Home depot antelope road

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THE SNAKE MYTH
A Hopi Legend
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At Tokóonavi, north of the Grand Canyon, lived people who were then not yet Snake people.
They lived close to the bank of the river.
The chief's son often pondered over the Grand Canyon and wondered where all that water went to.
"That must certainly make it very full somewhere," he thought to himself.
So he spoke to his father about it.
''So that is what you have been thinking about," the latter said. "Yes," his son answered, "I want to go and examine it."
The father gave his consent and told his son that he should make a box for himself that would be large enough for him to get into, and he should arrange it so that all openings in the box could be closed.
This the boy did, making also a long pole (according to others a long báho), with which he could push the box in case it became fast or tangled up anywhere.
When he was ready he took a lot of báhos and some food, went into the box, and allowed himself to be pushed into the water, on which he then floated along.
Finally he came to the ocean, where he drifted against an island.
He found the house of Spider Woman (Kóhk'ang Wuhti) here, who called him to come to her house.
He went over and found that he could not get through the opening leading to her house.
"How shall I get in?" he said; "the opening is too small."
She told him to enlarge it.
This he did and then entered.
He told her a story and gave her a báho, and said that he had come after beads, etc.
She pointed to another kiva away out in the water and said that there were some beads and corals there. but that there were some wild animals guarding the path to it.
"If you had not informed me, how could you have succeeded in getting there and how would you have gotten back?
But I shall go with you," she said, "because you have given me a báho, for which I am very glad."
She then gave the young man some medicine and seated herself behind his right ear.
He spurted the medicine over the water and immediately a road like a rainbow was formed from the dwelling of Spider Woman to the other kiva.
On this they went across the water.
As they approached the kiva to which they were going they first encountered a panther, who growled fiercely.
The young man gave him a green báho and spurted some medicine upon him, which quieted him.
A little farther on they met a bear, whom they quieted in the same manner.
Still farther on they came upon a wildcat, to which they also handed a báho, which quieted the animal.
Hereupon they met a gray wolf, and finally a very large rattle-snake (K'áhtoya), both of which they appeased in the same manner as the others.
They then arrived at the kiva, where they found at the entrance a bow standard (Aoát nátsi).
They then descended the ladder and found in the kiva many people who were dressed in blue kilts, had their faces painted with specular iron (yaláhaii), and around their necks they wore many beads.
The young man sat down near the fireplace, Spider Woman still being seated on his ear, but no one spoke.
The men looked at him, but remained silent.
Presently the chief got a large bag of tobacco and a large pipe.
He filled the latter and smoked four times.
He then handed the pipe to the young man and said: "Smoke and swallow the smoke."
The swallowing of the smoke was a test: any one not being able to do that was driven off.
Spider Woman had informed the young man about this test, so he was posted.
When he commenced to smoke she whispered to him: "Put me behind you."
This he did in an unobserved manner, so when he swallowed the smoke she immediately drew the smoke from him and blew it away, and hence he did not get dizzy.
The men who did not observe the trick were pleased and said to him:
''All right, you are strong; you are certainly some one.
Thank you.
Your heart is good: you are one of us; you are our child." "Yes." he said, and handed them some red nakwákwosis and a single green báho with red points, such as are still made in Shupaúlavi in the Antelope society.
They then became very friendly, saving that the were very happy over the báhos.
On the walls of the kiva were hanging many costumes made of snake skins.
Soon the chief said to the people:
"Let us dress up now," and turning to the young man bid him to turn away so that he would not see what was going on.
He did so, and when he looked back again the men had all dressed up in the snake costumes and had turned into snakes, large and small, bull- snakes, racers, and rattle-snakes, that were moving about on the floor hissing, rattling, etc.
While he had turned away and the snake People had been dressing themselves, Spider Woman had whispered to him that they were now going to try him very hard, but that he should not be afraid to touch the snakes; and she gave him many instructions.
Among those present in the kiva had also been some pretty maidens who had also put on snake costumes and had turned into serpents.
