PERSONATORS OF THE GODS.

The theurgist or song-priest arrived at noon on the 12th of October,
1885. Almost immediately after his arrival we boldly entered the medicine
lodge, accompanied by our interpreter, Navajo John, and pleaded
our cause. The stipulation of the medicine man was that we should
make no mistakes and thereby offend the gods, and to avoid mistakes
we must hear all of his songs and see all of his medicines, and he at
once ordered some youths to prepare a place for our tent near the lodge.
During the afternoon of the 12th those who were to take part in the
ceremonial received orders and instructions from the song-priest. One
man went to collect twigs with which to make twelve rings, each 6[pg 238]
inches in diameter. These rings represented gaming rings, which are
not only used by the Navajo, but are thought highly of by the genii of
the rocks. (See Fig. 117.) Another man gathered willows with which
to make the emblem of the concentration of
the four winds. The square was made by
dressed willows crossed and left projecting
at the corners each one inch beyond the next.
The corners were tied together with white
cotton cord, and each corner was ornamented
with the under tail feather of the eagle.
These articles were laid in a niche behind
the theurgist, whose permanent seat was on
the west side of the lodge facing east. The
night ceremony commenced shortly after dark.
All those who were to participate were immediate friends and relatives
of the invalid excepting the theurgist or song-priest, he being the only
one who received direct compensation for his professional services. The
cost of such a ceremony is no inconsiderable item. Not only the exorbitant
fee of the theurgist must be paid, but the entire assemblage must
be fed during the nine days’ ceremonial at the expense of the invalid,
assisted by his near relatives.

FIG. 117. Gaming ring.

A bright fire burned in the lodge, and shortly after dark the invalid
appeared and sat upon a blanket, which was placed in front of the
song-priest. Previously, however, three men had prepared themselves
to personate the gods—Hasjelti, Hostjoghon, and Hostjobokon—and
one to personate the goddess, Hostjoboard. They left the lodge, carrying
their masks in their hands, went a short distance away and put on
their masks. Then Hasjelti and Hostjoghon returned to the lodge, and
Hasjelti, amid hoots, “hu-hoo-hu-huh!” placed the square which he carried
over the invalid’s head, and Hostjoghon shook two eagle wands,
one in each hand, on each side of the invalid’s head and body, then
over his head, meanwhile hooting in his peculiar way, “hu-u-u-u-uh!”
He then followed Hasjelti out of the lodge. The men representing
Hostjobokon and Hostjoboard came in alternately. Hostjobokon took
one of the rings which had been made during the afternoon, and now
lay upon the blanket to the right of the invalid, and placed it against
the soles of the feet of the invalid, who was sitting with knees drawn
up, and then against his knees, palms, breast, each scapula, and top of
his head; then over his mouth. While touching the different parts of
the body the ring was held with both hands, but when placed to the
mouth of the invalid it was taken in the left hand. The ring was made
of a reed, the ends of which were secured by a long string wrapped over
the ring like a slipnoose. When the ring was placed over the mouth of
the invalid the string was pulled and the ring dropped and rolled out of
the lodge, the long tail of white cotton yarn, with eagle plume attached
to the end, extending far behind. Hoslgoboard repeated this ceremony[pg 239]
with a second ring, and so did Hostjobokon and Hostjoboard alternately,
until the twelve rings were disposed of. Three of the rings
were afterward taken to the east, three to the south, three to the west,
and three to the north, and deposited at the base of piñon trees. The
rings were placed over the invalid’s mouth to give him strength, cause
him to talk with one tongue, and to have a good mind and heart. The
other portions of the body were touched with them for physical benefit.
When the rings had all been rolled out of the lodge Hasjelti entered,
followed by Hostjoghon. He passed the square (the concentrated winds)
four times over the head of the invalid during his hoots. Hostjoghon
then waved his turkey wands about the head and body of the invalid, and
the first day’s ceremony was at an end.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SWEAT HOUSES.

