Basket-Drum Ceremonies

PREPARATIONS AND AIM

Songs are chanted to the accompaniment of a basket-drum from the fifth through the eighth evenings of the Coyoteway ceremonial. As before, most of these songs refer to the performance of the first Coyoteway ceremonial and to the archetypal Coyote People. Coyote has been the first sufferer, the first who was healed by Coyoteway, and also the first to teach his healing procedures to human apprentices. Health, well being, and general blessings emanate therefore from the Coyote People whose presence in the surface world is realized by singing their own archaic and proven songs.

The basket-drum songs on the fifth evening actually begin a new type of ceremony that in each instance climaxes on the next morning in the appearance of a masked yé'ii-impersonator. For three days in a row a blue-masked god from the underworld visits the patient. On the last day, as many as three yé'ii-impersonators appear in answer to the previous night's basket-drum songs.

Two large leaves of a yucca plant are knitted together into a drumstick with slices of yucca leaves. Kernels of maize are wrapped into the drumstick—one for each participating member. Before him the practitioner sprinkles a leveled spot with cornmeal. Then, at that same place a moistened wedding basket is placed upside down on one side of a blanket. The remaining portion of the blanket is folded over the basket; the basket-drum is ready for use.

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The participants sit in a circle around the singer. The patient sits at his regular place north of the practitioner. While the helpers sing along and take turns among each other with the rattle, the practitioner beats the drum and leads in the singing. After the first song the patient goes briefly outside; he reenters to sit somewhere along the south side of the hogan. This is done to separate him from the old place with which his illness has become associated. Moreover, the group of people, chanting blessing songs, form a human shield charged with divine song power to protect the patient from his former troubles.

FIFTH EVENING

The following basket-drum songs are chanted in unison on the fifth evening of the Coyoteway ceremonial;

71. Song, Fifth Evening

This is the Fur, this is the Fur.

On the Tips of the Fur is the White Water.

On the Tips of the Fur is the White Medicine....

This song is the same as Song 10.)

While the helpers sing along and take turns among each other with the rattle,
the practitioner beats the drum and leads in the singing.

…the group of people, chanting blessing songs, form a human shield charged
with divine song power to protect the patient from his former troubles.

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72. Song, Fifth Evening, similar to Song 25

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan,

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan.

This is the Hogan given to me.

This is the White Clay Hogan.

This is the Hogan in the White Fur.

This is the Hogan that is immune.

This is the Hogan given to me.

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan,

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan.

This is the Hogan built of Logs.

This is the Hogan in the Mountains

This is the Hogan in the Blue Fur.

This is the Hogan that is immune.

This is the Hogan built of Logs.

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan,

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan.

This is the Hogan behind the Hill.

This is the Hogan of the Abalone Shell Lady.

This is the Hogan in the Yellow Fur.

This is the Hogan that is immune.

This is the Hogan behind the Hill.

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan,

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan.

This is the Hogan on top of the Mountain.

This is the Brown Hogan on the Mountain.

This is the Hogan in the Black Fur.

This is the Hogan that is immune.

This is the Hogan on top of the Mountain.

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan,

This is the Hogan, this is the Hogan.

With these he is made well again, with these he is made well again,

With these he is made well again, with these he is made well again.

Song 72 is a reduced version of Song 25. It is reduced to four stanzas to accommodate the four directional colors—white (east), blue (south), yellow (west), black (north). Song 72 is repeated three times with sequential variations—south, west, north, east; west, north, east, south; and north, east, south, west.

73. Song, Fifth Evening

With their Blood in me I am immune,
With their Blood in me I am immune,

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With their blood in me I am immune,

With their Blood in me I am immune.

With the Wind People's Blood in me,

With the Cornripener Beetle's Blood in me,

With the White Medicine's Blood in me,

With the Cornripener Sons' Blood in me,

With their Blood in me I am immune.

With the Blue Sky in me,

With the Sons of Blue Sky in me,

With the White Medicine in me,

With their Blood in me I am immune.

