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
57. Leaving the House of Dew they proceeded to Çonakàï (White Water
Running Across). This was a stream which ran down the side of a hill and
had its source in a great spring. Immediately above this spring was the
home of Qastcèëlçi. The latter, as they approached his home, stopped at
the foot of the hill and four times ordered his companions to go in
advance; but four times they refused. After the last refusal Qastcèëlçi
clapped his hands, uttered his cry of “hu‘hu‘hu‘hu‘!” and led the way.
The house was of corn pollen; the door was of daylight; the ceiling was
supported by four white spruce trees; rainbows ran in every direction
and made the house shine within with their bright and beautiful colors.
Neither kethàwn nor ceremony was shown the Navajo here; but he was
allowed to tarry four nights and was fed with an abundance of white corn
meal and corn pollen.
58. Now Qastcèëlçi took him to a place called Lejpáhiço (Brown Earth
Water) and led him to the top of a high hill, from which they could see
in the far distance Gángiço, where the prophet’s family dwelt; for they
had moved away from the valley in [¢]epéntsa, where he left them. Then
the yay showed him the shortest road to take and bade him return to his
people.
59. When he got within sight of his house his people made him stop and
told him not to approach nearer until they had summoned a Navajo shaman.
When the latter, whose name was Red Queue, came, ceremonies were
performed over the returned wanderer, and he was washed from head to
foot and dried with corn meal; for thus do the Navajo treat all who
return to their homes from captivity with another tribe, in order that
all alien substances and influences may be removed from them. When he
had been thus purified he entered the house and his people embraced him
and wept over him. But to him the odors of the lodge were now
intolerable and he soon left the house and sat outside. Seeing this, the
shaman gave it as his opinion that the purification already made was not
sufficient, and that it would be well to have a great dance over him. In
those days the Navajo had a healing dance in the dark corral; but it was
imperfect, with few songs and no kethàwns or sacrificial sticks. It was
not until Dsilyi‘ Neyáni recounted his revelations that it became the
great dance it now is among the Navajo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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