One of them had been particularly handsome.
The chief had not turned into a snake, and was sitting near the fireplace.
He now turned to the young man and said to him:
"You go now and select and take one of these snakes."
The snakes seemed to be very angry and the young man got frightened when they stared at him, but Spider Woman whispered to him not to be a coward, nor to be afraid.
The prettiest maiden had turned into a large yellow rattle-snake (Sik'á-tcua), and was especially angry.
Spider Woman whispered to the young man, that the one that acted so very angrily was the pretty maiden and that he should try to take that one.
He tried, but the snake was very wild and fierce.
"Be not afraid," Spider Woman whispered, and handed him some medicine.
This he secretly chewed and spurted a small quantity of it on the fierce snake, whereupon it immediately became docile.
He at once grabbed it, held and stroked it four times upward, each time spurting a little medicine on it, and thus freeing it from its anger.
The chief was astonished and said: "You are very something, thanks.
Now, look away again." He did so and when he turned back he saw that all the snakes had assumed the forms of men and women again, including the maiden that he had captured. They now were all very good to him, and talked to him in the kindest manner, because they now considered him as initiated and as one of them.
He was now welcome, and the chief invited him to eat.
The mána whom the young man had taken got from another room in the kiva some bread made of fresh corn-meal, some peaches, melons, etc., and set this food before the young man.
Spider Woman whispered to the young -man to give her something to eat too, which he did secretly.
She enjoyed the food very much and was very happy.
Now the chief asked the man why he came, etc.
"I hunt a lólomat kátcit (good life) and was thinking about the water running this way, and so this way it runs.
I have come also to get Hopi food from here.
I also heard that there lives a woman here somewhere, the Hurúing Wuhti, from whom I want beads."
"What have you for her?" they asked.
"These báhos," he said. "All right, you will get there.
But now you sleep here."
But Spider Woman wanted to get back.
He told them that he wanted to go out a little while.
Then he went and took Spider Woman home, and put her down.
She invited him to come and eat with her.
She had a pövö'lpik'i off which she lived and which never gave out, but he left her and returned to the Snake kiva, where he was welcomed and called brother and son-in-law (möö'nangwuu), although he had not yet married, but only caught the mána.
So he remained there.
That evening and night the chief told him all about the Snake cult, altar, etc., etc., and instructed him how he must put this up, and do that, when he would return.
He did not sleep that night.
In the morning he again went out on the same excuse as the previous evening, and went to Spider Woman, who went out. She made a rainbow road into the ocean to a high bluff where Hurúing Wuhti lived, and to which they ascended on a ladder. They went in and found an old hag, but on all the walls many beads, shells, etc.
The woman said nothing.
The young man gave her the báhos, then she, said faintly, "Áskwali!" (Thanks!)
At sundown she went into a side chamber and returned a very pretty maiden with fine buffalo and wildcat robes, of which she made a bed, and after having fed him, invited him to sleep with her on the bed.
Then Spider Woman ,whispered he should comply with her request, then he would win her favor and get the beads.
So he did as requested.
In the morning he awoke and found by his side an old hag, snoring.
He was very unhappy,
He stayed all day, the hag sitting bent up all day.
In the evening the change, etc., that occurred on the previous day was repeated, but the hag after this remained a pretty maiden.
He remained four days and nights with Hurúing Wuhti, who is the deity of the hard substances.
After four days he wanted to go home, so she went into a room on the north side and got a turquoise bead; then from a room west the same: from a room South a reddish bead (cátsni); from one east, a hard white bead (hurúingwa), a shell.
Then she gave him a few of all kinds of beads and told him to go home now, but charging him not to open the sack, because if he did they would be gone, and if he did not they would increase.
"You go to the Snakes, who will give you clothes, food, etc."
He then returned to the Snake kiva.
There he staved four days and four nights, sleeping with his wife.
When he was ready to go home the chief said: "Take this mána with you.
