The Hopis today staunchly preserve their unique society and history, a rich legacy that pours forth through their language and storytelling. This volume brings together seven powerful "mytho-historical" Hopi stories about the villages of their ancestors and the demise of those villages that now lie in ruin. Such narratives, although more fictional than historical, nonetheless shed light on the Hopi past, giving insights into values and social motivations that are not retrievable by archaeology. They also illuminate important aspects of the Hopi psyche. In the remote distance between legend and history are the ruins of such Hopi villages as Sikyatki, Hisatsongoopavi, and Awat'ovi; destroyed by war, fire, earthquake, or internal strife. Though abandoned for centuries, the villages remain very much alive in memory, reminders of ancient tragedies and struggles that changed the Hopis ever after. These stories, told by storytellers from Second and Third Mesa, speak vividly of the destruction of the villages. Such evils as witchcraft, hubris, corruption, and betrayal of fundamental human values precipitated social disintegration and chaos.Ekkehart Malotki, who compiled the original tales in the Hopi vernacular, has carefully edited and translated the tales in this special English-language edition. His introduction, notes, and a glossary reveal what historical and archaeological research has pieced together about the villages and correlates the stories with other legends. Ekkehart Malotki is a professor of languages at Northern Arizona University. He is the author of many books including Kokopelli: The Making of an Icon and co-author of Hopi Stories of Witchcraft, Shamanism, and Magic and Hopi Animals Tales, all published by the University of Nebraska Press. Also available Hopi Stories of Witchcraft, Shamanism and Magic Ekkehart Malotki & Ken Gary 0-8032-3217-9 HB GBP22.95 Hopi Animal Stories Ekkehart Malotki 0-8032-8271-0 PB GBP12.95 Kokopelli Ekkehart Malotki 0-8032-3213-6 HB GBP26.95