Sacred Texts Native American Southwest Index Previous Next
Shell Man's (Stilina) wife had an eagle. He flew away and came to Tiputse (across river). She caught up a white manta 5 and followed him trying to throw the manta over the eagle. She ran on and on, but Eagle always escaped. She came to Payatamu. 6 He said, "You have come." He took her to his house.
Her husband wandered about mourning. Spider Grandmother met him and asked him to come into her house. She said, "My grandson never kills anything. He goes hunting, but never brings in any game." "I'll go hunt for you, grandmother." He killed lots of little birds, bluebirds and sparrows. When he got home she set out food. He found the head of a bird in his stew and he ate it. She said, "Don't eat my bird head. I have had that head a long time, and I have always made my stew of it." He gave her the bluebirds he had caught. She was frightened. She threw away all of the bluebirds. He said, "You're crazy, they are dead. Cook them, they won't hurt you." Spider Grandmother was pleased. She said, "To-morrow you must look for your wife. She is in the sky. I will take you up. Bring me red paint, and black shiny paint. Bring me a white embroidered manta for a dress and a red-and-black-bordered white manta to wear over my shoulders. Bring me a downy eagle feather to wear in my hair." He brought all these things and she painted herself and dressed, and she said, "I am ready. I will take you up to the sky."
She took two owl's feathers and crossed them. She said to him, "Stand in the middle; we are going up. Don't open your eyes." Halfway up he got frightened and looked. He cried, "Oh!" Spider Grandmother came back. She scolded him, "This time keep your eyes closed." Again he opened them, and Spider Grandmother came back. She scolded him and told him to keep his eyes closed. The third time he kept his eyes closed and they got up.
They came to where the wife of Shell Man was. Payatamu was there with his old mother. He said, "Let us play hide and seek for your wife. You shall hide first, then my mother will hide, and then I shall hide." Shell Man went out to hide where Sun comes up. Payatamu looked for him, but he could not find him. He called for him, "Wherever you are, come out." Shell Man jumped
out. He laughed. It was Old Woman's turn to hide. She said, "Watch me!" She went just where the boy (i. e., Shell Man) had gone. He could not find her. Now it was Payatamu's turn. He hid in the cracks of the kiva steps. Shell Man could not find him. It was Old Woman's turn. She said, "Watch me where I'm going. I've just covered myself with a white manta." She went up to the zenith. The sun hid her with his rays ("wings"). Shell Man called to her, "You are in the sun, come out!" She came out. Shell Man won. Now Payatamu went hiding. He went up to the sun in the zenith. Shell Man called out again, "You are in the sun, come out!" He came out. Then Shell Man went to hide. He hid in the cracks of the kiva steps. They looked and looked and could not find him. So he beat both of them and got his wife back. Payatamu said, "Now you may have your wife. You have won."
He took his wife and they came home again. Spider Grandmother crossed the owl feathers and told him to stand in the middle. She spun her thread and they held on tight. She said, "Shut your eyes all the way coming down." Halfway down they opened their eyes, and they were drawn back to the sky. At last they got down and went to Tiputse, and Shell Man lived with his wife.
71:4 Informant 3. Notes, p. 231.
71:5 "An eagle is always placed on a pure white manta before burial."
71:6 "Youth."