With the Yellow Medicine in me,

With the White Medicine in me,

With their Blood in me I am immune,

With their Blood in me I am immune.

74. Song, Fifth Evening

Down the Mountain, they roll it over him.

The Rock of Black Cloud's Sons, they roll it over him.

The Rock of White Medicine, they roll it over him.

I am immune, they roll it over him.

It is their Rock, they roll it over him.

The Blue Lizards' Rock, they roll it over him.

At the Place of Yellow Evening, they roll it over him.

The White Medicine's Rock, they roll it over him.

I am immune, they roll it over him.

Down the Mountain, they roll it over him.

Song 74 refers to the episode mentioned in the myth by tséyi'nii (Chapter 10); Coyote came to a place where lizards were sliding down on rocks. He wanted to slide down with them, but a rock fell on him and smashed him. The song implies that the lizards rolled a rock over him. According to the myth. Coyote survived and recovered; this is the important point for the present healing effort. Together with Coyote, even with rocks crashing on him, the patient is considered immune.

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The next two songs elaborate on the Coyote mysticism according to which the patient and the tenacious Coyote are one.

75. Song, Fifth Evening

He has come back and I am walking,, as I am walking with him,

With his Body I am walking, as I am walking with him.

On the Path I am walking, as I am walking with him.

With his Body I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

With the Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

In the Woods I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

With the Black Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

On the Path to Water I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

76. Song, Fifth Evening

I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

        I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.
        I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.
        I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

In the White Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

The Path behind the Hill I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

On the Path to Water I am walking, as I am walking with him.

With the Medicine I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

In the Blue Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

With the White Corn I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him,...

(continued as in first stanza)

In the Yellow Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

The Path behind the Hill I am walking, as I am walking with him.

My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

(continued as in first stanza)

In the Black Fur I am walking, as I am walking with him.

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With the White Corn I am walking, as I am walking with him.
My Body is immune as I am walking, as I am walking with him....
(continued as in first stanza)

/ am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

I am not ashamed as I am walking, as I am walking with him.

77. Song, Fifth Evening

Hogan below from where he emerges,

Hogan below from where he comes out in a circle,

Hogan below from where he comes out in a circle.

Long Hogan from where he emerges.

Hogan made of White Fur, made in a circle.

Under the Rocks from where he emerges.

My Body is made immune, made in a circle.

Hogan below from where he comes out in a circle,
Hogan below from where he comes out in a circle.

Long Hogan from where he emerges.

Hogan made of Blue Fur, made in a circle.

(Continued as in first stanza. Third and fourth stanzas are sung with

Yellow Fur and Black Fur respectively.)

Song 77 presents an interesting, and very logical, mixture of Pueblo Indian emergence mythology and Apachean hunter wit. The hole of emergence is here a foxhole (foxes are coyotes) under a rock. The underworld hogan of Coyote is recognized as a long underground burrow, extending in a circle.

78. Song, Fifth Evening

The Adulterous Coyote, he walks underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he walks underground.

In the White Fur, he walks underground.

A Song he sings, as he walks underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he walks underground.

He does not see me, as he walks underground.

He sings under a Spruce Tree, as he walks underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he walks underground.

The Sunset Twilight Boy, he walks underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he walks underground.

He sings under a Spruce Tree, as he walks underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he walks underground.

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79. Song, Fifth Evening

The Adulterous Coyote, he calk everywhere, underground.

A Song he sings, he calls everywhere, underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he calk everywhere, underground.

The One Running Along the Path, under the Spruce Tree, he calk everywhere, underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he calk everywhere, underground.

The One Running Along the Path, under the Spruce Tree, he calk everywhere, underground.

The Song he sings does not affect me, he calk everywhere, underground.

The One Running Along the Path, on the Rock, he calls everywhere, underground.

80. Song, Fifth Evening

He makes the Medicine, he makes the Medicine,

He makes the Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

The Adulterous Coyote, he makes the Medicine.

Below the Cliffs, he makes the Medicine.

The White Fur, he makes the Medicine.

The Holy Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

The Making of the Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

Out among the Hills, he makes the Medicine.

