MYTHS OF THE NAVAJO.

CREATION OF THE SUN.

The first three worlds were neither good nor healthful. They moved all the time and made the people dizzy. Upon ascending into this world the Navajo found only darkness and they said We must have light.

In the Ute Mountain lived two women, Ahsonnutli, the turquoise hermaphrodite, and Yolaikaiason, the white-sh.e.l.l woman. These two women were sent for by the Navajo, who told them they wished light. The Navajo had already partially separated light into its several colors. Next to the floor was white indicating dawn, upon the white blue was spread for morning, and on the blue yellow for sunset, and next was black representing night. They had prayed long and continuously over these, but their prayers had availed nothing. The two women on arriving told the people to have patience and their prayers would eventually be answered.

Night had a familiar, who was always at his ear. This person said, Send for the youth at the great falls. Night sent as his messenger a shooting star. The youth soon appeared and said, Ahsonnutli, the ahstjeohltoi (hermaphrodite), has white beads in her right breast and turquoise in her left. We will tell her to lay them on darkness and see what she can do with her prayers. This she did.[6] The youth from the great falls said to Ahsonnutli, You have carried the white-sh.e.l.l beads and turquoise a long time; you should know what to say. Then with a crystal dipped in pollen she marked eyes and mouth on the turquoise and on the white-sh.e.l.l beads, and forming a circle around these with the crystal she produced a slight light from the white-sh.e.l.l bead and a greater light from the turquoise, but the light was insufficient.

[Footnote 6: The old priest relating this myth now produced a pouch containing corn pollen and a crystal, which he dipped in the pollen and said, Now we must all eat of this pollen and place some on our heads, for we are to talk about it.]

Twelve men lived at each of the cardinal points. The forty-eight men were sent for. After their arrival Ahsonnutli sang a song, the men sitting opposite to her; yet even with their presence the song failed to secure the needed light. Two eagle plumes were placed upon each cheek of the turquoise and two on the cheeks of the white-sh.e.l.l beads and one at each of the cardinal points. The twelve men of the east placed twelve turquoises at the east of the faces. The twelve men of the south placed twelve white-sh.e.l.l beads at the south. The twelve men of the west placed twelve turquoises at the west. Those of the north placed twelve white-sh.e.l.l beads at that point. Then with the crystal dipped in corn pollen they made a circle embracing the whole. The wish still remained unrealized. Then Ahsonnutli held the crystal over the turquoise face, whereupon it lighted into a blaze. The people retreated far back on account of the great heat, which continued increasing. The men from the four points found the heat so intense that they arose, but they could hardly stand, as the heavens were so close to them. They looked up and saw two rainbows, one across the other from east to west, and from north to south. The heads and feet of the rainbows almost touched the mens heads. The men tried to raise the great light, but each time they failed. Finally a man and woman appeared, whence they knew not. The mans name was Atseatsine and the womans name was Atseatsan. They were asked How can this sun be got up. They replied, We know; we heard the people down here trying to raise it, and this is why we came.

Chanteen (suns rays), exclaimed the man, I have the chanteen; I have a crystal from which I can light the chanteen, and I have the rainbow; with these three I can raise the sun. The people said, Go ahead and raise it. When he had elevated the sun a short distance it tipped a little and burned vegetation and scorched the people, for it was still too near. Then the people said to Atseatsine and Atseatsan, Raise the sun higher, and they continued to elevate it, and yet it continued to burn everything. They were then called upon to lift it higher still, as high as possible, but after at certain height was reached their power failed; it would go no farther.

The couple then made four poles, two of turquoise and two of white-sh.e.l.l beads, and each was put under the sun, and with these poles the twelve men at each of the cardinal points raised it. They could not get it high enough to prevent the people and gra.s.s from burning. The people then said, Let us stretch the world; so the twelve men at each point expanded the world. The sun continued to rise as the world expanded, and began to shine with less heat, but when it reached the meridian the heat became great and the people suffered much. They crawled everywhere to find shade. Then the voice of Darkness went four times around the world telling the men at the cardinal points to go on expanding the world.