The construction of the first sweat house, or tachi, was begun at
dawn. Four of these houses were built on four consecutive mornings,
each one located about 400 feet distant from the great central medicine
lodge, toward the four cardinal points, and all facing to the east.
The first one built was east of the lodge. A description of the construction
of this particular one will answer for all, but the ceremonies
differ in detail.

Four upright poles, forked at the upper ends, were placed at the four
cardinal points within an area designated as the base of the house, the
forked ends resting against each other, a circular excavation some 6
feet in diameter and 1 foot in depth having first been made. Between
the uprights smaller poles were laid; on the poles piñon boughs, sage and
Bigelovia Douglasii (a kind of sage brush) were placed as a thatch; all
being laid sufficiently compact to prevent the sand placed over the top
from sifting through. The doorway, on the east side of the house,
was about 2-1/2 feet high and 20 inches wide. Highly polished sticks (the
same as those employed in blanket weaving) were used to render the
sand covering of the structure smooth. The sweat houses to the east
and west had the rainbow painted over them. Those to the north and
south were devoid of such decoration, because the song priest seldom
completes his medicine in one ceremonial; and he chose to omit the
songs which would be required if the bow ornamented the north and
south sweat houses. Under the direction of the priest of the sweat
house, who received instruction from the song priest, three young men
painted the rainbow, one the head and body, another the skirt and legs,
while the third painted the bow. The head of this goddess was to the
north, the bow extending over the structure. The colors used were
made from ground pigments sprinkled on with the thumb and forefinger.
Whenever a pinch of the dry paint was taken from the pieces of bark
which served as paint cups, the artist breathed upon the hand before[pg 240]
sprinkling the paint. This, however, had no religious significance, but
was merely to clear the finger and thumb of any superfluous sand.
The colors used in decoration were yellow, red, and white from sandstones,
black from charcoal, and a grayish blue, formed of white sand
and charcoal, with a very small quantity of yellow and red sands. (See
Fig. 118.) The decorators were carefully watched by the song priest.

FIG. 118. Sweat house.

Upon the completion of the rainbow the song priest returned to the
medicine lodge, but soon reappeared bearing a basket of twelve turkey
wands, and these he planted around the base of the sweat house on a
line of meal he had previously sprinkled. There was a fire some 20 feet
from the house, in which stones were heated. These stones were placed
in the sweat house on the south side, and upon them was thrown an
armful of white sage and Bigelovia Douglasii. A few pine boughs were
laid by the side of the stones for the invalid to sit upon. The entrance
to the sweat house was then covered with a black and white striped
blanket upon which were placed two large Coçonino buckskins one upon
the other, and upon them a double piece of white cotton. The buckskins
represented daylight, or the twilight that comes just at the dawn of day.
The invalid for whom this ceremony was held took off all his clothing
except the breech cloth, and sat on the outside by the entrance of the
sweat house amid the din of rattle and song, the theurgist being the
only one who had a rattle. The invalid propelled himself into the house
feet foremost, the covering of the sweat house having been raised for
this purpose. After entering it, he rid himself of his breechcloth and
the coverings were immediately dropped. The song continued 5 minutes,
when all stopped for a moment and then recommenced.

RAINBOW OVER SWEAT HOUSE.

[pg 241]

