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
The final decoration of masks with ribbons, plumes, etc., began at sunrise
and consumed most of the morning. About noon two sticks 1 inch in diameter
and 6 inches long were colored; one, of piñon, was painted black, the
other, of cedar, was colored red. Three medicine tubes were made, one
black, one red, and one blue. These were placed in a basket half filled
with meal; the basket stood in the niche behind the song-priest. Two men
personated Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni. Naiyenesgony’s body was
painted black (from the embers of a burnt weed of which specimens were
procured) and on the outside of his legs below the knee, on the upper
arms, breast and scapula were bows in white but without arrows.
Tobaidischinni had his body painted with the scalp knot in white in
relative positions to the bows on Naiyenesgony. A third man, personating
the turquois hermaphrodite Ahsonnutli, wore the usual squaw’s dress with a
blanket fastened over the shoulders reaching to the ground. Her mask was
blue. The three left the lodge carrying their masks in their hands.
Passing some distance down the avenue to the east they put on their masks
and returned to the lodge. A buffalo robe had been spread in front of the
lodge. Just as the maskers returned, the invalid, wrapped in a fine red
Navajo blanket and bearing a basket of sacred meal, stepped upon the robe;
he had before stood in front of the lodge by the side of the song-priest.
The many spectators on foot and horseback clad in their rich blankets
formed a brilliant surrounding for this ceremony, which took place just at
the setting of the son. Naiyenesgony carried in his right hand a large
lava celt which was painted white. Tobaidischinni followed next carrying
in his right hand the black wood stick which had been prepared in the
morning, and in his left hand the red stick. Ahsonnutli followed with bow
and arrow in the left hand and an arrow in the right with a quiver thrown
over the shoulder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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