I want all this trouble stopped, said Darkness; the people are suffering and all is burning; you must continue stretching. And the men blew and stretched, and after a time they saw the sun rise beautifully, and when the sun again reached the meridian it was only tropical. It was then just right, and as far as the eye could reach the earth was encircled first with the white dawn of day, then with the blue of early morning, and all things were perfect. And Ahsonnutli commanded the twelve men to go to the east, south, west, and north, to hold up the heavens (Yiyanitsinni, the holders up of the heavens), which office they are supposed to perform to this day.

HASJELTI AND HOSTJOGHON.

Hasjelti and Hostjoghon were the children of Ahsonnutli, the turquoise, and Yolaikaiason (white-sh.e.l.l woman, wife of the sun). Ahsonnutli placed an ear of white corn and Yolaikaiason an ear of yellow corn on the mountain where the fogs meet. The corn conceived, the white corn giving birth to Hasjelti and the yellow corn to Hostjoghon. These two became the great song-makers of the world. They gave to the mountain of their nativity (Henry Mountain in Utah) two songs and two prayers; they then went to Sierra Blanca (Colorado) and made two songs and prayers and dressed the mountain in clothing of white sh.e.l.l with two eagle plumes placed upright upon the head. From here they visited San Mateo Mountain (New Mexico) and gave to it two songs and prayers, and dressed it in turquoise, even to the leggings and moccasins, and placed two eagle plumes on the head. Hence they went to San Francisco Mountain (Arizona) and made two songs and prayers and dressed that mountain in abalone sh.e.l.ls with two eagle plumes upon the head. They then visited Ute Mountain and gave to it two songs and prayers and dressed it in black beads. This mountain also had two eagle plumes on its head. They then returned to the mountain of their nativity to meditate, We two have made all these songs.

Upon inquiring of their mothers how they came into existence, and being informed, they said, Well, let our number be increased; we can not get along with only two of us. The woman placed more yellow and white corn on the mountain and children were conceived as before. A sufficient number were born so that two brothers were placed on each of the four mountains, and to these genii of the mountains the clouds come first.

All the brothers consulted together as to what they should live upon and they concluded to make game, and so all game was created.

Navajo prayers for rain and snow are addressed to Hasjelti and Hostjoghon. These G.o.ds stand upon the mountain tops and call the clouds to gather around them. Hasjelti is the mediator between the Navajo and the sun. He prays to the sun, Father, give me the light of your mind, that my mind may be strong; give me some of your strength, that my arm may be strong, and give me your rays that corn and other vegetation may grow. It is to this deity that the most important prayers of the Navajo are addressed. The lesser deities have shorter prayers and less valuable offerings made to them. Hasjelti communicates with the Navajo through the feathered kingdom, and for this reason the choicest feathers and plumes are placed in the cigarettes and attached to the prayer sticks offered to him.

THE FLOATING LOGS.

A man sat thinking, Let me see; my songs are too short; I want more songs; where shall I go to find them? Hasjelti appeared and, perceiving his thoughts, said, I know where you can go to get more songs. Well, I much want to get more, and I will follow you. When they reached a certain point in a box canyon in the Big Colorado River they found four G.o.ds (the Hostjobokon) at work hewing logs of cottonwood. Hasjelti said, This will not do; cottonwood becomes water-soaked; you must use pine instead of cottonwood. The Hostjobokon then began boring the pine with flint, when Hasjelti said, That is slow work, and he commanded the whirlwind to hollow the log. A Jerusalem cross was formed with one solid log and a hollow one. The song-hunter entered the hollow log and Hasjelti closed the end with a cloud, that the water of the river might not enter when the logs were launched upon the great waters. The Hostjobokon, accompanied by their wives, rode upon the logs, a couple sitting on the end of each cross arm. These were accompanied by Hasjelti, Hostjoghon, and two Naaskiddi, who walked on the banks to ward the logs off from the sh.o.r.e. Hasjelti carried a squirrel skin filled with tobacco from which to supply the G.o.ds on their journey. Hostjoghon carried a staff ornamented with eagle and turkey plumes and a gaming ring with two humming birds tied to it with white cotton cord. The two Naaskiddi carried staffs of lightning.[7] After floating a long distance down the river they came to waters that had a sh.o.r.e on one side only, and they landed. Here they found people like themselves. These people, on learning of the song-hunters wish, gave to him many songs and they painted pictures on a cotton blanket and said, These pictures must go with the songs. If we give this blanket to you you will lose it. We will give you white earth and black coals which you will grind together to make black paint, and we will give you white sand, yellow sand, and red sand, and for the blue paint you will take white sand and black coals with a very little red and yellow sand. These together will give you blue.[8]

