Navajo mythology

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Navajo mythology: The Navajo are a tribe of Native Americans who live in the southwestern United States.

Contents 1 Creation story 2 Deities 2.1 Díyín diné’é (Holy People) 2.2 Áłtsé hastiin (First Man) 2.3 Áłtsé asdząąn (First Woman) 2.4 Áłtsé hashké (First Scolder) or Mą'ii (Roamer) or (Coyote) 2.5 Jóhonaa’éí (sun bearer) 2.6 Yoołgai asdząąn (white-shell woman) 2.7 Asdząąn nádleehé (Changing woman) 3 See Also 4 References

[edit] Creation story

The Navajo creation story centers on the area known as the Dinetah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo people.

The basic outline of the Navajo creation story is as follows:

Holy Supreme Wind being created the mists of lights arose through the darkness to animate and bring purpose to the myriad Holy People, supernatural and sacred in the different three lower worlds.

All these things were spiritually created in the time before the earth existed and the physical aspect of man did not exist yet, but the spiritual did. In the first world the insect people started fighting with one another and were instructed by the Holy People to depart.

They journeyed to the second world and lived for a time in peace, but eventually they fought with each other and were instructed to depart.

In the third world the same thing happens again and they are forced to journey to the fourth world.

In the fourth world, they found the Hopi living there and succeeded in not fighting with one another or their neighbors, and their bodies were transformed from the insect forms to human forms. Eventually however, they fought with each other again, and again were instructed to depart.

They journeyed to the fifth world and succeeded in not fighting with one another and their bodies were transformed from the insect forms to human forms

First man and First woman physically appear here formed from ears of white and yellow corn, but they were also created back in the beginning. There is a separation of male and female humans because each did not appreciate the contributions of the other, and this laid the ground work for the appearance of the Monsters that would start to kill of the people in the next world.

Coyote also appears and steals the baby of water monster, who brings a great flood in the third world which primarily forces the humans as well as Holy People to journey to the surface of the fifth world through a hollow reed. Some things are left behind and some things are brought to help the people re-create the world each time they entered a new one. Death and the Monsters are born into this world as is Changing Woman who gives birth to the Hero Twins, called "Monster Slayer" and "Child of the Waters" who had many adventures in which they helped to rid the world of much evil. Earth Surface People, mortals, were created in the fourth world, and the gods gave them ceremonies, which are still practiced today.

This origin myth forms the basis for the traditional Navajo way of life.

[edit] Deities

The meanings embodied in the named deities below are contextually fragmented. The better way of understanding the belief system is within the context of "iinaa ji" or life-way, by conceptualizing it in the imagery of the "cycle of life." In iinaa ji the goal is to live a long life in happiness into old age. To obtain this goal man is given resources in the form of family, social, cultural, religious, educational, political teachings in the context of creating the circumstances that would bring about the attainment of that goal, and to learn those teachings that shape the human being into a dignified human. Regarding resources; with the help of family the woman has help in giving birth to a baby and taking care of the infant. Also in childhood the child need discipline, guidance and teaching, in adolescence there are teachings and ceremonies involved in how young people should interact with one another and the initiation of a girl into womanhood. At old age the person will be cared for within the context of family, society as manifested from religious teachings. At old age, by continually striving to live life in beauty and harmony, the individual having lived their life according to the tenets of iinaa ji, Beauty way, will have "lived a long life into old age in beautiful happiness" not only for themselves but for others around them. The ceremonial knowledge embodied with the names of the deities should be used to promote the positive aspect of iinaa ji.

[edit] Díyín diné’é (Holy People)

• The Díyín diné’é (Holy People) are the whole corpus of supernatural beings that reside within the myriad outward expressions of creation, "one who lies [lays] within it," and they have varying degrees of supernatural powers (Haile 1943:67-69). They outwardly express themselves to interact with human beings by taking on human forms or through representations in the context of animating forces that reside inside of the natural forces found in nature, plants, animals, prophets, and cultural heroes through the ceremonies. The díyín diné were animated and given their purpose in creation by "Supreme Sacred Wind" who first express itself out of the darkness (McNeley 1981:8-9).

[edit] Áłtsé hastiin (First Man)

• Áłtsé hastiin (First Man) - Created by the Holy people and given the dual creative and destructive powers of creation to create and bring about the world as it exists today. He works in conjunction with First Woman and is considered part of the díyín diné’é.

