Title and Contents
The Dîné: Origin Myths of the Navaho Indians
by AILEEN O'BRYAN
Bulletin 163 of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution.
[1956]
scanned at sacred-texts.com, February, 2001. J. B. Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain because it is a US Government publication. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY,
Washington, D. C., June 27, 1955.
SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled "The Dîné: Origin Myths of the Navaho Indians," by Aileen O'Bryan, and to recommend that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology.
Very respectfully yours,
M. W. STIRLING, Director.
Dr. LEONARD CARMICHAEL,
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.
CONTENTS
|
| PAGE |
| Preface | VII |
| The Creation or Age of Beginning. | 1 |
| The First World | 1 |
| The Second World | 4 |
| The Third World | 4 |
| The Fourth World | 10 |
| The Fifth World | 11 |
| The Order of Things, or the Age of Animal Heroes | 13 |
| The First Hogan | 13 |
| The Creation of the Sun and Moon | 14 |
| The Twelve Months of the Year | 16 |
| The Sun's Path | 21 |
| The Sky and the Earth | 21 |
| The Mountains Sacred to the Dîné | 23 |
| Mountain Chants | 27 |
| The Coming of Death and Life | 30 |
| Old Age and Illness | 32 |
| The Plan, or Order of Things | 32 |
| The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins | 35 |
| The People of the Stone Houses | 35 |
| The Stick Race | 36 |
| Prayer Sticks | 36 |
| Weaving | 37 |
| The Monsters Appear | 39 |
| When the Coyote Married the Maiden | 40 |
| The Maiden who Became a Bear | 44 |
| The Story of Noqoil pi, the Great Gambler | 48 |
| The First Game, that of the Seven Sticks | 56 |
| The Second Game, that of the Rolling Ring | 56 |
| The Third Game, that of the Stick the Shape of the Rainbow | 57 |
| The Fourth Game, that of Hitting the Ball | 58 |
| The Fifth, the Guessing Game | 58 |
| The Sixth Game, the Kicked Stick | 59 |
| The Seventh, the Game of the Planted Sticks | 60 |
| The Eighth Game, the Foot Race | 60 |
| The Story of the Moccasin Game | 63 |
| The Story of the Coming of the White Bead Woman | 71 |
| The White Bead Maiden's Marriage with the Sun | 75 |
| The Story of the Twin Brothers | 77 |
| The Story of the Twins and the Giant Yeitso | 83 |
| The Story of the Twins and Teel get, the Giant Elk | 84 |
| The Story of the Elder Brother and Tse na'hale, the Giant Birds | 87 |
| The Story of Tse'naga'hai, the Rolling Rock | 92 |
| The Story of Tsadidahalt' a li, the Twelve Antelope | 93 |
| The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins-Continued | PAGE |
| The Story of Tse'tahotsilta'li, He-Who-Kicks-People-Off-Cliffs | 94 |
| The Story of Loka'adi kisi, the Slashing Reeds | 95 |
| The Story of the Beautiful, Dangerous Young Woman | 96 |
| The Story of the Last Great Grief, the Swallow People of Mesa Verde | 97 |
| The Story of Tse'yeinti'li, the Rocks that Crush | 98 |
| The Story of Nayie a'anyie, or the Evil Eyes | 98 |
| The Story of the Four Last Ills | 99 |
| The Wanderings or Age of the Patriarchs | 101 |
| Introduction: Sandoval's prayer | 101 |
| The Origin of the Dîné | 102 |
| The First Clans of the Dîné | 103 |
| The Making of the Headdress | 107 |
| The Story of the Water Buffalo's Kingdom | 109 |
| The Naming of the Brothers, and Their Departure | 109 |
| The Departure of the First Four Holy Ones | 111 |
| The Departure of the Holy Beings | 111 |
| The Departure of the White Bead Woman | 112 |
| The Story of the Clan Called Tqo yah ha'tline | 115 |
| The Story of the Rain Ceremony and Its Hogan | 117 |
| The Two Who Returned | 119 |
| Two Clans Related to the Clan Tqo yah ha' tline | 119 |
| The Story of the Pictograph of the Coil | 119 |
| The Story of the Mountain Chant and the Fire Dance | 121 |
| The Story of the Flint Knife Boys and the Great Warrior of Aztec | 126 |
| The Journey of the Elder Brother | 127 |
| The Story of the Younger Sister | 130 |
| The Story of the Mountain Top Chant, or the Story of the Maiden and the Bear | 131 |
| The Story of the Summer Dance | 138 |
| The Story of San'hode'di'begaeye, the Beggar's Son | 143 |
| The Story of the Two Maidens and the White Butterfly | 157 |
| The Story of San'hode'di's Medicine | 164 |
| The Story of the Dîné | 166 |
| The Story of the Two Boys and the Coming of the Horses | 175 |
| The Story of the Navaho and the Apache Peoples | 181 |
| Literature cited | 185 |
ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATE
Frontispiece. First Man and First Woman.
TEXT FIGURES
|
| PAGE |
| 1. The Calendar Stone. (The plan of the year.) | 16 |
| 2. The Coyote's five marks | 19 |
| 3. Sand Painting of the Earth. (The plan of the earth.) | 22 |
| 4. The stick used in the Third Game | 52 |
| 5. The sign the Great Gambler used in the Guessing Game | 52 |
| 6. The game of the Planted Sticks | 53 |
| 7. The sticks used in the game of the Rolling Ring | 57 |
| 8. The Foot Race game | 60 |
| 9. The chart of the Moccasin Game | 63 |
| 10. The Sacred Mountain Dzil na'odili, also called Chol'i'i | 71 |
| 11. The cloud circle on top of the mountain | 71 |
| 12. The cradle of the White Bead Baby | 71 |
| 13. The hogan | 85 |
| 14. The entrance to the Gopher's tunnel | 86 |
| 15. Hasjelti | 106 |
| 16. The scalp | 110 |
| 17. The ceremonial hogan | 118 |
| 18. The Great Coil | 121 |
| 19. Artifacts and designs on the Medicine Stick | 141 |
| 20. Position of maiden's legs | 158 |
| 21. The Guessing Game | 165 |
| 22. Where the people crossed the running water, the level land, and the mountains | 174 |
| 23. The Bear's mark | 174 |