A study of Navajo symbolism - Free History Ebooks

THEestablishing of a definite locale is oneof the first objectives of any Navajomyth, legend, sand painting, or religious rite.PLACE AND NUMBERAll of these have their beginnings at certainplaces where the immortals are said to havemet and instructed the earth people. Eventoday the selection of a place in which to holda major ceremony is influenced by the myth'sdescription of a site favored by the gods. Themyth may start by mentioning the place wherethe hero, or his parents, or possibly his clanwere living at the time the story began.In the myth explaining the Hail Chant, theopening phrase is, "There was a family of fiveliving in a place called Kloditzen." Four ofthese people remained there but the fifth, beingthe hero of the lengthy tale, left his homeand journeyed far to meet strange people andimmortals. He visited the home of WinterThunder who became his enemy and soughtto destroy him with white lightning; this homeis described in detail. He also visited thehomes of the frog people, of the "Dontso"messengers, and of the four Summer Thunders.All of these localities are illustrated bysand paintings used during the Hail Ceremony,and each place is represented by arectangle, the color of which indicates itsdirection. Each oblong house is outlined withfour colors excepting a door which faces thecenter. A wind symbol is placed in each doorway(fig. 2). .In this Hail Ceremony, the land of night ismade in the form of a rectangle, although insome sand paintings it is drawn as a diamond.Its inhabitants are the sun, the moon, theMilky Way, the stars, sun spots, comets,northern lights, and lightning. None of theseare considered gods in their elemental form,as all were placed in the sky by the first immortals,but the spirits which control themhave untold power for both good and evil.In the Blessing Ceremony, the land of theSpirit Givers (fig. 3) is an oblong topped bya square, all of which is covered with whitecorn meal. This is outlined with yellow pollen,and the figures painted on the white backgroundare of colored meal or pollen. Theblue land of summer is also drawn as a rectangle,and the cloud house of Estsan-ah-tlehay(Changing Woman) is painted as a whitesquare.In many of the myths, the elements, animals,insects, birds, and other forms of life are personifiedor characterized as having human attributes.All of these are spoken of as livingin certain places where their sphere of influenceis greatest. Many are said to possesshomes of four, eight, or twelve rooms piledone above the other or spread to the fourdirections. The ownership of this home issometimes determined by the tracks or footprintsplaced on it, or just in front of thedoorway.There is an indefinite land or plane of existencesituated between the earth and the skywhich is occupied by such elements and formsof life as move between the two. This is inhabitedby the rain, the mist and fog, the smallwinds, birds, insects, moths, winged seeds, andthe leaves and tips of trees. The shape of thisland is rectangular but all of its inhabitantsare in some manner characterized by the triangleand the number three. Clouds havethree sides as do arrows, leaves, insect's wings,bird's tails, Nilth chizzie (Little Wind), PollenBoy and Corn Bug, and many more figures(see figs. 80 and 81).When the myth centers around the placewhere the immediate ceremony is being held,the sand painting will often show the traditionalfeatures of that setting. One sand picture,made during the Mountain Chant, showsthe circle of cedar branches which enclose theceremonial ground. It also shows the centralfire symbolized by a large red cross, outsideof which is a yellow circle and this is thespace reserved for the dancers (fig. 4). Acircular space marked with blue and red indicatesthe protected space reserved for theaudience.Location, described by the tale and shownon the sand painting, lends character to theceremony, plays an important part in determiningthe number of ritualistic events, andgenerally indicates which group of immortals