28.--JOURNEY TO THE SKELETON HOUSE.

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

Youth always sits on edge of mesa thinking about graveyard, and whether those buried there are living somewhere. He gets corn meal and prays to sun for information. He prays four days and sun comes and gives him something to eat, when he sleeps in evening. He tells parents, and that when sun is high up they are to work on him that he may wake up. In evening he eats medicine. He dies. and goes to Skeleton house. He sees trail. On north side he descends. He sees somebody whom he recognizes and who asks him to carry him four steps, but he goes on. Woman carrying something asks him to take burden from her, but he says he is in hurry. Man carrying mealing stone asks him to take it. Then he runs fast and comes to man shaking bell very loudly. It is Kwánitaka, who explains what he has seen. He goes on and sees another Kwánitaka ringing. They go on together and see fire in deep place where wicked ones in Oraíbi are burned and come out as smoke. They come to very dark, deep place from which those who are thrown in never come out. Youth returns to first Kwánitaka, who directs him to village. Here he finds Kwánitaka, and he sees chiefs he had known in Oraíbi living in blossoms. He sees all kinds of grass, plants, and blossoms. Kwánitaka tells him that those not wicked in Oraíbi will come there. He is to tell his parents what he has seen, and run fast as they are waiting for him. He runs fast, and passing again all those he had seen before, he arrives at house in Oraíbi and enters body. He awakes. When they have eaten, he tells them what he has seen. Young man wants to go back again. He tells parents, and at night takes some of medicine. He sleeps, but when mother brings him food he is dead. Father goes to his field, and Báchro speaks to him and says he is not to be homesick for his son. Both father and mother are to come in four days. They go to field and Báchro comes again and tells them not to be homesick, as he lives well. After that when father is walking in field that comes there.