Trickster

Trickster

1.
A long time ago a beautiful maiden lived
in the village of Oraibi,
in the northern part.

All the young men wanted to marry her
but she refused them all.

The young men would gather flowers,
some would go even long distances
to find rare flowers
and even these were offered to her,
but she refused them all.

Far away in the north Yellow Cloud chief heard of her.
He prepard a beautiful bridal outfit:
two robes, moccasins, a knotted belt, and a reed mat.

He brought it to the village and offered it
to the maiden,
but she refused.

The Blue Cloud chief of the west offered
a bridal outfit (blue)
Red Cloud chief of the south offered
a bridal outfit (red)
White Cloud chief of the east offered
a bridal outfit (white)
Black Cloud chief from above offered
a bridal outfit (black)
Gray Cloud chief from below offered
a bridal outfit (gray)

She refused them all.

Now very far away in the south,
the rain god, Pavayoykashi, heard of her.

He painted himself and dressed like the
flute players, brilliantly
like the Powamuy dancers
like certain Kachinas:
he painted a black line over his cheeks and nose,
he took a bow and he took arrows
in a qiver of panther skin.

He took these things to the maiden.

She liked him.
She accepted those things from him,
she liked him so much
she promised to speak to her parents.

2.
Now at the same time Coyote Old Man lived
west of the village; they call that place
Coyote Gap today.

Secretly Coyote went to the house of Pavayoykashi
secretly he stole costumes and ornaments
secretly he dressed and painted like Pavayoykashi
and he went to the maiden's house.

She was deceived,
deceived by Coyote Old Man dressed and painted
like Pavayoykashi her lover;
willingly she went with him to his house.

3.
Pavayoykashi, his costume and ornaments stolen,
looked for the tracks of the thief;
he followed the tracks to the house
of the maiden, and then to the house
of Coyote.

And all the young men of the village
joined in to kill Old Man Coyote, furious
that he had stolen the beautiful girl
who had refused them all.

4.
But Coyote escaped, escaped them all,
escaped and ran to the western mesa
west of the village; safe out on the mesa
he shouted back in derision,
grasping his genitals, showing his genitals
with which he had enjoyed their beautiful maiden.

He escaped and disappeared
running away across the mesa.

5.
Then Pavayoykashi brought a storm
a strong storm with wind
and rain and thunder,
and he hid himself in the thunder.

Far and wide he rode the storm
and when he found Old Man Coyote
he struck him dead,
he struck him dead from the storm,
struck him dead
with lightning.


Hopi Tale