This goddess is well known to the Pueblos along the Upper Rio Grande, who ascribe to her the same attributes as do the Navajoes and Apaches, but persist in speaking of her as Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Soledad—a distortion of title which gives ground to the inference that the Spanish missionaries eased the labours of conversion by quietly adopting this goddess into their calendar of saints.
The diffusion of the worship of the earth-mother among the native tribes was more extended than is commonly supposed. Attention may be called to the remark of Tecumseh, in his conference with the American general, Harrison: "The earth is my mother, and upon her bosom will I repose."
The prayer to Guzanutli has been given at length supra on p. 428.
There is another goddess, almost equally powerful among the Apaches, of whom an account was given by an old man, Eshké-endesti (the Brave Man who hid away), a member of the Kiyajanni or Alkali clan. The name is
eye. Her word was law, and was obeyed with marvellous alacrity. Through her influence, the condition of the women of her tribe was greatly raised." (Bancroft, Native Races, Pacific Slope, ii, 125.)
This undoubtedly refers to Guzanutli, although a compromise may be effected upon the hypothesis that Guzanutli is a deified Amazon. The Nehanni would preserve her memory as that of a mighty ruler; while to the Apaches, farther removed from the scene of her exploits, she would readily present herself as of divine origin.
It may be well to remember that Navajo women are not always silent, or without influence, in the tribal councils, neither are those of the Apaches.
The goddess Kuanon, of the Japanese, might, in all but name, be substituted for Guzanutli, and no one could detect the difference.
The deity here spoken of as female is generally described as male, and as accompanied by To-vas-di-chini ("The Mist rising on the Water"), another god of power. There are other gods in great number, with mythical animals, genii, ogres of different sorts, guarding precipices, etc., but no further reference will be made to them on the present occasion, on account of limitations of space.