During the song the theurgist mixed various herbs in a gourd over
which he poured water. After chanting some twenty minutes he advanced
to the entrance of the house, taking the medicine gourd with him,
and, after pouring some of its contents on the heated stones, took his seat
and joined in the chanting. After another twenty minutes Hasjelti and
Hostjoghon appeared. A Navajo blanket had previously been placed
on the ground at the south side of the entrance. Hasjelti lifted the
coverings from the entrance, and the patient, having first donned his
breech cloth, came out and sat on the blanket. Hasjelti rubbed the invalid
with the horn of a mountain sheep held in the left hand, and in
the right hand a piece of hide, about 10 inches long and 4 wide, from
between the eyes of the sheep. The hide was held flatly against the
palm of the hand, and in this way the god rubbed the breast of the invalid,
while he rubbed his back with the horn, occasionally alternating
his hands. Hostjoghon put the invalid through the same manipulation.
The gods then gave him drink four times from the gourd containing
medicine water composed of finely-chopped herbs and water, they having
first taken a draught of the mixture. The soles of the feet, palms,
breast, back, shoulders, and top of the head of the invalid were touched
with medicine water, and the gods suddenly disappeared. The patient
arose and bathed himself with the remainder of the medicine water and
put on his clothing. The coverings of the entrance, which were gifts
to the song priest from the invalid, were gathered together by the song
priest and carried by an attendant to the medicine lodge. An attendant
erased the rainbow by sweeping his hand from the feet to the head,
drawing the sands with him, which were gathered into a blanket and
carried to the north and deposited at the base of a piñon tree. The
song priest placed the wands in a basket, and thus, preceded by the
invalid, carried them in both hands to the medicine lodge singing a
low chant. The sweat house was not carelessly torn down, but was
taken down after a prescribed form. Four men commenced at the sides
toward the cardinal points, and with both hands scraped the sand from
the boughs. When this was all removed the boughs were carefully
gathered and conveyed to a piñon tree some 50 feet distant and fastened
horizontally in its branches about 2 feet above the ground. The heated
stones from the interior of the sweat house were laid on the boughs;
the upright logs which formed the frame work of the house were carried
to a piñon tree, a few feet from the tree in which the boughs and
heated stones were placed, and arranged crosswise in the tree, and on
these logs corn meal was sprinkled and on the meal a medicine tube
(cigarette) was deposited. The tube was about 2 inches long and one third
of an inch in diameter, and it contained a ball composed of down
from several varieties of small birds, sacred tobacco, and corn pollen.
It was an offering to Hasjelti. Meal was sprinkled on the tube. The
ground on which the house had stood was smoothed over, the ashes
from the fire carefully swept away, and thus all traces of the ceremony[pg 242]
were removed. The invalid upon entering the lodge took his seat on
the west side facing east. The song priest continued his chant. He
took from the meal bag some sacred meal and placed it to the soles of
the feet of the invalid and on his palms, knees, breast, back, shoulders,
and head. At the conclusion of this ceremony all indulged in a rest
for an hour or more. The bark cups which contained the colored sands
for decorating were placed in the medicine lodge north of the door.

SWEAT HOUSES AND MASKS.

The deer skins which hang over the entrance of the sweat houses (a
different skin being used for each sweat house) must be from animals
which have been killed by being smothered. The deer is run down and
secured by ropes or otherwise. Corn pollen is then put into the mouth
of the deer and the hands are held over the mouth and nostrils until life
is extinct. The animal now being placed upon his back, a line is drawn
with corn pollen, over the mouth, down the breast and belly to the tail.
The line is then drawn from the right hoof to the right foreleg to the
breast line. The same is done on the left fore leg and the two hind legs.
The knife is then passed over this line and the deer is flayed. Skins procured
in this way are worth, among the Navajo, $50 each. Masks are
made of skins prepared in the same manner. If made of skins of deer
that have been shot the wearer would die of fever.

Buckskin over the entrance to an eastern sweat house denotes dawn;
over a southern, denotes red of morning; over a western, sunset; over a
northern, night.

PREPARATION OF THE SACRED REEDS (CIGARETTE) AND PRAYER STICKS.

