These Natackas are undoubtedly derived from eastern pueblos, for they are represented at Zuñi by the so-called Natackó, which they closely resemble in symbolism. They were introduced into Tusayan by the Tanoan colonists, the Asa and the Hano clans, the Middle mesa Natackas being simply derived from the East mesa. They are not found at Oraibi, as these clans are not represented there.
Besides the Soyoko or monsters which regularly appear in the Walpi Powamû, there are other similar bogies which make occasional visits. Two of these, called Awatobi Soyok taka and Soyok wüqti, were derived from Awatobi, one, Atocle, from Zuñi, and one, Tcabaiyo,[1] is of unknown derivation. All apparently have the same function, but there is only a remote similarity in their symbolism.
The name Soyok or Soyukû, given by the Hopi to the Natackas, is linguistically a Keresan word, and as the mythologic conceptions and objective symbolism are very similar in the two stocks, we may regard the Hopi being as a derivation from the Keresan. The fact that these personages are found in the Hopi pueblos where there are other evidences of incorporation from eastern pueblos tells in favor of the theory that they were brought to Tusayan from eastern pueblos.
In the personation of Natacka we find also a person called naamû, their father. The following list includes the varieties of these personations:
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Nanatacka tatakti (males). |
Natacka Naamû
(Plate IX)
The father as figured by the artist has on the head a crest of turkey tail feathers and two eagle feathers, each tipped with a red breast feather. He has a goggle-eyed black mask with a trifid symbol on the forehead and a curved horn on each side of the head.
The father of the Natackas appears at Powamû with their sisters and Hahai wüqti, and the three visit all the houses of the pueblos.[2]
During these visits Hahai wüqti carries on a conversation with inmates of the houses in a falsetto voice, and gives to the men or boys a mouse trap made of yucca fiber, and a stick, telling them that in eight days she will return with her children, the Natackas; that they must trap game and procure meat for these when they come. To the woman of the house Hahai wüqti gives an ear of corn, telling her to grind it and have meal and bread for the Natackas when they return.
