Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-02-27
SACRED Bread STONES.

Ii"" To- /'ati- Iirt.,:.. the Waters NhicI,
E".-r Int" :!.,:. Religion, Ob,rry-
arc..-.
Tor TO "r' or industry within tl.c
RAM" oi III" domestic duties of Zuni.
is - murA care and instruction b..
slowed ~ th% old women on the youn~.
a fnr every process in the making OF
tie Ec-wr or wafer breads. Year in
4 and year out, too. while these lesson,
are BEN ed. it i told how the famed
AMI hr,c|,I 'tirtldc-S of the White
Shells Taught no, Il few of her ~rac"s
and some secrets in connection with
the daily orcupai.or winch forms their
/ th":Hc. OF the secrets. Il chosen few
/ oil women of the tribe are kccrrrs.
! With many Il m'-t 'riuu> rite and severe
/ pr!ianr.' they quarry and manufacture
! the cAormuu~ hakinT-stonrs on which
! the il9kY topth>Umc hr-wc is made
/ GarruluuS enough. 'rcv knows, are
/ thc-" ol cronr~ on most other subject D.:
! but ;hcN guard with II ~phinX-lkc jral.
/ ou-t slich of their methods and OBJ
! Srrl:..cc~ IL add prestige To experience
/ in their ucc.,~ ui.al calling. The usual
/ numhcr OF Old women making UP Il
/ party ~ "-tuI" i1i>h.r>' is four or
ei"ht. rarely NOR. Four DAYS prev
ou>ly IL the trmprrng of the stones
/ they retire To al c>tuta or lone ROOM
/ there To- fast and engage in certain
crrcmonal~. in which croninr iradi-
tonal chants and repeating ritual-
play an important part. During the e
four DAYS Ihry never come forth unless
at rar" Intervals and for very short
time (an'i thea under the protecting in
iucnc.' "f warning d-plumr>) that
they may not hr touched by the unin-
it;atrd. lr,, dur NC the interim. - on>
of thc,r religious ob>crvanccS. tn V
prepare "ry:t cakes Of pinion cum
carefully wrapping them in strips of
cedar bark, anH in o;hrr' ways make
ready for The worh =; hand. On thu.
morniu., of thr day succeeding the last
ni"hi uf their Vj~ii. thew repair in sin
%lt til". h.'ai" hy = particular clan
priest usually Il ''l'auy,.r.' vino on no
accom-, tulichr> one of thcm-to the
quarry. licf"rr lifting the stones. be
fore even iiiarrN.nr any of them, they
~ II ''''-' l''p '''''i -
in@ Hh1al.tut III ''iicinr-mral to the
~ III of HI rn;'k.'' With Other hut
shorter PRAYERS the fire is kindlrd bl
the old priest. who uses rs his match a
sites ni hard wood with which he drill,
vigorously into 4 piece of dry. soft,
root, Until thc friction ignite, the du /
uf il own masking. and to the flames
thu- generated offerings of dry food
are made. The stones are then brought
and when warm enough, placed over
the fires; hcing constantly anointrd
with pitch and cactus juice, which they
grrci.lv absorb. 80 that they ut least
sem solid ma>>,s oi carbonizrd sub
stance rather than gritty rock. From
the beginning To- the cEd of this TEN
prrinr procc-, never a word is srokcn
aloud nor the least excitement ur
>priwhtly accom- indulrcd in. Sound
uttered woUtd penetrate the gsain ol
the rock aui, expelled hy heat or con
tl-rtny VITA the new being Qunc
tion) of the stone. split. scale or >hivrr
il with a loud noise. SO also. the evil
influence ii undue passion or hasty ac-
ton woriI Ike he communicated To II
with bl'-hi:u~ future ciirct.-FrdHd
CjlShjN !. il Tie Nf'>'o5i'.