10.--ORIGIN OF THE YÁYAATU SOCIETY.

The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com

Man has little boy, who is visited by children of village. They are lazy, and steal wood to prepare food they have stolen in village. Priest's son suggests they go and gather their own wood. They steal burden bands and go and gather brush in valley. When ready to start home, Hawk, in form of man, comes and invites them to his kiva. After smoking, they exchange terms of relationship. Hawk-man dresses boys up in costume, gives each eagle feather, stands them in line and tells them to do what they see him do. They jump

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down from kiva, and run about through brush. Hawk-man seizes priest's son, throws him on cloth, and other boys carry him to kiva, where he is thrown through opening. He comes out unhurt, and other boys are treated in the same way without being hurt. They return to kiva and see round oven dug into earth, in which old woman keeps up fire. Hawk-man throws first priest's son and then other boys into ovens, and woman spurts medicine on them. When costumes burned off, Hawk-man takes bodies and covers them with cloth north of fireplace. He sings songs over them and they begin to move and are alive again. Old woman then washes their heads and gives each white corn ear. Hawk-man tells them to go home, take their wood to Blue Flute kiva, and remain there for him. He hands priest's son eagle wing feather, and youths leave. They go to kiva. When it is dark, Hawk enters and takes seat near fireplace. They smoke, and then Hawk makes gruel which he feeds to youths. He says they are not to go home, and that in morning some are to sit in north end of kiva and some in south. The former are to be fire-jumpers and Yáyaatu, and the latter singers. He sprinkles meal line between them and selects one for witch-man. They are to sit apart all next day. They remain there four days, Hawk-man coming to feed them every night. In evening of following day he brings costumes and yellow paint. Watcher digs four ovens on plaza and others bury long cotton string and stretch strings along houses. In morning watcher begs wood and heats ovens. Hawk-man dresses up and paints others in kiva. At noon singers come out, throw pinch of meal towards sun, march to plaza, where they line up and sing. Yáyaatu then go to plaza, priest's son carrying cloth, and then they rummage through village. People get angry and they return to plaza, where priest's son jumps into oven and is carried into kiva and resuscitated by Hawk-man and old woman. Others are treated in same way. They then dance and perform jugglery, and are discharged by Hawk-man. Next morning youths go home and are no longer dangerous. They form Yáyaatu Society.