Ceremonial of Hasjelti Dailjis and Mythical Sand Painting of the Navajo Indians — John Shaqi
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
when Hostjoboard, now holding two ears of yellow corn wrapped with piñon
twigs, placed them to the soles of the girl’s feet and Hasjelti drew a
line of meal on each hand; after which Hostjoboard placed the ears of corn
to the palms of the hands, she holding the corn in her palms and pressing
it to the palms of the girl’s hands. Hasjelti formed a cross on the breast
with the meal and Hostjoboard pressed the two ears of corn to the breast;
a cross was made on the back and the two ears of corn pressed to the back.
Hasjelti, with his right hand, then drew a line on the girl’s left
shoulder, and with his left hand a line on the girl’s right shoulder, the
corn being pressed to the shoulders in the manner described. Two lines of
meal were run over the forehead back to the top of the head, and the two
ears of corn pressed to the top of head. The boys were nude but the girls
were gayly dressed in blankets, jewelry, etc. At the close of this
ceremony the representatives of the gods removed their masks and called
upon the children to raise their heads. The amazement depicted upon the
faces of the children when they discovered their own people and not gods
afforded much amusement to the spectators. The masks were laid upon a
blanket and the girls and boys were commanded to look upon them.
Hostjoboard placed her mask upon the face of each boy and girl and woman
in the line, beginning at the north end of the line, giving a hoot each
time the mask was placed upon anyone. Great care was taken that the mask
should be so arranged upon the face that the eyes might look directly
through the eyeholes, for should any blunder occur the sight of at least
one eye would be lost. It is scarcely on before it is removed. After the
masks had been placed on all the faces it was laid beside Hasjelti’s. The
man personating Hasjelti sprinkled his mask and then Hostjoboard’s with
pollen, and the man personating Hostjoboard sprinkled Hasjelti’s mask and
then his own with pollen. The boy to the north end of the line was called
out and from the pollen bag took a pinch of pollen and sprinkled first the
mask of Hasjelti and then Hostioboard’s. This was repeated by each boy,
girl, and woman in the line. In approaching the masks they always pass
back of the line around to the north side and then step in front of the
masks. The mask is sprinkled in this wise: A line of pollen is run from
the top of the head down to the mouth; passing around to the right the
line is drawn upward over the left cheek; the hand continues to move
outside of the mask to a point below the right cheek, then up the right
cheek. The younger children’s hands were guided by the representatives of
the gods. It would be a great fatality to sprinkle a drop of meal over the
eye holes; the individual committing such an error would become blind at
least in one eye. Great care is also taken that the line is run up the
cheek, for if it was run down not only would vegetation be stunted, but
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