You have won us.
Take it all with you, take of our food.
Practice the ceremonies there that I told you about.
This woman will bear you children and then you will be many and they will hold this ceremony for you."
So they started.
At Spider Woman's house he told his wife, ''You stay here.
I will go to the rear."
So he went to Spider Woman's house and she asked:
''Well, did you get the mána?" "Yes," he said. "Well, you take everything along."
But she forbid him to touch his wife while they would be on the way, as then his beads would disappear and also his wife.
So they started.
The beads were as yet not heavy.
During the night they slept separately.
In the morning they found that the beads had increased, and they kept increasing as they went along the next day.
The next night they spent in the same way.
They were anxious to see whether the beads and shells had increased, but did not dare to do so.
The third night was again spent, and the contents of the bag increased the same as the previous two nights.
The bag with the beads and shells now became very heavy and the young man was very anxious to see them, but his wife forbade him to open the sack.
The fourth night was spent in the same manner, and when they arose in the morning the sack was nearly full and was very heavy.
Spider Woman had also put some strings into the bag with the beads, and the beads were strung onto these strings a,; they kept increasing.
They now approached the home of the young man, and the latter was very anxious to get home in order to see the contents, of the sack, so they traveled on.
When they had nearly one more day's travel to make the sack had become full.
During the last night the man opened the sack, although his wife remonstrated most energetically.
He took out many of the finest beads and shells and spread them on the floor before them, put them around his neck, and was very happy.
So they retired for the night.
In the morning they found that all the beads except those which Hurúing Wuhti had given to the man had disappeared. Hence the Hopi have so few beads at the present day.
If that man had at that time brought home with him all the beads which he had, they would have many.
So when they arrived at home they were very despondent.
At that time only the Divided or Separated Spring (Bátki) clan and the Pö'na (a certain cactus) clan lived at that place, but with the arrival of this young couple a new clan, the Snake clan, had come to the village.
Soon this new woman bore many children.
They were snakes who lived in the fields and in the sand. They grew very rapidly and went about and played with the Hopi children, whom they sometimes bit.
This made the Hopi very angry and they said:
"This is not good," and drove them off, so they were very unhappy.
The woman said to her husband:
"You take our children back to my home and there we shall go away from here alone."
Then the man's father made báhos, gave them to his son, who put all the snakes with the báhos into his blanket and took them back to his wife's home, and there told the Snake people why he brought their children and the báhos.
They said it was all right.
Hence the Snake priests, when carrying away the snakes from the plaza after the snake dance, take with them and deposit with the snakes some báhos, so that they should not themselves return to the village.
When the Snake man returned to his village lit and his wife traveled south- eastward, stopping at various places.
All at once they saw smoke in the distance, and when they went there they found a village perched son the mesa.
This was the village of Wálpi.
They at once went to the foot of the mesa on which Wálpi was situated and announced their presence.
So the village chief went down to them from the mesa, and asked what they wanted.
They asked to be admitted to the village, promising that they would assist the people in the ceremonies.
The chief at first showed himself unwilling to admit then), but finally gave his consent and took them up to the village.
From that time the woman bore human children instead of little snakes.
These children and their descendants became the Snake clan, of whom only very few are now living.
Soon also the Bátki and Pö'na clan came to Wálpi and found admittance to the village.
At Wálpi the Snake people made the first Snake típoni, Snake altar, etc., and had the first Snake ceremony.
From here the Snake cult spread to the other villages, first to Shongópavi, then to Mishóngnovi, and then to Oraíbi.
At the first Snake ceremony the Snake chief sent his nephew to the north, to the west, to the south, and to the east to hunt snakes.
He brought some from each direction,
The chief then hollowed out a piece of báho, made of cottonwood root.
Into this he put the rattles of three of the snakes and the fourth snake entirely.
He then inserted into it a corn-ear, and tied to it different feathers of the eagle, the oriole, blue-bird, parrot, magpie, Ásya, and topóckwa, winding a buckskin String around these feathers.
