, however, a common origin
in the interior of the earth, and although the place of emergence to the
surface is set in widely separated localities, they agree in maintaining
this to be the fourth plane on which mankind has existed.

The following is an abbreviation of the version gathered by A.M.
Stephen, who lived many years among the Hopi and collected these sacred
tales from the priests and old men of all the different villages some
fifty years ago, as reported by Mindeleff.[20]

[Footnote 20: Mindeleff, Cosmos, Traditional History of Tusayan (After
A.M. Stephen): Bureau American Ethnology, vol. 8, pp. 16-41, 1887.]

In the beginning all men lived together in the lowest depths, in a
region of darkness and moisture; their bodies were mis-shapen and
horrible and they suffered great misery.

By appealing to Myuingwa (a vague conception of the god of the interior)
and Baholinkonga (plumed serpent of enormous size, genius of water)
their old men obtained a seed from which sprang a magic growth of cane.

The cane grew to miraculous height and penetrated through a crevice in
the roof overhead and mankind climbed to a higher plane. Here was dim
light and some vegetation. Another magic cane brought them to a higher
plane, with more light and vegetation, and here was the creation of the
animal kingdom. Singing was always the chief magic for creating
anything. In like manner, they rose to the fourth stage or earth; some
say by a pine tree, others say through the hollow cylinder of a great
reed or rush.

This emergence was accompanied by singing, some say by the Magic Twins,
the two little war gods, others say by the mocking bird. At any rate, it
is important to observe that when the song ran out, no more people could
get through and many had to remain behind.

However, the outlet through which man came has never been closed, and
Myuingwa sends through it the germs of all living things. It is still
symbolized, Stephen says, by the peculiar construction of the hatchway
of the kiva, in designs on the kiva sand altars, and by the unconnected
circle on pottery, basketry, and textiles. Doubtless the most direct
representation of this opening to the underworld is the sipapu or
ceremonial small round opening in the floor of the kiva, which all Hopi,
without exception, agree symbolizes the opening or spirit passage to the
underworld. "Out of the sipapu we all came," they say, "and back to the
underworld, through the sipapu, we sha