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
The camp was surrounded by piñon brush and a large fire burned in the
center of the inclosure; there was much meat roasting over the fire. As
soon as the youth reached the camp he raked over the coals and said, "I
feel cold." The brother-in-law replied, "It is cold. When people camp
together they tell stories to one another in the mornings; we have told
ours and we must now hear yours." The youth related his experiences of the
past night. He said, "Where I stopped last night was the worst camp I ever
had." The brothers kept their backs to the youth and pretended not to pay
any attention, but the brother-in-law listened and questioned him. He
continued, "I never heard such a noise." The brothers then remarked, "I
thought he would say something like that" (they were jealous of this crazy
brother, he saw so much they could not see). The brother-in-law was
inclined to believe the youth’s story and asked what kind of people made
the noise. "I do not know. They were strange people to me, but I do know
they danced all night back and forth across the canyon, and I know my
brothers killed twelve deer, and afterwards killed two of their people who
went for the blood of the deer. I heard them say, ’That is what must be
expected if you will go to such places you must expect to be killed.’" The
elder brother began thinking and without turning toward the youth asked,
"How many deer did you say were killed?" and he answered "twelve." Then
the older brother said, "Well, sir, you have told me many stories and I
never believed you, but this story I do believe. What is the matter with
you that you know all these things? How do you know these things and find
out these things?" The youth replied, "I do not know how, but all these
things come to my mind and my eyes." The elder brother said, "I will now
give more thought to you and study how you find out all about these
things. We have a lot of meat and we did not know how to get it home; now
that you have come let us return; you shall carry the meat." When halfway
home they were about to descend a mesa, and when on the edge they sat down
to rest; then they saw far down the mesa four mountain sheep, and the
brothers commanded the youth to kill one for them. They said, "Our meat is
dry; your legs are fresh, so you will kill the sheep." The youth succeeded
in heading off the sheep by hiding in a bush (_Bigelovia Douglasii_(9))
sometimes called sage brush but it is not the true sage brush. The sheep
came directly toward him; he aimed his arrow at them, but before he could
pull the bow his arm stiffened and became dead and the sheep passed by.
All the sheep passed him, but he again headed them off by hiding in the
stalks of a large yucca.(10) The sheep passed within five steps of him,
and again when the time to pull the bow came his arm stiffened. The crow
people were watching him all the time. He again followed the sheep and got
ahead of them and hid behind a birch tree in bloom; he had his bow ready,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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