[Footnote 7: The Naaskiddi are hunchbacks; they have clouds upon their backs, in which seeds of all vegetation are held.]

[Footnote 8: The Navajo will not use real blue coloring in their sand painting, but adhere strictly to the instructions of the G.o.ds. They do, however, use a bit of vermilion, when it can be obtained, to heighten the red coloring in the pouches.]

The song-hunter remained with these people until the corn was ripe.

There he learned to eat corn and he carried some back with him to the Navajo, who had not seen corn before, and he taught them how to raise it and how to eat it.

As the logs would not float upstream the song-hunter was conveyed by four sunbeams, one attached to each end of the cross-logs, to the box canyon whence he emerged. Upon his return he separated the logs, placing an end of the solid log into the hollow end of the other and planted this great pole in the river, whereto this day it is to be seen by those so venturesome as to visit this point.

The old song priest who related this myth to me regretted that so few of his people now visited the sacred spot.

When I was young, he said, many went there to pray and make offerings.

NAIYENESGONY AND TOBAIDISCHINNI.

This world was destroyed five times. The first time by a whirlwind; the second, by immense hail stones; the third, by smallpox, when each pustule covered a whole cheek; the fourth, all was destroyed by coughing; the fifth time Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni went over the earth slaying all enemies.

These two boys were born at Tohatkle (where the waters are mated), near Ute Mountain, in Utah; they were the children of Ahsonnutli. Ahsonnutli and Yolaikaiason (the white-sh.e.l.l woman) were the creators of sh.e.l.ls.

Ahsonnutli had a beard under her right arm and Yolaikaiason had a small ball of flesh under her left arm from which they made all sh.e.l.ls. The eyes of Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni were sh.e.l.ls placed on their faces by Ahsonnutli; the sh.e.l.ls immediately becoming brilliant the boys could look upon all things and see any distance without their eyes becoming weary. A stick colored black was placed to the forehead of Naiyenesgony and one colored blue to that of Tobaidischinni. When Naiyenesgony shook his head the stick remained firm on the forehead, but he felt something in the palm of his hand, which proved to be three kinds of seeds, and he said, We must go by this. When Tobaidischinni shook his head the stick dropped off the forehead and they thought a long time and said, We must go by this. This is why the deer sheds his horns. In ceremonials the breath is drawn from sticks which are made to represent the originals; the sticks are also held to wounds as a curative.

These two boys grew from infancy to manhood in four days and on the fourth day they made bows and arrows; on the fifth day they began using them. Although they were the children of Ahsonnutli they did not know her as their mother, but supposed her to be their aunt. Frequently they inquired of her where they could find their father. She always told them to stop their inquiries, for they had no father. Finally they said to her, We know we have a father and we intend to go and look for him.