Before noon two sheepskins were spread one upon the other before
the song-priest. Upon these was laid a blanket, and on the blanket
pieces of cotton. These rugs extended north and south. The theurgist
then produced a large medicine bag, from which a reed was selected.
The reed was rubbed with a polishing stone, or, more accurately speaking,
the polishing stone was rubbed with the reed, as the reed was held
in the right hand and rubbed against the stone, which was held in the
left. It was then rubbed with finely broken native tobacco, and afterwards
was divided into four pieces, the length of each piece being equal
to the width of the first three fingers. The reeds were cut with a stone
knife some 3-1/2 inches long. An attendant then colored the tubes. The
first reed was painted blue, the second black, the third blue, and the
fourth black. Through all these, slender sticks of yucca had been run
to serve as handles while painting the tubes and also to support the
tubes while the paint was drying. The attendant who cut the reeds sat
left of the song-priest, facing east; a stone containing the paints was
placed to the north of the rug; and upon the end of the stone next to[pg 243]
himself the reed-cutter deposited a bit of finely broken tobacco. In cutting
the reeds occasionally a bit splintered off; these scraps were placed
by the side of the tobacco on the northeast end of the rug.

The attendant who colored the reeds sat facing west; and as each
reed was colored it was placed on the rug, the yucca end being laid on
a slender stick which ran horizontally. The first reed painted was laid
to the north. Three dots were put upon each blue reed to represent
eyes and mouth; two lines encircled the black reeds. Four bits of soiled
cotton cloth were deposited in line on the east of the rug. The three
attendants under the direction of the song-priest took from the medicine
bag, first two feathers from the Arctic blue bird (Sialia arctica),
which he placed west of the bit of cloth that lay at the north end of the
rug; he placed two more of the same feathers below the second piece of
cloth; two under the third, and two below the fourth, their tips pointing
east. Then upon each of these feathers he placed an under
tail-feather
of the eagle. The first one was laid on the two feathers at the north
end of the rug; again an under tail-feather of the turkey was placed on
each pile, beginning with that of the north. Then upon each of these
was placed a hair from the beard of the turkey, and to each was added
a thread of cotton yarn. During the arrangement of the feathers the
tube decorator first selected four bits of black archaic beads, placing a
piece on each bit of cloth; then four tiny pieces of white shell beads
were laid on the cloths; next four pieces of abalone shell and four pieces
of turquois.

In placing the beads he also began at the north end of the rug. An
aged attendant, under the direction of the song-priest, plucked downy
feathers from several humming-birds and mixed them together into four
little balls one-fourth of an inch in diameter and placed them in line
running north and south, and south of the line of plume piles. He
sprinkled a bit of corn pollen upon each ball; he then placed what the
Navajo term a night-owl feather under the balls with its tip pointing to
the northeast. (See Pl. CXIII). The young man facing west then filled
the colored reeds, beginning with the one on the north end. He put
into the hollow reed, first, one of the feather balls, forcing it into the
reed with the quill end of the night-owl feather. (A night-owl feather
is always used for filling the reeds after the corn is ripe to insure a warm
winter; in the spring a plume from the chaparral cock, Geococcyx californianus,
is used instead to bring rain). Then a bit of native tobacco
was put in. When the reed was thus far completed it was passed to
the decorator, who had before him a tiny earthen bowl of water, a crystal,
and a small pouch of corn pollen. Holding the crystal in the sunbeam
which penetrated through the fire opening in the roof, he thus
lighted the cigarettes which were to be offered to the gods. The forefinger
was dipped into the bowl of water and then into the corn pollen,
and the pollen that adhered to the finger was placed to the top of the
tube. After the four tubes were finished they were placed on the[pg 244]
pieces of cloth, not, however, until a bit of pollen had been sprinkled
on the beads which lay on the cloth. The pollen end of the tube pointed
to the east. The four bunches of feathers were then laid on the tubes.
The song-priest rolled up each cloth and holding the four parcels
with both hands he placed them horizontally across the soles of the
feet, knees, palms, breast, back, shoulders, head, and across the mouth
of the invalid, and the invalid drew a breath as the parcel touched his
lips. He sat to the north of the rug facing east. The sick man then
received the parcels from the song-priest and held them so that the ends
projected from between the thumbs and forefingers, and repeated a
prayer after the theurgist, who sat facing the invalid. The prayer ran
thus:

The prayer being offered, the parcels were given by the theurgist to
an attendant, who deposited them in line three feet apart along the side
of the dancing ground in front of the lodge. Their proper place is immediately
on the ground that is to be danced upon, but to prevent them
from being trampled on they are laid to one side. The black tubes are
offerings to the gods and the blue to the goddesses of the mountains
and to the earth.

