cisHiNG] PASSING OF THE SEED MAIDENS. 445 



of all-color seed, which the Priestess of Seed aud All. herself received. 

 And now, behold ! the Maidens stood as before, she of tbe North at the 

 northern end, but with her face southward far looking, she of the West 

 next, and lo! the seventh, last, southward, and standhig thus, the 

 darkness of the night fell around them; and as shadows in deep night, 

 so these Maidens of the Seed of Corn, the beloved and beautiful, were 

 seen no more of men. 



THE INSTRUCTIONS OF PAIYATUMA FOR THE ORDINANCES AND 

 CUSTOMS OF THE CORN PERFECTING. 



And Paiyatunia stood alone, at last, for Shutsuk'ya walked now 

 behind the Maidens, whistling slirilly (as the frost- wind whistles when 

 the corn is gathered away) among the lone canes and dry leaves of a 

 gleaned field. And Paiyatunia descended the ladder, and stood in the 

 tire-light with folded arms, in the midst of the fathers. And he spake 

 unto them : 



"Behold! with my lost Maidens, mothers to ye, 1 have returned; 

 and finding ye gathered in good and perfect council according to my 

 commandments aud the approval of thy wisdom, I have restored unto 

 ye with mine own hands, that which they else could uot have given ye, 

 the flesh of each made perfect in generative seed. This ye shall cherish, 

 apart in kind, for all time, as the seed of all thy seed, and in so tar as 

 ye cherish it, verily it shall be multiplied! 



"As ye have done in the days now measured, .so also ye shall do in 

 the days to come; ye shall keep the beautiful custom of the Mother- 

 maidens of Corn, all in due season, jireparing therefor strenuously. 

 Dance in it, shall thy maidens, chosen of the Seed kinties; thus, as 

 it were, ye shall again see the beautiful Mothers of Seed aud as it were 

 also, they shall renew the seed of each sea.son, and therein shall ye 

 gain iu them again the preciousness of the Mother-maidens, yet lose 

 them even thus gained, each year; choosing, therefore, each season 

 newly, the Maidens of the Seed, that these who be lost as maidens be 

 replaced as maidens iu the replacing of the Mother maidens. 



"And ye shall keep, after each custom of the Corn Maidens, the flute 

 custom of the Water Maidens, and after, in due season, the custom of 

 this day also, the which I have shown unto ye. Haviiig danced first 

 with thy maidens of the Seed kin for the ripening of the corn, ye shall 

 next dance with thy maidens and youth of the Water kin for the fer- 

 tilizing of the seed, and after, iu the full of the last moon thy Maidens 

 of Corn shall bring the seed unto ye of the house, as ye have seen, that 

 it be perfected ; and they shall lead others maidens of other kins — not 

 seven, but many times seven in number — who shall bring seed and the 

 food thereof (for multiplied many times seven shall be the seed!) unto 

 ye and thy younger brothers, that the seed be finished as the sub- 

 stance of flesh. Amongst my followers, also, some shall represent me 

 and my attendant Shutsuk'ya ^hlimna of us; and they shall choose 



