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
After all enemies had been destroyed Naiyenesgony and
Tobaidischinni said to the Navajo, "Now we will leave you and return to
our home in the Ute Mountains, where the waters are mated, but before
leaving you we will give to you the ten songs and prayers that will bring
health and good fortune to your people. Tobaidischinni is the parent of
all waters."
THE BROTHERS.
The Tolchini (a Navajo clan) lived at Wind Mountain. One of the brothers
became crazy and he went off a long way, and on his return brought with
him a pine bough; a second time he returned with corn, and from each trip
he brought something new and had a story to tell about it. His brothers
would not believe him, and said, "He is crazy; he does not know what he is
talking about." The brothers, however, became very jealous of him, and
constantly taunted him with being a crazy liar. The Tolchini left the Wind
Mountain and went to a rocky foothill east of San Mateo Mountain. They had
nothing to eat but a kind of seed grass. The eldest brother said, "Let us
go hunt," and told the crazy brother not to leave the camp. But after five
days and nights and no word coming from the brothers he determined to
follow them and help them, bring home the game; he thought they had killed
more deer than they could carry. After a day’s travel he camped near a
canyon, selecting a cavelike place in which to sleep, for he was tired and
thirsty. There was much snow, but no water, so he made a fire and heated a
rock and made a hole in the ground, and placing the rock in the cavity put
in some snow, which melted and furnished him a draft to quench his thirst.
Just then he heard a tumult over his head like people passing and he went
out to see who made the noise, and he discovered many crows crossing back
and forth over the canyon. This was the home of the crow. There were other
feathered people also (the chaparral cock was among them). He saw also
many fires which had been made by the crows on either side of the canyon.
Two other crows arrived and stood near him and he listened hard to hear
all that was being said. These two crows cried out, "Somebody says,
somebody says." The youth did not know what to make of this. Then, a crow
from the opposite side of the canyon called, "What is the matter; tell us,
tell us; what is wrong?" The two first criers then said, "Two of us got
killed; we met two men who told us. They said the two men, who were all
the time traveling around (referring to the two brothers of the crazy
youth), killed twelve deer and a party of our people went to the deer
after they were killed. Two of us who went after the blood of the deer
were shot." The crows on the other side of the canyon, called, "Which men
got killed?" The first crier replied, "The chaparral cock, who sat on the
horn of the deer, and the crow, who sat on its backbone." The other called
out, "We are not surprised that they were killed; that is what we tell you
all the time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account