She again denied that they had a father, but they were determined and they journeyed far to the east and came to the house of the sun. The house was of white sh.e.l.l, and the wife of the sun (Yolaikaiason) was also of white sh.e.l.l. The wife inquired of the youths where they were from, and, said she, What do you want here? They replied, We came to hunt our father. When the sun returned to his home in the evening he discovered the youths as soon as he entered his house and he asked, Where are those two boys from? The wife replied, You say you never do anything wrong when you travel; these two boys call you father and I know they are your children. The wife was very angry. The sun sent the boys off a distance and threw a great roll of black clouds at them intending to kill them, but they were not injured, and they returned to the house. He then pushed them against a sharp stone knife, but they slipped by uninjured. Four times they were thrust against the knife, but without injury. The sun finding his attempts unsuccessful said, It is so, you are my sons. The sun then ordered Hasjelti and Toneennili (these two were special attendants upon the sun) to build a sweat house and put the boys in, that they might die from the heat. Toneennili made an excavation inside of the sweat house, put the boys into the hole, and placed a rock over the hole and built a fire over the rock. When the rock became very hot the sun ordered Toneennili to sprinkle it four times with water, being careful to keep the entrance to the sweat house closely covered. After a time he uncovered the entrance and removing the rock the sun commanded the boys to come out. He did not expect to be obeyed, as he thought and hoped the boys were dead, but they came out unharmed. The sun then said, You are indeed my own children; I have tried in vain to destroy you. The boys wished to return to the woman whom they supposed to be their aunt. Before departing the sun asked them what they wished; they said, We want bows and arrows, knives, and good leggings. There are people around the world eating our people (the Navajo). Some of these people are great giants and some are as small as flies; we wish to kill them with lightning. The sun gave the youths clothing that was invulnerable, and he gave them lightning with which to destroy all enemies, and a great stone knife. They then went over the world. Naiyenesgony killed with the lightning arrows and Tobaidischinni scalped with his knife. 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 gra.s.s. 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 days 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 pa.s.sing 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 c.o.c.k 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 c.o.c.k, 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. If you will go after the dead deer you must expect to be killed. We will not think of them longer; they are dead and gone. We are talking of things of long ago. The younger brother sat quietly below and listened to everything that was being said.

After a time the crows on the other side of the canyon made a great noise and began to dance. They had many songs at that time. The youth could not see what they were doing, but he listened all the time. After the dance began a great fire was made, and then he could see black objects moving, but he could not distinguish any people. He recognized the voice of Hasjelti. Though the youth was crazy, he remembered everything in his heart. He even remembered the words of the songs that continued all the night; he remembered every word of every song. He said to himself, I will listen until daylight. These people did not remain on one side of the canyon where the first fires were built, but they crossed and recrossed in their dance and had fires on both sides of the canyon. They danced back and forth until daylight (on the ninth night of the Hasjelti Dailjis was a repet.i.tion of this dance), when all the crows and the other birds flew away to the west. All that he saw after they left was the fires and smoke. The crazy youth then started off in a run to his brothers camp to tell what he had seen and heard. His brothers were up early and saw the boy approaching. They said, I bet he will have lots of stories to tell. He will say he saw something no one ever saw, or somebody jumped on him. And the brother-in-law who was with them said, Let him alone; when he comes into camp he will tell us all, and I believe these things do happen, for he could not make up these things all the time.

The camp was surrounded by pion 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 youths 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 pa.s.sed by. All the sheep pa.s.sed him, but he again headed them off by hiding in the stalks of a large yucca.[10] The sheep pa.s.sed 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, but as the sheep approached him they became G.o.ds. The first one was Hasjelti, the second was Hostjoghon, the third was Naaskiddi, the fourth one was Hadatchishi. At this strange metamorphosis the youth was greatly alarmed, he dropped his bow and fell to the ground senseless.

Hasjelti stood at the east side of the youth, Hostjoghon to the south, Naaskiddi to the west, and Hadatchishi to the north of him. Each had a rattle, which was used to accompany the songs for the recovery of the youth. They also traced with their rattle in the sand this emblem [Ill.u.s.tration], meaning a figure of a man, and drew parallel lines at the head and feet with the rattle. When this was done the youth recovered and the G.o.ds had again a.s.sumed the form of sheep. They asked the youth why he had tried to shoot them. You see you are one of us, they said. The youth had become transformed into a sheep. There is to be a dance far off to the north beyond Ute Mountain; we want you to go with us to the dance. We will dress you like ourselves and teach you to dance; we will then go over the world. The brothers who watched from the mesa top wondered what the trouble could be. They could not see the G.o.ds. They saw the youth lying on the ground and said, We must go and see what is the matter. On reaching the place they found that their young brother had gone. They saw where he had lain and where the people had worked over him. They began crying and said, For a long time we would not believe him, and now he has gone off with the sheep. They made many efforts to head off the sheep, but without success, and they cried all the more, saying, as they returned to the mesa, Our brother told us the truth and we would not believe him; had we believed him he would not have gone off with the sheep; perhaps some day we will see him.

