The Dîné: origin myths of the Navaho Indians

1956·11.2 MB·English

by  O'Bryan, Aileen

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BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGV BULLETIN 163 PLATE 1
First Man, pine tree and wiiite corn; First Woman, yucca and yellow corn. (From
paintingbyGeraldNailor,MesaVerdeNationalPark,underdirectionofMedicine Man.)
SklTHSONIAN INSTITUTION
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY
BULLETIN 163
THE DINE: ORIGIN MYTHS OF THE
NAVAHO INDIANS
By AILEEN O'BRYAN
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 1956
5 LQ U T
¥-jf- - li
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Smithsonian Institution,
Bureau of Aiiieeican Ethnology,
Washington^ D. C, Jun^ ^7,1955.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled
"TheDine OriginMythsoftheNavahoIndians,"byAileenO'Bryan,
:
and to recommend that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of
American Ethnology.
Very respectfully yours,
M. W. Stirling, Director.
Dr. Leonard Carmichael,
Secretary^ Smithsonian Institution.
II
ForsalebytheSuperintendentofDocuments,U.S. GovernmentPrintingOffice
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface vii
The Creation or Age of Beginning 1
The First World 1
The Second World 4
The Third World 4
The Fourth World 10
The Fifth World 11
The Order of Things, or the Age of Animal Heroes 13
The First Hogan 13
The Creation ofthe Sun and Moon 14
The Twelve Months of the Year 16
The Sun's Path 21
The Sky and the Earth 21
The Mountains Sacred to the Dine 23
Mountain Chants 27
The Coming of Death and Life 30
Old Age and Illness 32
The Plan, or Order of Things 32
The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins 35
The People of the Stone Houses r 35
The Stick Race 36
Prayer Sticks 36
Weaving 37
The Monsters Appear 39
When the Coyote Married the Maiden 40
The Maiden who Became a Bear 44
The Story of Noqoil pi, the Great Gambler 48
The First Game, that of the Seven Sticks 56
The Second Game, that ofthe Rolling Ring 56
The Third Game, that of the Stick the Shape of the Rainbow 57
The Fourth Game, that of Hitting the Ball 58
The Fifth, the Guessing Game 58
The Sixth Game, the Kicked Stick 59
The Seventh, the Game of the Planted Sticks 60
The Eighth Game, the Foot Race 60
The Story of the Moccasin Game 63
The Story of the Coming ofthe White Bead Woman 71
The White Bead Maiden's Marriage with the Sun 75
The Story of the Twin Brothers 77
The Story of the Twins and the Giant Yeitso 83
The Story of the Twins and Teel get, the Giant Elk 84
The Story of the Elder Brother and Tse na'hale, the GiantBirds 87
The Story of Tse'naga'hai, the Rolling Rock 92
The Story of Tsadidahalt' a li, the Twelve Antelope 93
III
IV CONTENTS
—
The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins Continued page
The Story of Tse'tahotsilta'li, He-Whc-Kicks-People-Off-Cliffs 94
The Story of Loka'adi kisi, the Slashing Reeds 95
The Story of the Beautiful, Dangerous Young Woman 96
The Story ofthe Last Great Grief,theSwallowPeopleof MesaVerde. 97
The Story of Tse'yeinti'li, the Rocks that Crush 98
The Story of Nayie a'anyie, or the Evil Eyes 98
The Story of the Four Last Ills 99
The Wanderings or Age of the Patriarchs 101
Introduction: Sandoval's prayer 101
The Origin of the Dtne 102
The First Clans of the Dine 103
The Making of the Headdress 107
The Story of the Water Buffalo's Kingdom 109
The Naming of the Brothers, and Their Departure 109
The Departure of the First Four Holy Ones 111
The Departure of the Holy Beings 111
The Departure of the White Bead Woman 112
The Story of the Clan Called Tqo yahha'tline 115
The Story of the Rain Ceremony and Its Hogan 117
The Two Who Returned 119
Two Clans Related to the Clan Tqo yah ha' tline 119
* The Story of the Pictograph of the CoU 119
The Stoi-y of the Mountain Chant and the Fire Dance 121
The Storyofthe Flint Knife Boysandthe Great Warriorof Aztec 126
The Journey of the Elder Brother 127
The Story of the Younger Sister 130
The Story of the Mountain Top Chant, or the Story of the Maiden
and the Bear 131
The Story of the Summer Dance 138
The Story of San'hode'di'begaeye, the Beggar's Son 143
The Story of the Two Maidens and the White Butterfly 157
The Story of San'hode'di's Medicine 164
The Story of the Dine 166
The Story of the Two Boys and the Coming of the Horses 175
The Story of the Na\'aho and the Apache Peoples 181
Literature cited 185