"Mudhead, Mudman"

A couple of weeks ago. When I went to visit Ahkima and Lonnie. On Third Mesa, of Hopiland (that's Ahkima's version). Ahkima and I went to watch a dance. At a village called Kykotsmovi (New Oriabi). Which lay's just to the east. And down in the valley from Old Oriabi. It got it's name because, it was a Christian community. And those who became Christian moved out of Old Oriabi. And settled below in Kykotsmovi (New Oriabi). The dance was held in the plaza of the community. Like most of the villages. On the Hopi reservation. Each village has it's own plaza in the middle of the village. The plazas are surrounded by the homes of the villagers. With the middle being only sand. No landscaping or trees, just Hopi sand. Not a very pretty sight to see. The homes are connected together. To help protect them from the weather. The homes are made from cut brown stone. You will see no coolers or air conditioners on there roofs. Just slightly pitched flat roofs. Which double as a place to stand and sit. While the village has it's dance going on. You see pictures of pueblos that have multi-stories. But I've yet to see that type of construction on the Hopi reservation. Then again, I've not been to the plaza of each community. So there you have it. A typical Hopi village plaza.

On the day of the dance on Kykotsmovi (5 June 11). The wind was blowing. Which is common for the Hopi reservation. This makes for harsh conditions. There is very little top soil, if any. On the Hopi Homeland. So when the wind blows. You are basically being sand-blasted. Add in the fact that your at about 6,000 feet elevation. With little cloud cover, or atmosphere. You soon become dried out and baked. Your eyes become sore. From the constant blowing sand. My white arms and face. Soon became bright red from the conditions. You would think coming from the Phoenix area. My skin would be use to the hot summer Sun. Not so. The Hopi reservation has it's own unique weather. That's why it is mentioned in the 'Hopi Creation Story'. Of how the Hopi picked there location to live. (Your rewards will come in the After-life. Kind of thing.) Now to tell of the dance.

Ahkima and I arrived, while the dancers were on lunch break. So we walked too the Kykotsmovi general store. They had everything a Hopi could want. (Except booze) From pizza being made fresh. To feathers you could buy. For making your Kachina, or other Hopi ceremonial item. Ahkima himself makes shaws. That he sells to other Hopi. They need these shaws for the certain ceremonies. As Ahkima says, 'I make a living from my own peoples'. While sitting out side the store. Waiting for the sounds of the Dancers drums. An older Hopi man walked up to me and started talking to me. He had a giant smile on his face. I smiled back and shook his hand. He started talking to me. Problem was, it was in Hopi. It just didn't seem to matter to either of us. (lol) While this was going on. Another Hopi kid who was a Kachina carver. Asked Ahkima about a shaw. Ahkima told him,'$500'. The kid shook his head. Then said to Ahkima, 'I'll get the money together some how'.

Ahkima and I, found our place to stand and watch the Dancers. The Dancers paraded in. The largest part of the Dancers were all dressed alike. They had masks on with your typical Hopi loin cloth. That seems to always have the pelt. Of some type of long tailed animal. Coming down from the waist on the back side. The main group of Dancers made a semi-circle. Or sort of a horse-shoe shape. At the enclosed end of the horseshoe. There was a group of differently dressed Dancers. The had heads that looked like they were some sort of Mud bowl. With a short round tube. For the eyes, ears and mouth. You notice that they make a different sound than the other Dancers. They only made the sounds of deft-mute. While the group of dancers who surrounded them. Where in perfect rhythm. Here was ancient history in front of my very eyes. The ones in the middle. Were Mudhead, first mankind on Earth. And those that surrounded them. Represented there Creators. Who were there to protect there Creation. Just as the Mayans had Mudman. The Hopi had Mudhead. One in the same, both Hopi and Mayan. And just like in Hopi myths. The first Creation had to be protected. But what were the Creators, protecting there Creation from what? Were those from above. Who wanted the Earth bound Creation destroyed? In the Mayan story of Mudman. Mudman was destroyed, because he was a failed attempt. He was destroyed by a Noah type flood. Yet here in the Hopi story of the first human Creation. He was being protected by there Creators. By the way, I forgot to mention. The Dancers this day in Kykotsmovi. Where from a village on the Second Mesa. And not from the village of Kykotsmovi.

As the dance wore on. It came to a sudden stop. (Before and while the dance was gong on. You would see boxes being brought into the semi-circle.) All of a sudden you saw ears of corn flying through the air. Loafs of bread flying in all directions. Dancer with boxes full of melons, candy, cookies and so on. Mingling amongst the crowd. Passing out gifts to the audience. You would think that the audience would be giving the Dancers gifts of food. No the Dancers were being respectful of those who attended the Dance. Even the Mudheads were passing out gifts. As they walked about passing out there food gifts. You could only hear muffled sounds from them. Like they had no ability to talk. Only the ability to make odd muffled sounds. Just as in the story from the Mayan Mudman. After the food was passed out. The dancers went back to there dancing. It would go until the Sunset. For two days from Sun-up too Sunset. The Dancers would dance.

I Go on a Curing Ceremony
the Sacrificial Rooster Flies Off

I was going to pray with my patient. My patient was a man. I didn't know his name. He was different-like people from San Antonio.

I prepared his substitute. I carefully wrapped up his sacrificial rooster before leaving.

But on the way, it came out of the candle basket that had been slung over my assistant's back. It had been dead. But it flew away.

Oh, we did out best to chase it, but we never caught it. The rooster fled.

It never reached Calvary. It never reached even one of the holy shrines.

it simply left us behind on the trail.

It's just a torment. Just a torment. Yes!

"God" bless bye