[Footnote 9: The _Bigelovia Douglasii_ is made into rings and used in the ceremonial Hasjelti Dailjis with direct reference to this occurrence.]

[Footnote 10: Ceremonial rings are also made of the Spanish bayonet (yucca).]

At the dance the sheep found seven others like themselves. This made their number twelve. The seven joined the others in their journey around the world. All people let them see their dances and learn their songs.

Then all the number excepting the youth talked together and they said, There is no use keeping him with us longer (referring to the youth); he has learned everything; he may as well go now and tell his people and have them do as we do. The youth was instructed to have twelve in the dance, six G.o.ds and six G.o.ddesses, with Hasjelti to lead them. He was told to have his people make masks to represent them. It would not do to have twelve Naaskiddi represented among the Navajo, for they would not believe it and there would be trouble. They could not learn all of their songs. The youth returned to his brothers, carrying with him all songs, all medicine, and clothing.

THE OLD MAN AND WOMAN OF THE FIRST WORLD.

In the lower world four G.o.ds were created by Etseastin and Etseasun.

These G.o.ds were so annoyed by ants that they said, Let us go to the four points of the world. A spring was found at each of the cardinal points, and each G.o.d took possession of a spring, which he jealously guarded.

Etseastin and Etseasun were jealous because they had no water and they needed some to produce nourishment. The old man finally obtained a little water from each of the G.o.ds and planted it, and from it he raised a spring such as the G.o.ds had. From this spring came corn and other vegetation. Etseastin and Etseasun sat on opposite sides of the spring facing each other, and sang and prayed and talked to somebody about themselves, and thus they originated worship. One day the old man saw some kind of fruit in the middle of the spring. He tried to reach it but he could not, and asked the spider woman (a member of his family) to get it for him. She spun a web across the water and by its use procured the fruit, which proved to be a large white sh.e.l.l, quite as large as a Tusayan basket. The following day Etseastin discovered another kind of fruit in the spring which the spider woman also brought him; this fruit was the turquoise. The third day still another kind of fruit was discovered by him and obtained by the spider woman; this was the abalone sh.e.l.l. The fourth day produced the black stone bead, which was also procured.

After ascending into the upper world Etseastin visited the four corners to see what he could find. (They had brought a bit of everything from the lower world with them). From the east he brought eagle feathers; from the south feathers from the bluejay; in the west he found hawk feathers, and in the north speckled night bird (whippoorwill) feathers.

Etseastin and Etseasun carried these to a spring, placing them toward the cardinal points. The eagle plumes were laid to the east and near by them white corn and white sh.e.l.l; the blue feathers were laid to the south with blue corn and turquoise; the hawk feathers were laid to the west with yellow corn and abalone sh.e.l.l; and to the north were laid the whippoorwill feathers with black beads and corn of all the several colors. The old man and woman sang and prayed as they had done at the spring in the lower world. They prayed to the east, and the white wolf was created; to the south, and the otter appeared; to the west, and the mountain lion came; and to the north, the beaver. Etseastin made these animals rulers over the several points from which they came.

When the white of daylight met the yellow of sunset in mid-heavens they embraced, and white gave birth to the coyote; yellow to the yellow fox.

Blue of the south and black of the north similarly met, giving birth, blue to blue fox and north to badger.

Blue and yellow foxes were given to the Pueblos; coyote and badger remain with the Navajo; but Great Wolf is ruler over them all. Great Wolf was the chief who counseled separation of the s.e.xes.