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
Night had a familiar, who was always at his ear. This person said, "Send
for the youth at the great falls." Night sent as his messenger a shooting
star. The youth soon appeared and said, "Ahsonnutli, the ahstjeohltoi
(hermaphrodite), has white beads in her right breast and turquoise in her
left. We will tell her to lay them on darkness and see what she can do
with her prayers." This she did.(6) The youth from the great falls said to
Ahsonnutli, "You have carried the white-shell beads and turquoise a long
time; you should know what to say." Then with a crystal dipped in pollen
she marked eyes and mouth on the turquoise and on the white-shell beads,
and forming a circle around these with the crystal she produced a slight
light from the white-shell bead and a greater light from the turquoise,
but the light was insufficient.
Twelve men lived at each of the cardinal points. The forty-eight men were
sent for. After their arrival Ahsonnutli sang a song, the men sitting
opposite to her; yet even with their presence the song failed to secure
the needed light. Two eagle plumes were placed upon each cheek of the
turquoise and two on the cheeks of the white-shell beads and one at each
of the cardinal points. The twelve men of the east placed twelve
turquoises at the east of the faces. The twelve men of the south placed
twelve white-shell beads at the south. The twelve men of the west placed
twelve turquoises at the west. Those of the north placed twelve
white-shell beads at that point. Then with the crystal dipped in corn
pollen they made a circle embracing the whole. The wish still remained
unrealized. Then Ahsonnutli held the crystal over the turquoise face,
whereupon it lighted into a blaze. The people retreated far back on
account of the great heat, which continued increasing. The men from the
four points found the heat so intense that they arose, but they could
hardly stand, as the heavens were so close to them. They looked up and saw
two rainbows, one across the other from east to west, and from north to
south. The heads and feet of the rainbows almost touched the men’s heads.
The men tried to raise the great light, but each time they failed. Finally
a man and woman appeared, whence they knew not. The man’s name was
Atseatsine and the woman’s name was Atseatsan. They were asked "How can
this sun be got up." They replied, "We know; we heard the people down here
trying to raise it, and this is why we came." "Chanteen" (sun’s rays),
exclaimed the man, "I have the chanteen; I have a crystal from which I can
light the chanteen, and I have the rainbow; with these three I can raise
the sun." The people said, "Go ahead and raise it." When he had elevated
the sun a short distance it tipped a little and burned vegetation and
scorched the people, for it was still too near. Then the people said to
Atseatsine and Atseatsan, "Raise the sun higher," and they continued to
elevate it, and yet it continued to burn everything. They were then called
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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