The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
The hunters in hiding became restless as The Dreamer did not return, so
ventured out where they could view the trail on which he was last seen. No
one was in sight. One went to the rock where Bĭlh Ahatí̆nĭ first hid near
the sheep and followed his tracks from hiding place to hiding place until
the fourth one was reached, and there he found his brother’s old clothes
with his bow and arrows upon them. There he traced four human footsteps to
the east that merged into the trail of five mountain sheep. The eldest
brother cried in his remorse, for he saw that his brother was holy, and he
had always treated him with scorn.
The gods and Bĭlh Ahatí̆nĭ, transformed to mountain sheep, travelled very
far during their four days’ journey, coming on the fourth day to a large
hogán. Inside were numerous Holy People, both gods and men. When Bĭlh
Ahatí̆nĭ entered with his four holy companions, a complaint at once arose
from those inside against an earthly odor, whereat Hasché̆ltĭ had their
charge taken out and washed with yucca-root suds.
Inside the hogán stood four large jewel posts upon which the gods hung
their masks. The eastern post was of white shell, the southern of
turquoise, the western of abalone, and the northern of jet. Two jewel
pipes lay beside a god sitting on the western side of the hogán. These he
filled with tobacco and lighted, passing one each to his right and his
left. All assembled smoked, the last to receive the pipes being two large
Owls sitting one on each side of the entrance way at the east. They drew
in deep draughts of smoke and puffed them out violently. While the smoking
continued, people came in from all directions. At midnight lightning
flashed, followed by heavy thunder and rain, which Tónenĭlĭ, Water
Sprinkler, sent in anger because he had not been apprised of the dance
before it was time to begin it; but a smoke with the assembled Holy People
appeased him. Soon after the chant began and continued until morning.
Some of the gods had beautiful paintings on deerskins, resembling those
now made with colored sands. These they unfolded upon the floor of the
hogán during the successive days of the _hatál_.
The last day of the dance was very largely attended, people coming from
all holy quarters. Bĭlh Ahatí̆nĭ through it all paid close attention to
the songs, prayers, paintings, and dance movements, and the forms of the
various sacred paraphernalia, and when the _hatál_ was over he had learned
the rite of Kléjĕ Hatál. The gods permitted him to return to his people
long enough to perform it over his younger brother and teach him how to
conduct it for people afflicted with sickness or evil. This he did,
consuming nine days in its performance, after which he again joined the
gods at Tsé̆gyiĭ, where he now lives. His younger brother taught the
ceremony to his earthly brothers, the Navaho, who yet conduct it under the
name of Kléjĕ Hatál, Night Chant, or Yébĭchai Hatál, The Chant of Paternal
Gods.
CEREMONIES—THE NIGHT CHANT
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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