338 ZUNI CREATION MYTHS. [ethann. 13 



the beloved, whereof they, the fathers, were aware, but for themselves 

 to move it suddenly away, that were worse than the despoiliug of the 

 shriue; for it was the house of the fiithers, the shrine ouly a thing 

 thereof, not a thing of the fathers as verily as was the house itself. 



From their point of view this reasoning of the Indians was perfectly 

 consistent, based as it was on their belief that the souls of their ances- 

 tors were mediators and that their mortal remains and the places and 

 things thereof were means of invoking them, quite as sacrifices are 

 supposed to be, for the time being, the mortal and mediate parts of 

 the gods and spirits to which they have been oflered, hence a potent 

 means of invoking them. This is shown much more clearly in the only 

 other instance of seeming reverence for the church that I can pause to 

 give. 



The Zunis are careful to remove all traces of Catholicism, or rather all 

 symbols of the Mexican religion, from their persons or vicinity during 

 the performance of their sacred dances or rites, seeing to it that no Mexi- 

 can word, even, is ever spoken in the i^reseuce of the Ka'ka. If a Mex- 

 ican or anyone suspected of being a Mexican happens to apjiroach their 

 town during a ceremonial, he is met by watchful sentinels and led, uo 

 matter what his I'ank, condition, or haste, to some sequestered room, 

 where, although courteously treated and hospitably entertained without 

 charge, he is securely locked up and rigorously guarded until after the 

 dance or other observance is over. "The fathers of these Mexicans 

 did violence to our fathers," say the Indians in explanation, " when that 

 our fathers of old called the sacred Ka'ka. Therefore, in those days 

 our fathers sought to hide the dancers from their eyes. Our fathers 

 come nigh in breath, when now we call the Kfi'ka, and they aid our 

 songs and prayers to the beloved (iods of Eain and Wind. How, if 

 they see we have departed from their customs, and reveal these things ? 

 Then will they be sad at our forgetfuluess of their ways, and filled with 

 fear lest these evil people, beholding, do sacrilege to their precious 

 Ka'ka, and will flee away, nor aid our songs and prayers for rain, nor 

 our calls lor their beloved presence!" 



Nevertheless, in autumn, when the harvest is over, one may see the 

 dilapidated little figure of Saint Francis borne about the pueblo on the 

 eve of the " Feast of the Dead;" and one may see here and there can- 

 dles burning, or such poor substitutes for them as the Indians can get; 

 and here and there also old rosaries and a few brass crucifixes revealed. 

 Before they fell, one heard, as the night wore on, the ancient church 

 bells hammered; and half forgotten, wholly unintelligible i)hrases of 

 church Latin chanted. But all this is not in memory of a "saint's 

 day," as would seem, or as one would be told were he injudiciously to 

 inquire. It is the feast and drama of the beloved dead of all days 

 past. And whilst the dead of long, very long ago, must first, be sum- 

 moned by means of their ancient relics which best they knew — the 

 tribal medicines and fetiches, and tlie songs to them belonging — yet the 



