The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony: Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages 379-468 — John Shaqi
The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony: Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages 379-468Matthews, Washington
Religion
The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony: Fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages 379-468
Matthews, Washington
Mountainway (Navajo rite); Navajo Indians -- Rites and ceremonies
55. Thence they journeyed to Tsitsè-intyèli (Broad Cherry Trees), where,
in a house of cherries with a door of lightning, there lived four gods
named Dsilyi‘ Neyáni (Reared Within the Mountains). The Navajo was
surprised to find that not only had they the same name as he had, but
that they looked just like him and had clothes exactly the same as his,
His companions said to him: “These are the gods in whose beautiful form
the Butterfly goddess has molded you. These are the gods whose name you
bear.” The hosts bade their visitors be seated, and they ranged
themselves around the fire, one at each of the cardinal points. Each
held an arrow made of the cliff rose (_Cowania mexicana_) in his
extended right hand. The head of the arrow was of stone, the fletching
of eagle feathers, and the “breath feather” of the downy plume of the
Tsenáhale (the Harpy of Navajo mythology). As they held the arrows they
ejaculated, “ai‘, ai‘, ai‘, ai‘,” as they who dance the kátso-yisçàu do
in the ceremonies to this day, and after the fourth ai‘ each one
swallowed his arrow, head foremost, until the fletching touched his
lips. Then he withdrew the arrow and they said: “Thus do we wish the
Navajo to do in the dance which you will teach them; but they must take
good care not to break off the arrowheads when they swallow and withdraw
them.” Such is the origin of the dance of the kátso-yisçàn, or great
plumed arrow. As they bade him good-bye, one of them said to the Navajo:
“We look for you,” i.e., “We expect you to return to us,” an intimation
to him that when he left the earth he should return to the gods, to
dwell among them forever.
56. From this place they journeyed on until they reached Açàdsil (Leaf
Mountain), and found the house that was made of dew-drops
([¢]açò-behogan) and that had a door made of plants of many different
kinds. This was the home of the Bitsès-ninéz (Long Bodies), who were
goddesses. When they rose, as the strangers entered, the plumes on their
heads seemed to touch the heavens, they were so very tall. The goddesses
said to Dsilyi‘ Neyáni, “We give you no kethàwn, but look at us well and
remember how we appear, for in your ceremonies you must draw our
picture; yet draw us not, as we now stand, in the east, the south, the
west, and the north; but draw us as if we all stood in the east.” This
is the origin of the second picture that is painted on the sand.
(Plate XVI.)
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account