Ceremonial of Hasjelti Dailjis and Mythical Sand Painting of the Navajo IndiansStevenson, James
Religion
Ceremonial of Hasjelti Dailjis and Mythical Sand Painting of the Navajo Indians
Stevenson, James
Navajo Indians -- Rites and ceremonies
Hasjelti and Hostjoghon arrived just as the sick man emerged from the
sweat house. The invalid bathed himself from the bowl of pine needles and
water. Taking the sheep’s horn in the left hand and a piece of hide in the
right, Hasjelti pressed the invalid’s body as before described. The god
was requested by the priest of the sweat house to pay special attention to
the rubbing of the head of the invalid. The small gourd was handed to
Hasjelti, who gave four drafts of its contents to the invalid. Hasjelti
touched the soles of the feet, palms, etc., of the invalid with medicine
water from the bowl. The gods then suddenly disappeared. On this occasion
Hostjoghon took no part in administering the medicine. The invalid, after
putting on his clothing, proceeded to the lodge, followed by the
song-priest. The sweat house was razed as usual, and the pine boughs and
stones were placed to the north of the house in a small piñon tree; the
logs of the house were deposited on the ground a few feet from the tree. A
line of meal the length of the medicine tube was sprinkled on the logs and
the tube laid thereon. Meal was sprinkled over the tube and logs.
THIRD CEREMONY.
The first sand painting occurred on October 16; it was begun in the early
forenoon and completed at sundown. Common yellowish sand was brought in
blankets. This formed the ground color for the painting. It was laid to
form a square 3 inches in depth and 4 feet in diameter. Upon this three
figures were painted after the manner described of the painting of the
rainbow over the sweat house. Nine turkey wands were placed on the south,
west, and north sides of the square, and a line of meal with four
foot-marks extended from near the entrance of the lodge to the painting.
(See Pl. CXX.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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