In the kivas (See Figure 4) the priests and old men will instruct the
boys in the tribal legends, both historical and mythological, and in the
religious ceremonies in which they are all later supposed to
participate. 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 even bed-time stories. Indian dolls of painted wood and
feathers, made in the image of the Kachinas, are given the children, who
thus get a graphic idea of the supposed appearance of the heroes of some
of these stories.

The Hopi, like many primitive people, believe that when a bird sings he
is weaving a magic spell, and so they have songs for special magic too;
some for grinding, for weaving, for planting, others for hunting, and
still others for war; all definitely to gain the favor of the gods in
these particular occupations.

Without books and without writing the Hopi have an extensive
literature. That a surprising degree of accuracy is observed in its oral
transmission from generation to generation is revealed by certain
comparisons with the records made by the Spanish explorers in the
sixteenth century.




VII. HOPI RELIGION

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