The Unwritten Literature of the Hopi

bil

to another and was incorporated, in whole or in part, into the tribal lore of the neighbor-thus adding something. And, we may suppose, some were more or less forgotten and thus l

high regard as to lay an obligation upon the tribe to see to it that a number of individuals learned and

ants for some of her stories, coming always from the narrators of different villages. But Wissler,[13] while allowing for these variations, says: "All this suggests instability in pri

f Contempor

the Mamona, meaning the Mormons, who lived among the Hopi some years ago. The writer was inclined to throw out the story, regarding the whole thing as a modern concoction, but Wissler[14] warns us that: "From a chronological point of view we may expect survival material in a t

orary setting, and this the narrator instinctively knows, therefo

he culture setting; the former may be ancient, whi

the idea in his study of the Tsimshian Indians. From this collection of 104 tales he concludes that: "In the tales of a people those incidents of the everyday life that are of importance to them will appear either incidentally or as the basis

Why Myth

inment, is a general favorite. However, some tribes have myths that "can not be told in summer, others only at night, etc."[16] Furthermore there are secret cults and ceremonials

lling them and the children like listening to them, but because of the feelin

he best story-tellers, usually an old man, sometimes an old woman, and occasionally, as the writer has seen it, a young man of some dramatic ability. When an important story furnishing a religious or social precedent is called for, either in counci

ce of

hical precepts, and finally as art. It furnishes the ever ready allusions to embellish the oration as well as to enliven the conversation of th

tory-T

been performed in their calendar places, and even the main supply of wood for winter fires has been gathered. To be sure, minor dances, some rel

d Oraibi.-Courtesy A

In the home, some good old story-telling neighbor drops in for supper, and stories are told for the enjoyment of all present, including the children; all kinds of stories, myths, tales of adventure, romances, and ev

they have songs for special magic too; some for grinding, for weaving, for planting, others for hunting

ree of accuracy is observed in its oral transmission from generation to generation is revealed