"Hunahpu and Xbalanque Garden"

Yesterday I went up to Globe to visit the annual 'Apache Jii Day'. I wanted a chance to record some Zuni and Apache dancers. As the recording I'd done of the Zuni this summer in Flagstaff, didn't turn out. Plus I'd never seen a live Apache dance yet. Globe is an old Arizona mining town. Located about 100 miles east of Phoenix. It's a poor town, it's economy. Is based on the copper mines in it and around it. The air is dirty from the wind blown mining tillage. That surrounds the town. As a kid I called it Glob. Because of the poor air quality. Like most mining towns through out the World. All the wealth that comes from it's raw minerals. Ends up in the super wealthy's pockets. And the local resident are left with dangerous job, at low wages. And the air isn't fit to breath.
It's like night and day between the Apache Dancers and the other tribes of the south west. The Hopi, Navajo, Zuni dances, are well planned out. With each step having it's own meaning. The costumes are made with great care. The dancers are laden with fine turquoise jewelry. Elaborate head dresses, are the norm. The dances are like a Ballet from the Old World. Then you have the Apache Dancers. Like the wildness of there past. Known for the killing and marauding of the Native American neighbors. You see it reflected in there dances. That show aggressive nature of them. As a waring, always on the move society. I've posted on my You Tube channel http://www.youtube.com/resuts?search_query=rd47blog&aq=0 . The videos I recorded yesterday in Globe. You can see for yourself, what I talking about. Now for the next story in the Popol Vuh.

And now they (Hunahpu, Xbalanque) began to act out there self-revelation (knowing just who, they are) before there grandmother and mother. First they made a garden:

'We'll just do some gardening, our dear grandmother and mother,' they said. 'Don't worry. We're here, we're your grandchildren, we're the successors of our elder brothers,' said Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

And then they took up there axe, there mattock (large hoe), there hoe; each of them went off with a blow gun on his shoulder. They left the house having instructed there grandmother to give them there food:

'At midday bring our food, dear grandmother,' they said.

'Very well, my dear grandchildren,' said there grandmother.

After that, they went to there gardening. They simply struck there mattock in the ground, and the mattock simply cultivated the ground.

And it wasn't only the mattock that cultivated, but also the axe. In the same way, they struck it in the trunk of a tree; in same, it cut into the tree by itself, felling, scattering, felling all the trees and bushes, now leveling, mowing down trees.

Just the one axe did it, and the mattock, breaking up thick masses, countless stalks and brambles. Just one mattock was doing it, breaking up countless things, just clearing off whole mountains, small and great.

And then they gave instructions to that creature named the morning dove. They sat up on a big stump, and Hunahpu and Xbalanque said:

'Just watch for our grandmother, bringing our food. Cry out right away when she comes, and then we'll grab the mattock and axe.'

'Very well' said the Morning Dove.

This is because all they're doing is shooting; they're not really doing any gardening.

And as soon as the Dove cries out they come running, one of them grabbing the mattock and the other grabbing the hoe, and they are tying up there hair.

One of them deliberately rubs dirt on his hands; he dirties his face as well, so he's just like a real gardener.

And for the other one, he deliberately dumps wood chips on his head, so he's just like a real woodcutter.

Once there grandmother has seen them they eat, but they aren't really doing there gardening; she brings there food for nothing. And when they get home.

'We're really ready for bed, our dear grandmother,' they say when they arrive. Deliberately they massage, they stretch there legs, there arms in front of there grandmother.

And when they went on the second day and arrived at the garden, it had all grown up high again. Every tree and bush, every stock and bramble had put itself back together again when they arrived.

'Who's picking us clean,' they said? (Who's doing this to us?)

And these are the ones who are doing it, all the animals, small and great: Puma, Jaguar, Deer, Rabbit, Fox, Coyote, Peccary, Coati, small birds, great birds. They are the ones who did it in just one night.

After that they started the garden all over again. Just as before, the ground worked itself, along with the woodcutting.

And then they shared there thoughts, there on the cleared and broken ground:

'We'll simply have to keep watch over our garden. Then, whatever may be happening here, we'll find out about it,' they said when they shared there thoughts. And when they arrived at there house:

'How could we get picked clean, our dear grandmother? Our garden was tall thickets and groves all over again when we got there a while ago, our dear grandmother,' they said to there grandmother and mother. 'So we'll go keep watch, because what's happening to us is no good,' they said.

After that, they wound everything up, and then went back to clearing.

And there they took cover, and when they were hidden there, all the animals gathered together, each one sat on it's haunches, all the animals small and great.

And this was the middle of the night when they came. They all spoke when they came. This is what they said:

'Arise, conjoin (unite), you trees!
'Arise, conjoin, you bushes!'

they said. Then they made a great stir beneath the trees and bushes, then they came nearer, and then they showed there faces.

The first of these were the Puma and Jaguar. They boys tried to grab them, but they did not give them selves up. When the Deer and Rabbit came near they only got them by the tail, which broke off; the Deer left it's tail in there hands. When they grabbed the tail of the Deer, along with the tail of the Rabbit, the tails were shortened. But the Fox, Coyote and Peccary, Coati did not give themselves up. All the animals went by in front of Hunahpu and Xbalanque.

Next we'll learn why gardening was not the Twins real journey. You will see why a Rat has no hair on it's tale. And how the Rat lured the Twins to the Ball Court. You can also see how the Native Americans stories about how come each animal has it's distinctive look. With the tale of the Deer and Rabbits tales.

Oneida Tribe
People of the Rock. One of 5 Iroquois Tribes. Originally from New york. They now live on Oneida Reservation in Wisconsin.

"God" bless on this Sunday Evening. May you have sweet dreams, with soft landings. bye