FIRST CEREMONY.

The construction of the second sweat house began at sunrise and was
completed at nine o’clock. Several large rocks were heated and placed
in the sweat house and as before white sage and Bigelovia Douglasii
were thrown in, the fumes of which were designed as medicine for the
sick man. After the invalid entered the sweat house, buckskin blankets,
etc., were drawn over the entrance. The song-priest, accompanied
by two attendants, sat a little to the south. He sprinkled meal around
the west base of the house and over the top from north to south and
placed the wands around its base in the manner heretofore described
(the twelve wands and medicine used were the special property of the
theurgist). The song-priest holding the rattle joined the choir in a
chant. To his right were two Navajo jugs filled with water and an
Apache basket partly filled with corn meal. A bunch of buckskin
bags, one of the small blue medicine tubes, a mountain sheep’s horn,
and a piece of undressed hide lay on the meal. Near by was a gourd
half filled with water in which meal was sprinkled; near this was a[pg 245]
small earthenware vase containing water and finely chopped herbs.
At the conclusion of the chant the song-priest passed his rattle to one
of the choir and stirred the mixture in the bowl with his forefinger,
and after a few remarks to the invalid, who was still in the sweat
house, he threw some of the mixture in upon the hot rocks. This was
repeated four times, when the song-priest returned to his former position.
The sweat-house priest took from his shoulders a Navajo blanket
and spread it near the door a little to the right. A call from one of the
attendants was a signal for Hasjelti and Hostjoghon to appear. The
two men personating these gods were behind a tree south of the sweat
house, their bodies, arms, and legs painted white. Foxskins were attached
pendent to the backs of their girdles. As the gods approached
the sweat house, the patient came out and sat upon the blanket, and
Hasjelti took a mountain sheep’s horn, in the right hand and the piece
of hide in the other and rubbed the sick man, beginning with the limbs;
as he rubbed down each limb, he threw his arms toward the eastern
sky and cried “yo-yo!” He also rubbed the head and body, holding
the hands on opposite sides of the body. After this rubbing, the sick
man drank from the bowl of medicine-water, then arose and bathed
himself with the same mixture, the filled gourds being handed to him
four times by Hasjelti, each time accompanied with his peculiar hoot.
Hostjoghon repeated the same ceremony over the invalid. There was
a constant din of rattle and chanting, the gods disappeared, and immediately
thereafter the theurgist gathered the twelve wands from the
base of the sweat house. He removed the blue reed from the basket
and laid it a little to the left of the priest of the sweat house, who in
turn handed it to an attendant to be deposited with the wood of the
sweat house in a neighboring tree. The invalid proceeded to the medicine
lodge followed by the song-priest uttering a low chant. After
entering the lodge the invalid took his seat on the west side; the song-priest,
still standing, took from a small buckskin bag white powdered
material which he rubbed on the soles of the feet, palms, knees, breast,
shoulders, and head of the invalid; then taking a pinch of the same
material he extended his hand first toward the east and then toward the
heavens and the earth. After these attentions he took his accustomed
seat in the lodge and joined in conversation with his attendants.

SECOND CEREMONY.

