Zuni Folktales · Chapter
How the Rattlesnakes Came to Be What They Are explained
A long time ago, the Rattlesnakes were a people living at Yathlpewʻnan.
What happens
A long time ago, the Rattlesnakes were a people living at Yathlpewʻnan. One day, children took their little sister to play on sandbanks, but an accident caused her death. Their mourning song and the parents' grief caused all the Rattlesnake people to transform into the crawling, wriggling rattlesnakes known today. The story concludes with a moral about not killing animals needlessly.
Themes in this chapter
Transformation and Identity
The Rattlesnake people transform into actual rattlesnakes as a result of grief and tragedy.
Death and Mourning
The accidental death of the little girl and the communal mourning lead to the physical transformation.
Folklore vs. Science
The story uses myth to explain the origin of rattlesnakes, contrasting with scientific explanations.
Characters to notice
- Rattlesnakes
The Rattlesnake people who transform into rattlesnakes after the tragic accident.
- The Rattlesnake
The mother of the little girl who died; she swoons and wriggles, contributing to the transformation.
- The Old Grandmother
The grandmother who also cries out and swoons, joining the transformation.
Key passages
“Tchi-tola tsaaana! Tchi-tola tsaaana! Tchi-tola tsaaana! Ama ma hama seta! Ama ma hama seta!”
The children sang a mournful song as they carried their dead little sister home, repeating 'Rattlesnake little-little! Alas, we bear her!'
This song is a key element of the mourning ritual that precedes the transformation.
“Ayaa mash toki! Ayaa mash toki! Hai! i i i i!”
The mother and grandmother cried out in grief, wriggling and swooning, a cry that was echoed by all the Rattlesnake people.
This cry and the accompanying wriggling motion directly lead to the physical change into rattlesnakes.