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
At 10 o’clock the ceremonies opened by the entrance upon the avenue of the
song-priest who came from the green room. He wore a rich red blanket and
over this a mountain lion skin; immediately after him followed Hasjelti,
leading the four Etsethle (the first ones). These represented first, natan
(corn); second, natin (rain); third, nanase (vegetation); fourth, jadetin
(corn pollen). Their masks were blue ornamented with feathers and were
similar to the masks worn by the dancers; their bodies were painted white
with many rare beads around their necks, and they wore loin skirts with
silver belts; a gray fox skin was attached pendant to the back of the
belt, and blue stockings, tied with red garters, and moccasins completed
their dress. They carried in their right hands gourd rattles painted
white. The handles of these may be of any kind of wood, but it must be
selected from some tree near which lightning has struck, but not of the
wood of the tree struck by lightning. Corn pollen was in the palms of
their left hands and in the same hand they carried also a piñon bough.
Hasjelti wore a suit of velvet ornamented with silver buttons; he never
speaks except by signs. They advanced single file with a slow regular step
and when within 20 feet of the lodge the priest turned and faced Hasjelti
and repeated a short prayer, when the Etsethle sang.
SONG OF THE ETSETHLE.
From below (the earth) my corn comes
I walk with you.
From above water young (comes)
I walk with you.
From above vegetation (comes to the earth)
I walk with you.
From below the earth corn pollen comes
I walk with you.
These lines are repeated four times. The first line indicates that corn is
the chief subsistence; the second, that it is necessary to pray to
Hasjelti that the earth may be watered; the third, that the earth must be
embraced by the sun in order to have vegetation; the fourth, that pollen
is essential in all religious ceremonies. The Etsethle signify doubling
the essential things by which names they are known, corn, grain, etc.,
they are the mystic people who dwell in canyon sides unseen. After the
song the invalid with meal basket in hand passed hurriedly down the line
of gods and sprinkled each one with meal, passing it from the right hand
up to the right arm, to the head then down the left arm to the hand,
placing a pinch in the palm of the left hand. The invalid then returned
and stood to the north side of Hasjelti who was to the left of the
song-priest. The theurgist stood facing natan (corn) and offered a prayer
which was repeated by the invalid. Continency must be observed by the
invalid during the nine days ceremonial and for four days thereafter.
PRAYER TO THE ETSETHLE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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