The Sia / (1894 N 11 / 1889-1890 (pages 3-158))

A RAIN SONG OF THE SHŪ´-WI CHAI´ÄN (SNAKE SOCIETY).

(1) Translation:—Hĕnnati, white floating masks, behind which the cloud people pass about over ti´ni´a for recreation; He´äsh, masks like the plains, behind which the cloud people pass over ti´ni´a to water the earth; Pûrtuwĭshta, lightning people; Kŏwmots, thunder people; Kashtiarts, rainbow people; Ka´chard, rain, the word being used in this instance, however, as an emphatic invocation to the rulers of the cloud people.

(2) Shi´wanna, people.

Free translation:—An appeal to the priests of ti´nia. Let the white floating clouds—the clouds like the plains—the lightning, thunder, rainbow, and cloud peoples, water the earth. Let the people of the white floating clouds—the people of the clouds like the plains—the lightning, thunder, rainbow and cloud peoples—come and work for us, and water the earth.

Translation:—Sha´kaka, spruce of the north; Shwi´tirawana, pine of the west. Mai´china, oak of the south. Shwi´sinihanawe, aspen of the east. Marsh´titämo, cedar of the zenith; Mor´ritämo, oak of the nadir.

(2) Shi´wanna, people.

Free translation:—Cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the spruce of the north; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the pine of the west; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the oak of the south; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the aspen of the east; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia through the heart of the cedar of the zenith; cloud priest who ascends to ti´nia, through the heart of the oak of the nadir; send your people to work for us, that the waters of the six great springs may impregnate our mother, the earth, that she may give to us the fruits of her being.

Though the trees of the cardinal points are addressed, the supplication is understood to be made to priestly rulers of the cloud peoples of the cardinal points.

Free translation:—All the white floating clouds—all the clouds like the plains—all the lightning, thunder, rainbow and cloud peoples, come and work for us.

Free translation:—

Translation:—Ho´chänni, arch ruler of the cloud priests of the world.

Free translation:—

Free translation:—

A SONG OF THE SHŪ´WI CHAI´ÄN (SNAKE SOCIETY) FOR HEALING THE SICK.

Translation:—Snake Society of the north, Snake Society of the west, Snake Society of the south, Snake Society of the east, Snake Society of the zenith, Snake Society of the nadir, come here and work with us.

An appeal to the ho´-naaites of the snake societies of the cardinal points to be present and work for the curing of the sick.

An appeal to the animals of the cardinal points to be present at the ceremonial of healing.

An appeal to the ho´naaites of the animal societies of the cardinal points to be present at the ceremonial.

A RAIN SONG OF THE SKO´YO CHAI´ÄN (GIANT SOCIETY).

Free translation:—We, the ancient ones, ascended from the middle of the world below, through the door of the entrance to the lower world, we hold our songs to the cloud, lightning, and thunder peoples as we hold our own hearts; our medicine is precious. (Addressing the people of ti´nia:) We entreat you to send your thoughts to us that we may sing your songs straight, so that they will pass over the straight road to the cloud priests that they may cover the earth with water, so that she may bear all that is good for us.

Lightning people, send your arrows to the middle of the earth, hear the echo (meaning that the thunder people are flapping their wings among the cloud and lightning peoples). Who is it (the singers pointing to the north)? The people of the spruce of the north. All your people and your thoughts come to us. Who is it? People of the white floating clouds. Your thoughts come to us, all your people and your thoughts come to us. Who is it (pointing above)? People of the clouds like the plains. Your thought comes to us. Who is it? The lightning people. Your thoughts come to us. Who is it? Cloud people at the horizon. All your people and your thoughts come to us.

A SONG OF THE SKO´YO CHAI´ÄN (GIANT SOCIETY) FOR HEALING THE SICK.

Free translation:—Lion of the north, see the sand painting which you have given us (a voice is heard). Who is it? “The lion.” I am but your theurgist; you possess all power; lend me your mind and your heart that I may penetrate the flesh and discover the disease. Through me, your theurgist, take away all disease.

This appeal is repeated to each of the animals named.

A RAIN SONG OF THE HĬSTIÄN CHAI´ÄN (KNIFE SOCIETY).

Free translation:—Corn pollen pass over the north road[24] to the spring of the north mountain, that the cloud people may ascend from the spring in the heart of the mountain to ti´nia and water the earth. The same is repeated for the five remaining cardinal points.

A RAIN SONG OF THE HĬSTIÄN CHAI´ÄN (KNIFE SOCIETY).