When he had made this típoni, the first ceremony was celebrated, and afterwards it took place regularly.

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The Sly Young Man
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There were two brothers, one married, the other unmarried.
The married one lived in one place; the unmarried one, in another.
They did not want to live together.
One time the unmarried brother wanted to visit the married one.
When he approached his house, he listened, and thought, "Why, my brother and his wife are talking and laughing quite merrily."
When he came nearer, however, he noticed that the man's voice was not that of his brother.
So he crept along the wall very cautiously, and then looked through a rent in the skin covering.
A strange man was having quite a merry time with his sister-in-law.
They were hugging and kissing, and talking and playing with each other.
He thought, "My brother is not here.
Probably he is off hunting wild reindeer."
The others meanwhile took off their breeches to and made love right before him, though unaware of his presence.
At the most critical moment the young man entered the house.
The woman, however, shook herself free, swifter than a she-ermine, and in a moment the man too was hidden beneath the blanket.
The young man said nothing.
He simply sat down and waited for the evening.
The other man, the one hidden under the blanket, having nothing else to do, also waited. Late in the evening, the married brother came home.
The unmarried brother said nothing to him about the strange man hidden in the house, the woman also said nothing; but both were silent and very anxious.
The married brother said, "Listen, wife! Our brother has come to visit us.
Cook plenty of the best meat and reindeer-fat, and we will have a hearty meal .
The visiting brother said nothing, and waited, as before.
The woman cooked some meat, and taking it out of the kettle, carved it with great care and spread the meal.
The married brother said, "Come on! Let us eat!"
The other answered, "How can we eat, since a strange man is hidden in our house?"
The married brother said, "Then I shall look for him in every corner, and certainly I shall find him."
He did so, searching all through the house, but found nothing.
Then he said again, "So it was a joke of yours.
Come on! Let us have a meal!"
The unmarried brother said, as before, "How can we have a meal?
A strange man is hidden in the house."
The same happened three successive times.
At last the unmarried brother said, "Leave me alone!
How can we have a meal? A strange man is hidden in your bed, and covered with your own blankets."
The married brother pulled off the blanket.
The strange man was lying there, face downward.
His head was under the pillow.
The married brother felt very angry.
He drew his knife and with a single blow, cut off the head of the adulterer.
Then he came to himself and said with great sorrow, "Oh, brother! – and you, woman!
You ought to have warned me in time.
Now, what is to be done? I have killed a man. What will happen to us?"
He sat down and cried most wretchedly.
The other brother said, "What of it?
There is no need of crying.
He has been killed, and we cannot change it.
It is better that I carry off the body and dispose of it."
He took the body and carried it off.
After sometime he found the tracks of the killed man and followed them up.
He came to a beaten road, and then to a large village.
It had numerous houses, some of them Tungus, and some Yakut.
They had herds of reindeer and also of horses.
In the middle of the village stood a large house just like a hill.
It was the house of the chief of the village.
The unmarried brother arrived there in the night time and soon found the house of the killed man.
He entered at once, carrying the corpse on his back.
The parents of the killed one, an old man and an old woman, were sleeping on the right hand side of the house.
The bed of their son was on the left hand side.
He went to the bed, put down the body, and covered it with a skin blanket.
He tucked in the folds with great care, and then placed the head in its proper place, so that he looked just like a man sleeping.
The old man, and the old woman heard a rustling sound and thought, "Ah, it is our son!
He has come home." Then the father said, "Ah, it is you! Why are you so late?"
In another corner slept the elder brother of the killed man and his wife.
He also said, "Why are you so late? You ought to be asleep long ago."
The man who had carried in the corpse crept softly out of the house and went home.
He came to his married brother, who said, "Ah, it is you! You are alive.
And what have you done with the body?" – "I carried it to the house of his parents and put it down on his own bed.
He ought to have slept on it long ago."
After that they had a meal.