[edit] Áłtsé asdząąn (First Woman)

• Áłtsé asdząąn (First Woman) - Created by the Holy people and given the dual creataive destructive powers of creation to create and bring about the world as it exists today. She worked in conjunction with First Man and is considered part of the díyín diné’é.

[edit] Áłtsé hashké (First Scolder) or Mą'ii (Roamer) or (Coyote)

• Áłtsé hashké (First Scolder) or Mą'ii (Roamer) or (Coyote)- Generally regarded as the trickster, but who hangs around First Man and First Woman and through his foolish actions reveals the limitations of the spiritual and material realities and the consequences of transgressing them. He is the unwitting agent of First Man's and First Woman's creation designs and yet coyote is considered as a very dangerous entity because of his irresponsible and foolish application of his acquired and limited knowledge of the dual creative and destructive powers of creation, for his own personal egotistical gain. The consequences of his lack of foresight in the wielding these powers also applies to actions started at the material level of creation. Considered a Díyín diné’é.

[edit] Jóhonaa’éí (sun bearer)

• Jóhonaa’éí (sun bearer) could be considered a solar deity who carries the sun across the sky on his back and stores it in the west side of his house during the night. It can also be considered as the force that gives and represents the sun's purpose in creation, ie. like moving it through and across the sky. The object sun "so'" is not johona'ai, but johona'ai is the force, animating principle and purpose that resides within the sun and also gives life to all creation on the surface of the earth. Supreme Sacred Wind indirectly created so' through the interaction of other created phenomena, as well as Johona'ai.

[edit] Yoołgai asdząąn (white-shell woman)

• Yoołgai asdząąn (white-shell woman) can be considered a lunar deity associated with the seasons. She can be considered the sister of Changing Woman, but the two are also considered as one and the same. Her name comes from her creation; she was made from abalone. She is associated with the ocean, the sunrise, fire, and maize.

[edit] Asdząąn nádleehé (Changing woman)

• Asdząąn nádleehé (Changing woman) - Can be viewed as the sister of white shell woman, but also one and the same with white-shell woman. Can be associated as a sky goddess who was very respected among the Navajo. She was a goddess of change, particularly the maturation of women. She endlessly grows from a young maiden to an adult woman to an old crone as the day and seasons cyclically progress without dying. She helped in creating humans and now rules over the powers of creation, given in the underworld to First Man and First Woman, who in turn passed them on to Changing Woman for the maintenance of this world. She was raised by First Man and First woman after they saw a black cloud on a mountain for four days, and upon investigating it discovered the infant Changing woman, who grew from infant to an adult woman in eighteen days. Later she gave birth to the Twin warrior gods who slew the monsters who were killing the Dine. After departing to live in her home towards the western ocean she increased the number of humans by creating more people out of small pieces of her skin because she was lonely and wanted companions.

Below and above are some of the names (representations) of the forces within the force of creation. They are neither good or evil because within creation both disparate representations must work in harmonious balance in order for the world function. This balance gets out of order when either extreme of ideal good or ideal evil endeavors are striven towards and it tends to undermine or destroy life as we know it. Whether something is labeled good or bad is released by a person's (coyote) behavior and that moralistic value of good or evil is a reflection of the person's character and not on some deity representation. Also medicine has the dual potential to heal or kill, but that potential is actualized by a person's behavior. Also an airplane that is designed for good purposes by transporting people can be used to kill people, and the task it is performed to do is unleashed by man's unbalanced actions.

These are just a few of the many aspects (representations) of creation that formulate a way of life.

• Haashch’ééłti’í "Speechless Talking One, Talking God"
• Haashch’éoghan "House God, Calling God, Growling God."
• Ahsonnutli
• Hasteoltoi
• Bikeh Hozho "His/their beautiful voice?"
• To' nenili ("water sprinkler")

[edit] See Also

• Fifth World (Native American mythology)

[edit] References

• Haile, Berard. "Soul Concepts of the Navajo." Annali Lateranense, Vol. VII. Citta del Vaticano, 1943.
• McNeley, James K. Holy Wind in Navajo Philosophy. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1981.
• Salmonson, Jessica Amanda.(1991) The Encyclopedia of Amazons. Paragon House. Page 255. ISBN 1-55778-420-5
• Zolbrod, Paul G. Diné bahané: The Navajo Creation Story. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984.