to meet these requirements. This, too, we find to be the case, for, pre- 

 eminently a man of war and the chase, like all savages, the Zuui has 

 chosen above all other animals those which supply him with food and 

 useful material, together with the animals which prey on them, giving 

 preference to the latter. Hence, while the name of the former class is 

 applied preferably as a general term to all animals and animal gods, as 