Then the unmarried brother said again, "I will go back and see what happened to the dead body." – "Do not go!
This time they will surely kill you." – "They will not kill me. I shall go and see."
He would not listen to his married brother, and went back to the house of the dead man.
He approached, and heard loud wailing.
The relatives of the killed man were lamenting over the body.
He entered and saluted the old man.
Then modestly he sat down at the women's place.
The old man said, "I never saw such a face in our village.
Certainly, you are a stranger, a visitor to our country." – "I am," said the young man.
"And why are you lamenting in this wise?" –
"We have good reason for it," said the old man.
"Two sons we had, and now we have lost one of them.
He used to walk in the night time, heaven knows where.
Then he grew angry with us and in that angry mood he cut off his own head.
After that he lay down, covered himself with a blanket, and then he died.
So you see we have good reasons for lamenting."
They had a meal and then some tea.
After that the old man said, "We have no shamans in our village, although it is large. Perhaps you know of some shaman in your own country?" –
"Yes," said the young man, "I know of one."
He lied once more. He did not know of any shaman. "Ah!" said the old man, brightening up, "if that is so, go and bring him here."
He asked them for two horses, – one for himself, and another for the shaman whom he was to bring.
"I will ride one horse, and the other I will lead behind with a halter for the shaman."
He rode off without aim and purpose, for he knew of no shaman.
After a long while he came to a lonesome log cabin.
Some wolflings were playing before the entrance.
He entered. An old wolf-woman was sitting on a bench.
Her hair was long, it hung down and spread over the floor.
A young girl was sitting at a table. She was quite fair, fairer than the sun.
This was the Wolf-girl. The wolflings outside were her brothers.
The old woman looked up and said, "I never saw such a face in our own place.
No human beings ever came here.
Who are you, – a human creature, or something else?" – "I am human." –
"And what are you looking for, roaming about?" – "I am in great need.
I am looking for a shaman, having been sent by a suffering person."
She repeated her question, and he answered the same as before.
The old woman held her breath for some time.
Then she said, "I am too old now.
I do not know whether I still possess any power, but in former times I used to help people." He took hold of her, put her upon his horse, and rode back to the old man's home.
He took her into the house, and said, "This is the shaman I have brought for you."
They treated her to the best dainties, and all the while she was drying over the fire her small, strange shaman's drum.
After that she started her shamanistic performance.
According to custom, she made the man who had taken her there hold the long tassel fastened to the back of her garments.
"Take care!" said the old woman, "do not let go of this tassel!"
He grasped the tassel, and the old woman wound herself around like a piece of birchbark over the fire.
The house was full of people, housemates, guests, onlookers.
After a while the young man said, "I feel very hot.
Let somebody hold this tassel for a little while, and I will go out and cool myself."
He went out of the house.
The moon was shining brightly.
A number of horses were digging the snow for some tussock-grass.
He caught them all.
Then he cut down some young willow and prepared a number of willow brooms – one for each of the horses.
He tied the brooms to the tails of the horses.
Then he set them afire, and set the horses free.
Seeing the glare and scenting the smell of fire, they ran away in every direction.
He went back and took hold of the tassel again, as though nothing had happened.
Then some other person went out, and hurried back, shouting, "O men! the country all around is aflame!"
And, indeed, the horses were galloping about, waving high their tails of fire.
"Who lighted this fire?" said the people. "Perhaps the spirits."
Everyone left the house. They stood outside, staring upon that living fire fleeting by.
"Ah, ah!" said some of them. "It is our end. This fire will burn us down."
Not one of them thought any more of the old woman.
The young man, however, quietly slipped back into the house.
The old woman was drumming more violently than ever.
She was so full of inspiration, that she had noticed nothing at all.
He looked about. No one was there. The old woman drummed on.
Then he lifted from the ground a big kettle full to the brim of ice-cold water and all at once he overturned it over the old woman's head.
After that he put the kettle over her head and shoulders.
The old woman shuddered, and fell down dead, as is the way of all shamans when frightened unexpectedly.