The Holy Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

The Crystal Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

The Holy Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

The Making of the Medicine, he makes the Medicine.

81. Song, Fifth Evening

I put it in your mouth, I put it in your mouth,

I put it in your mouth, I put it in your mouth.

The Black Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Invisible Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The White Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Holy Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Invisible Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

_________________________

(1) Literally "he does everything"—explained by the singer as "he calls everywhere."

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The White Corn, I put it in your mouth.

The Yellow Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Holy Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Invisible Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Evening Yellow, I put it in your mouth.

The Blue Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Holy Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Invisible Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Crystal Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Holy Medicine, I put it in your mouth.

The Medicine is holy to him.

I put it in your mouth, I put it in your mouth,

I put it in your mouth, I put it in your mouth.

82. Song, Fifth Evening

I put it in your mouth, he is eating it;

for its miraculous power, he is eating it,

for its miraculous power, he is eating it.

The White Medicine, he is eating it.

The Holy Medicine, he is eating it.

Here the Medicine, he is eating it.

The Holy Medicine, he is eating it.

Here the Medicine, he is eating it.

For its miraculous power, he is eating it.

The Crystal Medicine, he is eating it.

The Holy Medicine, he is eating it.

Here the Medicine, he is eating it.

I put it in your mouth, he is eating it:

for its miraculous power, he is eating it,

for its miraculous power, he is eating it.

83. Song, Fifth Evening

The Hawks are going in pairs, the Hawks are going in pairs,
The Hawks are going in pairs, the Hawks are going in pairs.

Out on the Plains they are going in pairs.

On a Path behind the Ridge they are going in pairs.

(To their feathery arrows) I am immune.

(This stanza is sung four times.)

84. Song, Fifth Evening

The Pairs keep going behind ridges,

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The Pairs keep going behind ridges,

The Pairs keep going behind ridges.

White Coyote Pairs keep going behind ridges.

Black Coyote Pairs keep going behind ridges.

The White Medicine, they are eating it.

The Black Medicine, they are eating it.

I am immune.

The Pairs keep going behind ridges,

The Pairs keep going behind ridges.

Yellow Coyote Pairs keep going behind ridges.

Blue Coyote Pairs keep going behind ridges.

The Yellow Medicine, they are eating it.

The Blue Medicine, they are eating it.

I am immune.

The Pairs keep going behind ridges,

The Pairs keep going behind ridges.

85. Song, Fifth Evening

He carried it away, far away, he carried it away.

Beneath the Two Rising, he carried it away.

The White Prayerstick in his hand, he (White Coyote) carried it away.

With Happiness before him, he carried it away.

With Happiness behind him, he carried it away.

He carried it away, far away, he carried it away.

Beneath the Two Above, he carried it away.

The Blue Prayerstick in his hand, he (Blue Coyote) carried it away.

With Happiness behind him, he carried it away.

With Happiness before him, he carried it away.

He carried it away, far away, he carried it away.

Beneath the Two Setting, he carried it away.

The Yellow Prayerstick in his hand,

he (Yellow Coyote) carried it away....

(continued as in first stanza)

He carried it away, far away, he carried it away.

Beneath Where the Stars Turn, he carried it away.

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The Black Prayerstick in his hand,

he (Black Coyote) carried it away....

(continued as in second stanza)

He carried it away, far away, he carried it away.

SIXTH EVENING

The following basket-drum songs are chanted in unison on the sixth evening of the Coyoteway ceremonial:

89. Song, Sixth Evening

To the Hogan I came, to the Hogan I came,

To the Hogan I came, to the Hogan I came.

Beneath the Two Rising, to the Hogan I came.

To the Hogan of White Coyote, to the Hogan I came.

Round Corn across the Door, to the Hogan I came.

On the Pollen-path I came, to the Hogan I came.

Sunshine over the Door, to the Hogan I came.

To the Holy Hogan, to the Hogan I came.

To the Hogan I came, to the Hogan I came,

To the Hogan I came, to the Hogan I came.

Beneath the Two Above, to the Hogan 1 came.