Two sheepskins, a blanket, and cotton cloth were spread one upon
the other in front of the song-priest; and from the long reeds that had
been first rubbed with a polishing stone, then with tobacco, were cut
ten pieces an inch and a quarter long and two pieces 2 inches long.
These were colored black and blue, one long piece and five small ones
being black, the others blue. While these were being decorated the
song-priest and choir sang “My fathers, see, we are getting ready! We
do our work well, and you would better go into the house for we are to[pg 246]
have rain! Now, mothers, send down rain upon us!” This song was
constantly repeated.

The tubes when completed were laid in position to form a dual person.
The long black tube representing the body was first placed in position.
The long blue tube was then laid by its side and south of it. The pollen
end of the tubes pointed to the east. The right black leg was the next
placed in position, then the right blue leg, the left black leg and left
blue leg. The right black arm, then the right blue arm, the left black
arm and the left blue arm, then the black head and the blue head.
(See PI. CXV.)

These tubes were filled with feathers, balls, and tobacco, and tipped
with the corn pollen and lighted with the crystal, the black tubes being
offerings to the gods, the blue to the goddesses. After they were completed
they were placed in position by a second attendant; and while
the tubes were being filled the song-priest and choir sang “See, fathers!
We fill these with tobacco; it is good; smoke it!” A message was
received from the fathers that they would smoke, and, puffing the smoke
from their mouths, they would invoke the watering of the earth. They
again sang “All you people who live in the rocks, all you who are born
among the clouds, we wish you to help us; we give you these offerings
that you may have food and a smoke! All women, you who live in the
rocks, you who are born among the fog, I pray you come and help us;
I want you to come and work over the sick; I offer to you food of humming-birds’
plumes, and tobacco to smoke!” Two bunches of feathers
which had been placed to the east side of the rug pointing east were
deposited in two corn husks, each husk containing bits of turquoise,
black archaic beads, and abalone shell; corn pollen was sprinkled on
these. The song-priest then placed the dual body in the husks thus:
First, the black body was laid upon the husks to the north, and upon
this a pinch of pollen was sprinkled; the blue body was placed in the
other husks and pollen sprinkled upon it; then the two right legs (black
and blue) were put into the corn husks with the black body; the two
left legs were added to the same; the right and left arms and the two
heads were placed in the husk with the blue body and corn pollen
sprinkled upon them. The husks were closed and held by the song-priest
to the soles of the feet, palms, knees, breast, shoulders, back, and
top of head of the invalid, who repeated a long prayer after the theurgist,
and the parcels were given to an attendant, who carried them some
distance from the lodge to the north and placed them in a secluded
shady spot upon the ground. Two bits of tobacco were laid upon the
ground and upon these the body was placed, the figure in a recumbent
position with the arms over the head. The invalid for whom this ceremony
was held spared no expense in having the theurgist make the
most elaborate explanation to his near relatives of the secrets of the
medicine tubes.

CEREMONIAL MASKS.

THIRD CEREMONY.

The theurgist occupied his usual seat, surrounded by his corps of
attendants. The man personating Naiyenesgony had his body and
limbs painted black. The legs below the knee, the scapula, the breasts,
and the arm above the elbow were painted white. His loins were covered
with a fine red silk scarf, held by a silver belt; his blue knit
stockings were tied with red garters below each knee, and quantities of
coral, turquois, and white shell beads ornamented the neck. The man
representing Tobaidischinni had his body colored reddish brown, with
this figure

(the scalp knot) in white on the outside of each leg below
the knee, on each arm below the shoulder, each scapula, and on each
breast. This design represents the knot of hair cut from the heads of
enemies, and the style is still in use by the Navajo. The man wore a
red woolen scarf around the loins, caught on by a silver belt, and his
neck was profusely ornamented with coral, turquois, and white beads.1
Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni left the lodge, carrying with them
their masks. (See Pl. cxv, 1, 2, 3.) Bunches of pine boughs, which
during the forenoon had been made into wreaths by joining pieces
together with yucca in this fashion were

laid across each end
of the rug.

