A study of Navajo symbolism - Free History Ebooks

NAVAJO SYMBOLS IN SAND PAINTINGS AND RITUAL OBJECTS: NEWCOMB 17Figs. 18-21. 18. Bear. 19. Squirrel. 20. Guardian rainbow. 21. Mountain god wearing four blankets of fire.tion. There is a heart symbol which oftenshows four beats of the heart. Animal skinsused for medicine bags usually have a redline along the back to show where the knifeslit the hide (fig. 19). Nearly all masks andmany figures are outlined in red to indicatethe life and power within. The figures of thesun and the moon are always outlined in red.Red pollen is often sprinkled on and abovethe sketches of animals and birds.On the other hand, a red arrow, or onetipped with red, is the symbol of a poisonedpoint which is capable of causing death. Whenthe tongue of a serpent is yellow it is harmless,but if the tongue is red it represents asnake whose bite is deadly poison. The reddot or cap on a serpent's head shows whereit carries its poison. The red arrow-shapedcaps worn by the Flint Boys and the Warriorsindicate their privilege and power to slay theirenemies. Contact with red wind or a glimpseof the red star will bring illness or bad luck.Another role this color plays in the paintingis that of guardian. The rainbow (fig. 20)which frequently guards the painting on threesides is red and blue, divided and edged withwhite. The beneficent blue is generally drawnon the inside and the militant red is placed onthe outside. The red and blue sun rays followthe same pattern as do the red and blue spotson wrists, knees, and ankles, and other rainbowspots and arcs used as protection.There are a few sand paintings in whichred is the predominant color and these dealwith fire, the red wind, or the red ant people.A red cross represents a blazing fire, and thelarger the cross in proportion to the rest ofthe painting, the greater the significance ofthe fire. In one painting of the MountainChant, the mountain gods each wear fourblankets of fire, one above the other, to emphasizethe height of the leaping flames on