[aeengine-devel] Y him and obtained by the spider woman; this was

[Simich R. <sa...@sl...>]

Le time to the study of Navajo mythology, I can but briefly mention such
events as I witnessed, and record the myths only so far as I was able to
collect them hastily. I will first describe the ceremony of Yebitchai
and give then the myths (some complete and others incomplete)
explanatory of the gods and genii figuring in the Hasjelti Dailjis
(dance of Hasjelti) and in the nine days' ceremonial, and then others
independent of these. The ceremony is familiarly called among the tribe,
"Yebitchai," the word meaning the giant's uncle. The name was originally
given to the ceremonial to awe the children who, on the eighth day of
the ceremony, are initiated into some of its mysteries and then for the
first time are informed that the characters appearing in the ceremony
are not real gods, but only their representatives. There is good reason
for believing that their ideas in regard to the sand paintings were
obtained from the Pueblo tribes, who in the past had elaborated sand
paintings and whose work at present in connection with most of their
medicine ceremonies is of no mean order. The Mission Indians of southern
California also regard sand paintings as among the important features in
their medicine practices. While the figures of the mythical beings
represented by the Navajo are no doubt of their own conception, yet I
discovered that all their medicine tubes and offerings were similar to
those in use by the Zuni. Their presence among the Navajo can be readily
explained by the well known fact that it was the custom among Indians of
different tribes to barter and exchange medicine songs, ceremonies, and
the paraphernalia accompanying them. The Zuni and Tusayan claim that the
Navajo obtained the secrets of the Pueblo medicine by intruding upon
their ceremonials or capturing a pueblo, and that they appropriated
whatever suited their fancy. [Illustration: Figure 115] FIG. 115.
Exterior lodge. My explanation of the ceremonial described is by
authority of the priest doctor who managed the whole affair and who
remained with me five days after the ceremonial for this special
purpose. Much persuasion was required to induce him to stay, though he
was most anxious that we should make no mistake. He said: My wife may
suffer and I should be near her; a father's eyes should be the first to
look upon his child; it is like sunshine in the father's heart; the
father also watches his little one to see the first signs of
understanding, and observes the first steps of his child, that too is a
bright light in the