The Course Of The Sun

: Myths And Legends Of California And The Old Southwest

Sia (New Mexico)



Sussistinnako, the spider, said to the sun, "My son, you will ascend and

pass over the world above. You will go from north to south. Return and

tell me what you think of it."



The sun said, on his return, "Mother, I did as you bade me, and I did

not like the road."



Spider told him to ascend and pass over the world from west to the east.

On his retur
, the sun said,



"It may be good for some, mother, but I did not like it."



Spider said, "You will again ascend and pass over the straight road from

the east to the west. Return and tell me what you think of it."



That night the sun said, "I am much contented. I like that road much."



Sussistinnako said, "My son, you will ascend each day and pass over the

world from east to west."



Upon each day's journey the sun stops midway from the east to the centre

of the world to eat his breakfast. In the centre he stops to eat his

dinner. Halfway from the centre to the west he stops to eat his supper.

He never fails to eat these three meals each day, and always stops at

the same points.



The sun wears a shirt of dressed deerskin, with leggings of the same

reaching to his thighs. The shirt and leggings are fringed. His

moccasins are also of deerskin and embroidered in yellow, red, and

turkis beads. He wears a kilt of deerskin, having a snake painted upon

it. He carries a bow and arrows, the quiver being of cougar skin,

hanging over his shoulder, and he holds his bow in his left hand and an

arrow in his right. He always wears the mask which protects him from the

sight of the people of Ha-arts.



At the top of the mask is an eagle plume with parrot plumes; an eagle

plume is at each side, and one at the bottom of the mask. The hair

around the head and face is red like fire, and when it moves and shakes

people cannot look closely at the mask. It is not intended that they

should observe closely, else they would know that instead of seeing the

sun they see only his mask.



The moon came to the upper world with the sun and he also wears a mask.



Each night the sun passes by the house of Sussistinnako, the spider, who

asks him, "How are my children above? How many have died to-day? How

many have been born to-day?" The sun lingers only long enough to answer

his questions. He then passes on to his house in the east.



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