Ceremonial of Hasjelti Dailjis and Mythical Sand Painting of the Navajo Indians Part 4

Tobaidischinni had his body painted with the scalp knot in white in relative positions to the bows on Naiyenesgony. A third man, personating the turquois hermaphrodite Ahsonnutli, wore the usual squaw's dress with a blanket fastened over the shoulders reaching to the ground. Her mask was blue. The three left the lodge carrying their masks in their hands.

Pa.s.sing some distance down the avenue to the east they put on their masks and returned to the lodge. A buffalo robe had been spread in front of the lodge. Just as the maskers returned, the invalid, wrapped in a fine red Navajo blanket and bearing a basket of sacred meal, stepped upon the robe; he had before stood in front of the lodge by the side of the song-priest.

The many spectators on foot and horseback clad in their rich blankets formed a brilliant surrounding for this ceremony, which took place just at the setting of the son. Naiyenesgony carried in his right hand a large lava celt which was painted white. Tobaidischinni followed next carrying in his right hand the black wood stick which had been prepared in the morning, and in his left hand the red stick. Ahsonnutli followed with bow and arrow in the left hand and an arrow in the right with a quiver thrown over the shoulder.

Naiyenesgony drew so close to the invalid that their faces almost touched and pointed his celt toward the invalid. Tobaidischinni then approached and in the same manner pointed the sticks toward him, after which he was approached by Ahsonnutli with her bow and arrows. This was repeated on the south, west, and north sides of the invalid; each time the invalid partially turned his arm, shoulder, and back to sprinkle meal upon the G.o.ds. The G.o.ds then rushed to the entrance of the medicine lodge repeating the ceremony there, when they hurried to the south side of the lodge (the invalid having returned to the lodge; the buffalo robe was carried in by an attendant). The G.o.ds went from the south side of the lodge to the west and then to the north performing the same ceremony. As the invalid had spent many days in the lodge and the disease at each day's ceremony exuded from his body, it was deemed necessary that these G.o.ds should go to the four points of the compa.s.s and draw the disease from the lodge. When they entered the lodge the buffalo robe had been spread in front of the song-priest with its head north. Upon this robe each G.o.d knelt on his left knee, Naiyenesgony on the north end of the robe, Ahsonnutli on the south end, and Tobaidischinni between them, all facing east. The song-priest, followed by the invalid, advanced to the front of the line carrying the basket containing the medicine tubes. He sprinkled Naiyenesgony with corn pollen, pa.s.sing it up the right arm over the head and down the left arm to the hand. He placed the black tube in the palm, of the left hand of the G.o.d, the priest chanting all the while a prayer. The red tube was given with the same ceremony to Tobaidischinni, and the blue tube with the same ceremony to Ahsonnutli. The quiver was removed from Ahsonnutli before she knelt. The song-priest, kneeling in front of Naiyenesgony, repeated a long litany with responses by the invalid, when the G.o.ds left the lodge led by Naiyenesgony who deposited his tube and stick in a pinon tree, Tobaidischinni depositing his in a cedar tree, and Ahsonnutli hers in the heart of a shrub.

SECOND CEREMONY.

The scene was a brilliant one. Long before the time for the dance a line of four immense fires burned on each side of the avenue where the dance was to take place, and Navajo men and women clad in their bright colored blankets and all their rare beads and silver encircled each fire. Logs were piled 5 or 6 feet high. In addition to these eight fires there were many others near and far, around which groups of gamblers gathered, all gay and happy. Until this night no women but those who carried food to the lodge had been present at any of the ceremonies except at the initiation of the children. To say that there were 1,200 Navajo would be a moderate calculation. This indeed was a picture never to be forgotten. Many had been the objections to our sketching and writing, but throughout the nine days the song-priest stood steadfastly by us. One chief in particular denounced the theurgist for allowing the medicine to be put on paper and carried to Was.h.i.+ngton. But his words availed nothing. We were treated with every consideration. We were allowed to handle the masks and examine them closely, and at times the artists working at the sand painting really inconvenienced themselves and allowed us to crowd them that we might observe closely the many minute details which otherwise could not have been perceived, as many of their color lines in the skirt and sash decorations were like threads. The accompanying sketches show every detail.

