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
"People, you come to see us; you have a house in the heart of the rocks;
you are the chief of them; you are beautiful. Come inside of our houses.
Your feet are white; come into our house! Your legs are white; come into
our house! Your bodies are white; come into our house! Your face is white;
come into our house! Old man, this world is beautiful; the people look
upon you and they are happy. This day let all things be beautiful."
This prayer is repeated many times, merely substituting for old man old
woman, then youth, young girl, boy, then all children. The old man and
woman spoken of are not the first old man and woman in the myth of the old
man and woman of the first world. After the prayer the song-priest and
invalid took seats by the entrance of the lodge. Hasjelti took his
position to the west end and to the north of the line of the Etsethle. He
remained standing while the four slowly raised the right foot squarely
from the ground, then on the toe of the left foot, which motion shook the
rattle. In a short time Hasjelti passed down the line hooting. He passed
around the east end, then returned up the north side to his former
position, and again hooting, resumed the leadership of the Etsethle, who
gave a long shake of the rattle as soon as Hasjelti stood in front of
them. They then followed their leader to the dressing room.
CONCLUSION - THE DANCE.
The song-priest having returned to the green room, emerged therefrom,
followed by Hasjelti, who carried a fawn skin partially filled with meal,
and by twelve dancers and Hostjoghon, holding in each hand a feather wand.
The twelve dancers represented the old man and woman six times duplicated.
Hasjelti led the dancers and Hostjoghon followed in the rear. When they
came near the lodge the song-priest turned and faced the dancers, and
being joined by the invalid, he led him down the line of dancers on the
north side, the invalid carrying a sacred meal basket, and sprinkled the
right side of each dancer. The song-priest and invalid then returned to
their seats in front of the lodge. Hasjelti passed down the line on the
north side and joined Hostjoghon at the east end of the line, both then
passing to the west end, where each one endeavored to be the first to
stamp twice upon the ground immediately in front of the leading dancer.
This double stamp is given with hoots, and they then returned down the
line to the center, when Hasjelti dashes back to the west end, clasping
the throat of the fawn skin with his right hand and holding the legs with
his left, with both his arms extended to the front. Hostjoghon extending
his hands with the feather wands in them, they point the head of the skin
and tops of the wands directly in front of them as they stand facing each
other, hooting at the same time. Reversing sides by dashing past each
other, Hasjelti points his fawn skin to the east while Hostjoghon points
his wands to the west. They then return to their respective positions as
leader and follower.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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