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 lines are again formed, and a second figure exactly like the first is
danced. This figure was again repeated without variation, after which the
men and women fell into single file, and, led by Hasjelti and followed by
Hostjoghon, left the dancing ground. They did not go to the green,
however, but moved off a short distance to rest for a moment and returned.
Upon each return the invalid passed down the line on the north side
sprinkling each dancer with meal, Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performing with
the fawn skin and wands. This dance of four figures was repeated twelve
times, each time the dancers resting but a moment. After the twelve dances
the dancers passed to the green room, where they were relieved by a second
set of men. The second series of dances were exactly like the first. There
were twenty-one dances, four figures in each dance, and each time the
dancers appeared they were sprinkled with meal by the invalid, while
Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performed their antics with fawn skin and wands.
The third series embraced all the dances exactly like the above. The
fourth series embraced nineteen dances. The only variation in this was
that the leaders were often more clownish in their performances, and upon
several occasions only four men representing women appeared. In this case
two men danced together. Some of the dancers dropped out from weariness,
which caused diminution in some of the sets. The last dance closed at the
first light of day. The song-priest had preceded the last dancers to the
green room and awaited their arrival to obtain the masks, which were his
special property.
MYTHS OF THE NAVAJO.
CREATION OF THE SUN.
The first three worlds were neither good nor healthful. They moved all the
time and made the people dizzy. Upon ascending into this world the Navajo
found only darkness and they said "We must have light."
In the Ute Mountain lived two women, Ahsonnutli, the turquoise
hermaphrodite, and Yolaikaiason, the white-shell woman. These two women
were sent for by the Navajo, who told them they wished light. The Navajo
had already partially separated light into its several colors. Next to the
floor was white indicating dawn, upon the white blue was spread for
morning, and on the blue yellow for sunset, and next was black
representing night. They had prayed long and continuously over these, but
their prayers had availed nothing. The two women on arriving told the
people to have patience and their prayers would eventually be answered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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