Page 187 - TheHopiIndians

VIII

MYTHS

As yet the myths of the Hopi have not been sys
tematically collected, hence our view of the deeper
workings of the Hopi mind is a limited one. No ob
server familiar with the language has lived with the
Good People in order to hear from the wrinkled sages
the tales of beginnings and the explanations of things
that must be stored in their minds, if the fragmentary
utterances that are extant may give indication. A
few myths collated principally from the writings of
Dr. J. Walter Fewkes are given as examples, display
ing the range and depth of the imagination of these
Indians.18
In the early days when the world was young, many
monsters, most of whom were hostile to man, roamed
the earth or infested the sky, and particularly
harassed the Hopi. These monsters were gigantic in
size and possessed special weapons of tremendous
power to assist them in their supernatural craft.
Long the people groaned under the ravages of the
10 Since writing this Rev. H. R. Voth has published a valua
ble collection of folk tales and myths. Field Mas. Pub. 96.