The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-06-16
The zupi Language and Folklore.

SUNSHINE, out clear, 1nYlRofat1ng air,
when wo started In four.mule ambu.
lance on our trip Of thirty miles in Zu=i.
There wore four Of us--Mr. Cushing, q
young lieutenant, the artist and the
writer. We were soon high up on the
wooded uplands OF the Zuni range, en-
ioying on the ascent backward views
over great plains expanding way 10 The
blue distance OF Arizona mountains. The
forest scenery OF the mountain heights
was in delightful contrast to the dusty
plains dry waste. The road wound
through shady groves Of fall and sturdy
pines, their trunks marked with clean
red bark also cedars with bark iQ queer
gray scales, like the back Of an alligator.
The woods stood, not with closed ranks
like an Eastern forest, but open and
park-like, intorspersed with beautiful
grassy glades; just the places for grazing.
deer.
Time sped quickly in listening TO Mr.
Cushing's willing replies 90 our multi.
tudinous inquiries. IF you are told
that any primitive people Is ignorant Of
it's history, don't you believe it, said be.
"They know all about il" And hs told
with what wonderful accuracy traditions
arc handed down among the Zuuis, the
transmitted from father 10 bon without
tho change Of single word. for genera.
tion after generation. Reliance on
written words seems 10 impair the
retentiVe power Of tho memory
Of lettered races, and the marvellous
memorizing capacity Of illiterate peo-
pies 10 illustrated in the handing down
Of the grand old Northern ssRas by the
Icelanders until the acquisition Of the
alphabet enabled them 10 be recorded by
that great author Snorri Sturlusion;
also tho transmission for generations,
among The same people, Of the most in
tricate Of genealogical details, involving
the history Of widely branchcd families
for centuries, and covering all the landr
OF Scandinavia.
In the same way the Zunis have an
extensive unwritten literature, il the ex.
preston may be permitted. They have
n vast accumulation Of fables and folk
lore, aud the past Of the nation is given
in what may be termed the Zuni bible.
This sacred work is publicly recited at
rare but regularly recurring intervals.
1t Is in four divisions, corresponding 10
four books, and each Of these books is
divided into four chapters. Its recita-
ton requires two lorg evenings. II is
in perfect rhyme and rytbm, and is
highly poetic. When Mr.. Cushing came
to Zuni the charge Of the bible was en-.
trusted TO an aged. white-haired, and
blind old man, n veritable native Homer.
This was the sole duty Of the bard, and
he was supported by The public. He
died and the succession came TO one of
-four whom he had trained up. These
four are in turn continually iaBtructing
youth qualified 70. the high trust by birth
and lineage.
To acqpiro and record this wonderful
work. the Zuni Bible, would be HON.
eric task. Mr.. Gushing has several times
had the privilege Of listening TO its re-
cital-it is very often recited informally;
but 10 memorize il and write il down
would demand the closest application.
To get il repeated often enough for such
a purpose, would need the use Of the
incest diplomacy. Tho Bible begins
with the mythical origin Of tho people,
and then enters upon what is evidently
genuine history. This IL brought down
10 comparative recent times, but the
work ends before the era Of the Spanish
conquest Is reached. The story of the
Zunis is told from the time when their
home was on the shore of the great ocean
10 the westward, probably in Southern
california, and tho various changes OF
abode are given during their migration
TO their present seat in the land of Ci-
bola, as the country of the Zunis, after
much historical controversy, il now
proven to be by Mr.. Cushing. The
sites Of tho seven cities Of Cibola, de-
scribed by Corando and Friar Mia, have
been accurately fixed by Mr.. Cushing;
they are in the immediate neighborhood
of the present pueblo Of Zuni, which
was established upon its present site not
long after the Spanish conquest, having
been removed from its location near by.
The accuracy of the information pos
sessed by the Zunis concerning the
ruined towns where their ancestry lived
| is marvellous. These towns were sue
cessfully settled and abandoned for
various causes, chief among which were
the pressure of hostile people, and the
choking with sand of the springs upon
which they depended. The history of
these places, which are almost innumer.
able,i mostly back in obscure antiquity,
as is certified by times Imprint upon
the ruins. The region in which these
ruins are found covers large part of
New Mexico and Arizona. Every in
vestigation of ruins claimed by the Zunis
as theirs-their localities often having
been unknown until Mr.. Gushing was
told that the Zunis once lived in certain
places, to be distinguished by certain
marks and features-has verified their
statements their accuracy always proving
unerring.
The language of the Z1nis is the re-
verse OF barbarically crude, as might
perhaps be expected of an aboriginal
tongue. It has finely ordered struc-
ture, and is very expressive. abounding
in delicate shadings, and allowing fine
distinctions of meaning. The order oi
sentences resembles that of Latin and
German rather than English. The Zunis
are fastidious in their requirements fol
the correct use of the language, and are
intolerant of ungramaticul speech; and
strange to say, they have an ancient OF
classical language. spoken centuries ago
hapded down in the many sacred songs
and used to-day in their religious ob.
servances. This dead language bears &
similar relation to their speech of to-day
as Anglo-Saxon to English. It is mo-
understood by the common people, but
is familiar only to the priests and lead
ing men. So here too is the church the
conseryator of ancient eruditiOn. .-Har