A study of Navajo symbolism - Free History Ebooks

GREAT POWERS OF EARTH, SKY, WATER,AND THE UNDERWORLDIN THE Navajo Creation Myth there is adetailed account of how this earth and thesky were formed, and how their physicalcharacteristics and their inhabitants werecreated.The first things used as combined symbolson sand paintings were described as being verylarge and few in number, the numerical patternfor each type mentioned seeming to beone, two or four. I have termed these "monsters"because their extent and spiritual powerwas so great as to exceed the comprehensionof human beings.The two mentioned first in the myth areFather Sky and Mother Earth (fig. 22), andthe sand-painted symbols of these two followthe details of the written description. Themain body of each is in the form of a diamondor, less frequently, a rectangle. Either formindicates an extensive place or sphere of influence,and this shape is used in nearly everysymbol that depicts unusual force.The earth and sky figures have arms in theshape of bows and pollen hands which carryturquoise and white shell bowls eternally filledwith food and water. The legs are arcs orangles ending in pollen feet. After beingshaped, the earth was spread with all kinds ofvegetation which at a distance appeared to beblue, and the four sacred cultivated plants areshown growing from a central lake of purewater (also the place of emergence). Thesand painting of Father Sky shows the skycovered with darkness marked with stars, theMilky Way, the sun, the moon, and bars ofwhite dawn light. The necks of both Earthand Sky are blue columns crossed by four redstripes, and the masks are formed by four colorsof clouds with black charcoal marks foreyes and mouth. A prayer feather, or bundle,is tied to the top of each mask with cottoncord, and horns are attached to the sides.These horns are half black for night time andhalf blue for the day. White lightning oneach section of these horns indicates theirpower to maintain the earth and the sky inspace without wings or other visible means ofsupport. Stars and comets sometimes take thediamond form, but are not given horns as theirtriangular points carry them through space.In the Blessing Ceremony a cloud powerhas a diamond-shaped body marked with diamondsof all the sky and earth colors. He haswhite arms and his tail ends in the "kosescheen"(fig. 23), a column of triangularclouds. He is the author of cloud bursts andheavy, destructive rains. The thunder bird isanother of these great powers (fig. 46).The following symbols show their use astypes of forces rather than individuals by notshowing feet and paws, but cloud symbolsinstead. On the surface of the earth, serpents(fig. 24) are frequently symbolized as diamond-shapedmonsters with blue necks, arrow-shapedheads, and tails bearing rattles,and they represent the connection with thewater under the earth. If personalized, theywear brown earth masks, red arrow caps indicatingdeath-dealing power. They are alsodrawn with arms and legs, a cloud dancingkilt,fetish pouch and pendant medicine bundles.They generally carry bows and arrows.In either delineation, the bodies are dividedinto five sections by four sets of four particoloredlines which reflect cloud colors, andfrom which hang shell beads representing rain.The upper section of this monster includesthe head, neck, arms and chest; the next foursections, although rhomboid in shape, are consideredin the same category as rectanglesmeaning place or sphere of influence. On eachis the rectangular home of the snake peoplewith a deer track pointing toward the house(fig. 25). This symbol also carries the significanceof swift movement in a certain direction;it may stand for physical swiftness ofthe deer, the wind, an arrow, or even directedthoughts or desires. On each side stand curved