Free Translation:—

1. Where are all the cloud people of the spring or heart of the spruce of the north? There in the north [the singers pointing to the north].

2. Where are all the cloud people of the pine of the west? There in the west [the singers pointing to the west].

3. Where are all the cloud people of the great oak of the south? There in the south [the singers pointing to the south].

4. Where are all the cloud people of the aspen of the east? There in the east [the singers pointing to the east].

5. Where are all the cloud people of the cedar of the zenith? There in the zenith [the singers pointing upward].

6. Where are all the cloud people of the nadir? There [the singers pointing to the earth].

PORTION OF A RAIN SONG OF THE HĬSTIÄN CHAI´ÄN (KNIFE SOCIETY).

An appeal to the animals of the cardinal points to intercede with the cloud people to water the earth. This song is long and elaborate. It begins by stating that their people, the cougar people and the others mentioned, ascended to ha´arts, the earth, through the opening, shi´papo, in the north. It then recounts various incidents in the lives of these beings, with appeals at intervals for their intercession with the cloud people.

A RAIN SONG OF THE QUER´RÄNNA CHAI´ÄN.

Free translation:—White floating clouds. Clouds like the plains come and water the earth. Sun embrace the earth that she may be fruitful. Moon, lion of the north, bear of the west, badger of the south, wolf of the east, eagle of the heavens, shrew of the earth, elder war hero, younger war hero, warriors of the six mountains of the world, intercede with the cloud people for us, that they may water the earth. Medicine bowl, cloud bowl, and water vase give us your hearts, that the earth may be watered. I make the ancient road of meal, that my song may pass straight over it—the ancient road. White shell bead woman who lives where the sun goes down, mother whirlwind, father Sûs´sĭstĭnnako, mother Ya´ya, creator of good thoughts, yellow woman of the north, blue woman of the west, red woman of the south, white woman of the east, slightly yellow woman of the zenith, and dark woman of the nadir, I ask your intercession with the cloud people.

PRAYER FOR SICK INFANT.

While the Sia have great faith in the power of their theurgists, individually they make efforts to save the lives of their dear ones even after the failure of the theurgist. Such is their belief in the supplications of the good of heart, that the vice-theurgist of the Snake Society, who is one of the writer’s staunchest friends, rode many miles to solicit her prayers for his ill infant. He placed in her hand a tiny package of shell mixture done up in a bit of corn husk, and, clasping the hand with both of his, he said: “Your heart being good, your prayers travel fast to the sun and Ko´pĭshtaia.” He, then, in the most impressive manner, repeated the following prayer:

(1) Ku-chŏr-pĭsh-tai-a (2) Ku-chŏr-na-tä-ni (3) Ku´ti ot se ä ta (4) Pai´-ä-tä-mo ki-ᵗchän-ni (5) Ha´-mi ha´-notch (6) U-wa mash-ta-ñi (7) Ka´a-wĭnck (8) Ya´-ya (9) U-ä-mûts (10 Ka´-a-wĭinck (11) Sha´-mi wĭnck (12) U-we-chai-ni (13) Ñi na mats (14) ñi to ñi (15) ᵗsi tu ma ñi to ñi (16) Na´ wai pi cha.

Explanation of prayer by governor for his sick child.

(1) Your thoughts and heart are united with Ko´pĭshtaia; you daily draw the sacred breath of life.

(2) Your thoughts are great and pass first over the road to the sun father and Ko´pĭshtaia.

(3) Our thoughts and hearts are as one, but yours are first.

(6) You will be to the child as a mother, and the child will be as your own for all time to come; your thoughts will always be for one another.

(7) The hearts of ourselves and the child be united and as one heart henceforth; those of us who pray for the child will be known by the child and the child by us, even though the child has not been seen by us; we will know one another by our hearts and the child will greet you as——

(8) Mother.

(9) Take the child into your arms as your own.

(10) That the hearts of ourselves and the child’s be united and as one heart; henceforth those of us who pray for this child will be known by the child and the child by us; though the child has not been seen by us, we will know one another by our hearts.

(11) May he have a good heart.

(12) May all good words come straight from his heart and pass over the straight road.

(13) While he is growing from childhood to youth.

(14) While he is growing from youth to manhood.

(15) And may he be valued as he grows from manhood to old age.

(16) May the child be beautiful and happy.

When one is ill from the heat of the sun he sprinkles corn pollen or meal to the sun, saying, “Father, I am ill in my head, it reaches my heart; I pay you with this meal; I give it to you as food, and will be thankful to you to take away my malady.”