The young man left the house, and mingled among the people outside, looking most innocent.
After some time, however, he said, "Why are we standing here looking at this blaze, and meantime we have left the shaman alone in the house?
That is wrong."
They hurried back, and the wolf shaman was lying on the ground, wet and stone dead, half hidden in the kettle.
The old man was in great fear, and wailed aloud, "Alas, alas! I lost a son, and that was bad enough; but it is much worse that this Wolf-woman has died in our house.
Her children will surely come and wreak vengeance upon our heads.
We are already as good as dead. O God!" he continued, "we are in a bad plight.
Somebody must go and carry the Wolf-woman to her own house."
The people were full of fear and nobody wanted to go.
Then the old man tried to induce the young visitor to convey the body of the Wolf-woman to her family.
The young man said, "How can I do this? They will tear me into bits."
The old man had a young daughter who was very pretty.
He said, "Please toss this old woman away! If you come back alive, you may marry this young girl as your reward." –
"All right," said the young man, "but still I am not sure.
Perhaps, even if I come back alive, you will break your word and give me nothing." –
"No, never!" said the old man, "I will deal honestly with you." –
"So be it," said the young man.
"Now please kill for me two ptarmigan, and give me their bladders filled with fresh and warm blood."
He took the bladders and placed them under his armpits.
Then he drove some iron nails into his heels, into the very flesh.
He took the old woman and put her upon the saddle.
Then he bound her fast, though not very strongly.
She looked, however, quite like a living person riding a horse.
They set off and reached the house of the wolves. "Oh," the wolflings raised a yell, "Mamma is coming, mamma is coming!
"Easy," said the young man. "My horse shies easily.
Take care lest you cause some great misfortune."
And he secretly spurred his horse with the nails of his feet.
The horse reared and threw him down.
The other horse did the same.
The body of the wolf-mother fell down like a bundle of rags.
The bladder burst, and all the blood was spilled.
They lay there side by side, swimming in blood.
The wolf-children said, "O brother! our mother is dead; but that is as nothing.
We have killed that stranger by our imprudence.
He is near unto death, and no doubt his brothers and sisters, and all his kith and kin, will come here to have revenge."
They went near and looked at him.
The blood was streaming down his arms and legs. "Oh, oh!" said the wolf-children, "How can be live?"
In despair they took him by the hands and feet and shook him and said to him, "Please, man, do not die here!
We will give you our pretty sister."
They worried him, howled over him, and entreated him, and by and by he acted as though feeling a little better.
He sighed low, "Oh, oh!" In the end he fully revived and came to.
"Ah!" said the wolflings to their sister, "see what good luck we have.
A man was dying, and we said, 'We will give you our sister,' and he revived."
So he took the girl and went home.
"Be sure," said the wolf children on taking farewell, "when you return to your own place, not to tell your kinsmen that we had nearly killed you!" –
"I will not tell," assured the man, and galloped off with his bride.
They came to the old man. "I have come back and am alive!" shouted the young man. "Where is the girl?" –
"Here she is," said the old man.
"Thank the Spirits, you have come back safe!" He took the other girl, and went back to his brother with two women and three horses.
The brother said, "How long it is since you were here! I thought you were dead but I see you have brought some girls." –
"I have," said the young man.
He entered the house, and without much ado, cutoff the head of his sister-in-law.
"There you are!" said he.
"You shall have no more paramours."
He gave his brother the old man's daughter and took for himself the old woman's daughter. After that they lived on.

Home Depot Haller Lake is popping off today! Their plant section is insane and stuff is really cheap! They must have just gotten a shipment. There were a bunch of cool snake plants and philodendron. Someone come get this beautiful Hawaiian Pothos!

I'm thinking that I can buy the sub-$1 step flashing from Home Depot, cut it down to size/shape and putting it in the hole. But do I need to stuff the hole with something beforehand? Birds are nesting in there (will wait until they leave)