A study of Navajo symbolism - Free History Ebooks

NAVAJO SYMBOLS IN SAND PAINTINGS AND RITUAL OBJECTS: NEWCOMBor spirit forces are to be invoked. Whenthe symbol or symbols representing place, orhome, or mountain, or lake are placed in themiddle of a sand painting, the figures whichpoint in the semi-directions belong to thatsymbol. The figures which He toward thecardinal points represent the immortals orpowerful forces expected to arrive at the ceremonycoming from the four directions. Theborder around the picture may represent thetrails they are traveling (fig. 5).The number 4 symbolizes stability and balance,and is static, typifying homeland orfield, or a known locality. There seems to bebut slight distinction in the symbolic use andmeaning of the oblong and the square. Bothare said to represent the land or dwellingplaces of spirit forces, immortals, elements,people, or animals (fig. 6). But in writing thedescriptions of many sand paintings, I havenoted that the square is more often spoken ofas a "house" or an immediate locale while therectangle represents the whole sphere of influenceor the habitat of some particulargroup. In either case, it was said to be aknown area with definite boundaries. TheNavajo homeland is supposedly square, corneredby the four sacred mountains. This is asmall and well-known area when comparedwith the rectangles representing the sky, thespirit world, or the land of summer.Four squares, one above the other, are symbolsof a four-story dwelling and probablycame from the pueblo community houses. Ablack square or circle in the center of a sandpainting is generally explained as being theunderneath-land or place of danger where thesun does not enter. The circle can be a symbolof the place of emergence through which allliving things ascended to this present world(fig. 7). The story says that water followedthe ascending people not far behind so nowthis place is a bottomless lake. Black, yellow,blue, or white squares placed in the center mayalso represent stars and are regarded as beingthe homes or habitat of immortals and powerfulspirit forces who can be persuaded tocome to the assistance of human beings if theright prayers are chanted and the correct sandpaintings made (fig. 8).Parallelograms or long bars are to be found1House God and Humped-back God.in a great many sand paintings, and are usedto represent rain shaft guards, horizon boundaries,long ranges of distant mountains, columnsor pillars of stone, and bodies of tallimmortals, stalks of plants, or bars of light ordarkness. Increasing the length or accentingthe height or width of a symbol adds to itssignificance in the sand painting, and to itspower in the rites of healing. Sometimes afigure which is painted very tall for a malepatient, is shortened and widened when thepatient is a woman.Ritualistic objects which are long and slim,such as canes carried by the Hashje-hogahnand by the Beganaskiddy, 1 are counted as separate"beings" with spiritual powers of theirown (fig. 9). Ladders, flutes and fire pokersare a few of the objects which gain importancewith length and have spirit-controlled voicesto guide parts of the ceremony or human actionswhenever the need arises (fig. 10). Along, black, horizontal bar outlined in whitemay mean the dark earth just under the surface,and may be scattered with various colorsof seeds. Or it may mean night, and thenthere will be stars painted on it. This is anotherway of indicating a certain place orlocality.The symbology of number as used in theNavajo sand painting is explained at lengthin Reichard's Navajo Religion, Volume I. Ofthe even numbers, 4 or one of its multiples isemployed most frequently in laying downpatterns which are expected to meet the approvalof the gods. Some students of ethnologybelieve that 4 is the number which symbolizesthis present earth and everything wefind here.A fundamental quality of any Navajo religioussymbol is the plural character of everyspiritual power or elemental force. The hero,who killed the evil monsters, had three brotherswith separate abilities and life histories;but Klah remarked, "They are really all oneperson." 2The Fire God is sometimes pictured as fourpersonages standing side by side or comingfrom the four directions. The Sky is oftendivided into four segments with a definitesymbol for each. The number of divisionsgranted to each great power depends on the2 Similar to the forms of the gods in India.