The green or dressing room was a circular inclosure of pine boughs at the end of the avenue. It was about 10 feet high by 20 feet in diameter made of pinon branches with their b.u.t.ts planted in the ground, their tops forming a brush or hedge. Within this inclosure the masks were arranged in a row on the west side. A large fire burned in the center affording both heat and light. The different sets, when a change of dress from one set of men to another was to be made, repaired to this green room for that purpose. This inclosure was also the resort during the night for many Indians who a.s.sisted the dancers in their toilets.

At 10 o'clock the ceremonies opened by the entrance upon the avenue of the song-priest who came from the green room. He wore a rich red blanket and over this a mountain lion skin; immediately after him followed Hasjelti, leading the four Etsethle (the first ones). These represented first, natan (corn); second, natin (rain); third, nanase (vegetation); fourth, jadetin (corn pollen). Their masks were blue ornamented with feathers and were similar to the masks worn by the dancers; their bodies were painted white with many rare beads around their necks, and they wore loin skirts with silver belts; a gray fox skin was attached pendant to the back of the belt, and blue stockings, tied with red garters, and moccasins completed their dress. They carried in their right hands gourd rattles painted white. The handles of these may be of any kind of wood, but it must be selected from some tree near which lightning has struck, but not of the wood of the tree struck by lightning. Corn pollen was in the palms of their left hands and in the same hand they carried also a pinon bough.

Hasjelti wore a suit of velvet ornamented with silver b.u.t.tons; he never speaks except by signs. They advanced single file with a slow regular step and when within 20 feet of the lodge the priest turned and faced Hasjelti and repeated a short prayer, when the Etsethle sang.

SONG OF THE ETSETHLE.

From below (the earth) my corn comes I walk with you.

From above water young (comes) I walk with you.

From above vegetation (comes to the earth) I walk with you.

From below the earth corn pollen comes I walk with you.

These lines are repeated four times. The first line indicates that corn is the chief subsistence; the second, that it is necessary to pray to Hasjelti that the earth may be watered; the third, that the earth must be embraced by the sun in order to have vegetation; the fourth, that pollen is essential in all religious ceremonies. The Etsethle signify doubling the essential things by which names they are known, corn, grain, etc., they are the mystic people who dwell in canyon sides unseen. After the song the invalid with meal basket in hand pa.s.sed hurriedly down the line of G.o.ds and sprinkled each one with meal, pa.s.sing it from the right hand up to the right arm, to the head then down the left arm to the hand, placing a pinch in the palm of the left hand. The invalid then returned and stood to the north side of Hasjelti who was to the left of the song-priest. The theurgist stood facing natan (corn) and offered a prayer which was repeated by the invalid. Continency must be observed by the invalid during the nine days ceremonial and for four days thereafter.

PRAYER TO THE ETSETHLE.

"People, you come to see us; you have a house in the heart of the rocks; you are the chief of them; you are beautiful. Come inside of our houses.

Your feet are white; come into our house! Your legs are white; come into our house! Your bodies are white; come into our house! Your face is white; come into our house! Old man, this world is beautiful; the people look upon you and they are happy. This day let all things be beautiful."

This prayer is repeated many times, merely subst.i.tuting for old man old woman, then youth, young girl, boy, then all children. The old man and woman spoken of are not the first old man and woman in the myth of the old man and woman of the first world. After the prayer the song-priest and invalid took seats by the entrance of the lodge. Hasjelti took his position to the west end and to the north of the line of the Etsethle. He remained standing while the four slowly raised the right foot squarely from the ground, then on the toe of the left foot, which motion shook the rattle. In a short time Hasjelti pa.s.sed down the line hooting. He pa.s.sed around the east end, then returned up the north side to his former position, and again hooting, resumed the leaders.h.i.+p of the Etsethle, who gave a long shake of the rattle as soon as Hasjelti stood in front of them. They then followed their leader to the dressing room.

CONCLUSION - THE DANCE.

The song-priest having returned to the green room, emerged therefrom, followed by Hasjelti, who carried a fawn skin partially filled with meal, and by twelve dancers and Hostjoghon, holding in each hand a feather wand.

The twelve dancers represented the old man and woman six times duplicated.

Hasjelti led the dancers and Hostjoghon followed in the rear. When they came near the lodge the song-priest turned and faced the dancers, and being joined by the invalid, he led him down the line of dancers on the north side, the invalid carrying a sacred meal basket, and sprinkled the right side of each dancer. The song-priest and invalid then returned to their seats in front of the lodge. Hasjelti pa.s.sed down the line on the north side and joined Hostjoghon at the east end of the line, both then pa.s.sing to the west end, where each one endeavored to be the first to stamp twice upon the ground immediately in front of the leading dancer.

This double stamp is given with hoots, and they then returned down the line to the center, when Hasjelti dashes back to the west end, clasping the throat of the fawn skin with his right hand and holding the legs with his left, with both his arms extended to the front. Hostjoghon extending his hands with the feather wands in them, they point the head of the skin and tops of the wands directly in front of them as they stand facing each other, hooting at the same time. Reversing sides by das.h.i.+ng past each other, Hasjelti points his fawn skin to the east while Hostjoghon points his wands to the west. They then return to their respective positions as leader and follower.

After the dance begins Hasjelti pa.s.ses down the north side and joins Hostjoghon at the east end of the dancers, Hasjelti keeping to the north side of Hostjoghon. Three of the men, representing women, were dressed in Navajo squaw dresses and three of them in Tusayan squaw dresses; they held their arms horizontally to the elbow and the lower arm vertically, and, keeping their feet close together, raised themselves simultaneously on their toes. The dance was begun in single file, the men raising only their right feet to any height and balancing on the left. After a minute or two the line broke, the women pa.s.sing over to the north side and the men to the south side; almost instantaneously, however, they grouped into a promiscuous crowd, women carrying a pine twig in each hand and the men a gourd rattle in the right hand and a pine twig in the left. The men's bodies were painted white and were nude, excepting the silk scarfs and mountain lion and other skins worn around the loins. Just before the stamping of the feet in the beginning of the dance, a rattle was shaken by all the male dancers, which was the signal for a peculiar back motion of the right arm and body and one which preceded the actual dancing. The six males lean their bodies to the right side extending the right hand backward, and then bringing it forward in a circular under sweep around to the mouth with a hoot. They then turn and face the east, and bending their bodies toward the south perform the same motion as before, when they turn to the west and repeat it in that direction. At the same time the leader and follower repeat their peculiar performance with the fawn skin and wands to the east and west. Dancing promiscuously for a few moments to song and rattle, the men representing women singing in feminine tones, they form again in two lines, the women as before on the north side. The man at the west end of the male line and the woman at the same end of the female line, meeting each other midway between the lines she pa.s.ses her right arm through the arm of her partner, his arm being bent to receive it; they pa.s.s between the line and are met a short distance from the other end of the line by Hasjelti and Hostjoghon, who dance up to meet them, the movement resembling closely the old-fas.h.i.+oned Virginia reel. The couple then dance backward between the lines to their starting point, then down again, when they separate, the man taking his place in the rear of the male line and the woman hers in the rear of the female line. This couple starting down the second time, the man and woman immediately next in line lock arms and pa.s.s down in the same manner, Hasjelti and Hostjoghon scarcely waiting for the first couple to separate before dancing up to meet the second couple; the remaining couples following in like order until the first couple find themselves in their former position at the head of the line. Now a group dance is indulged in for a minute or two when lines are again formed, and a second figure exactly like the first is danced. This figure was again repeated without variation, after which the men and women fell into single file, and, led by Hasjelti and followed by Hostjoghon, left the dancing ground. They did not go to the green, however, but moved off a short distance to rest for a moment and returned.

Upon each return the invalid pa.s.sed down the line on the north side sprinkling each dancer with meal, Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performing with the fawn skin and wands. This dance of four figures was repeated twelve times, each time the dancers resting but a moment. After the twelve dances the dancers pa.s.sed to the green room, where they were relieved by a second set of men. The second series of dances were exactly like the first. There were twenty-one dances, four figures in each dance, and each time the dancers appeared they were sprinkled with meal by the invalid, while Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performed their antics with fawn skin and wands.

The third series embraced all the dances exactly like the above. The fourth series embraced nineteen dances. The only variation in this was that the leaders were often more clownish in their performances, and upon several occasions only four men representing women appeared. In this case two men danced together. Some of the dancers dropped out from weariness, which caused diminution in some of the sets. The last dance closed at the first light of day. The song-priest had preceded the last dancers to the green room and awaited their arrival to obtain the masks, which were his special property.

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.

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 men's 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 man's name was Atseatsine and the woman's 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" (sun's 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 s.h.i.+ne 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-hunter's 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)"