After the two men personating the gods left the lodge the invalid
entered and took his seat on the rug with his back to the theurgist.
Two attendants dressed him with the wreaths, beginning with the
right ankle; a piece was then tied around the calf, thigh, waist, around
the chest, right wrist, elbow, upper arm, throat, forehead, then around
the upper left arm, elbow, wrist, thigh, left knee, calf, and ankle. Thus
the man was literally obscured with a mass of pine. He sat in an
upright position with the legs extended and arms falling by his sides.
A chant was sung by the song priest, and in a few minutes Naiyenesgony
and Tobaidischinni appeared. Naiyenesgony drew his stone
knife in front of the invalid over the forehead to the feet, then down
the right side and down the back and down the left side. He then
began to remove the pine. As each wreath was taken off the clusters
were partly separated with the stone knife. Tobaidischinni assisted
Naiyenesgony by holding the wreaths while they were being cut.

When all the evergreen had been removed the personators of the
gods exclaimed, “Now, my people, we have killed all enemies!” and
immediately left the lodge. The song priest placed a small wreath of
the pine on the sick man’s head, and holding in his left hand a bunch
of eagle plumes, and in his right hand a rattle, he sang the ten songs
and prayers, assisted by the choir, that were given by Naiyenesgony
and Tobaidischinni to the Navajo to bring health and good fortune.[pg 248]
After the pine-bough wreaths had been separated the bits of yucca-strings
were picked up by the attendant and handed to Naiyenesgony,
who held them over the sick man’s head, after which the bits were
again divided with the knife. After the ten songs and prayers had
been chanted the invalid left the rug and sat a little to the northeast,
of it, with his knees drawn up. The song priest placed two live coals
in front of the invalid and sprinkled chopped herbs on the coals, the
fumes of which the invalid inhaled. The pines were carried off and
placed in the shade of a pine tree, that the disease might not leave the
pine and return to the invalid.2

FOURTH CEREMONY.

The personators of Hasjelti and Hostjoghon adorned themselves for
the ceremony. Hasjelti wore ordinary clothing and a red scarf, with a silver
belt around the waist. Hostjoghon’s body was painted white,
and he wore a red woolen scarf around the loins, caught on with a
silver belt. A rug, composed of a blanket and a piece of white cotton,
was spread in front of the song priest, and the masks of Hasjelti and
Hostjoghon placed thereon. (See Pl. CXV, 4,5,6.)

Upon the completion of the toilets of the personators of the gods
they hurried from the lodge, bearing their masks with them, when an
attendant made a cavity immediately in front of the rug 4 inches in
diameter, and the song priest sprinkled a circle of meal around the
cavity. The invalid entered the lodge and stood on the rug and
removed all of his clothing except the breech cloth. He then took his
seat facing east, with knees drawn up. A mask of the Hostjobokon,
which had been laid upon the rug, was drawn over the invalid’s head.
Hasjelti and Hostjoghon appeared at this juncture bearing a pine
bough some 5 feet in height. An attendant made gestures over the
sick man, holding in his right hand a pinch of sacred meal, which was
afterward placed in the cavity. Hasjelti waved the pine bough five
times around the invalid and planted it in the cavity, where it was held
in place by the gods. Then bending its top, the attendant attached it
to the mask over the invalid’s head by a buckskin string which was
fastened to the mask. The song priest and choir all the while sang a
weird chant. The gods raised the bough, gave their peculiar hoots,
and disappeared from the lodge, carrying with them the pine bough
with the mask attached to it. In a few minutes they came back with
the mask. After the chant the song-priest placed meal on the soles of
the invalid’s feet, knees, palms, breast, back, shoulders, and head, and
then put some in the cavity, after which the cavity was filled with
earth. Two coals were laid in front of the invalid, and upon these the
song priest placed finely broken herbs; an attendant sprinkled water
on the herbs, and the invalid inhaled the fumes. The cotton cloth was[pg 249]
removed from the blanket rug, and the invalid stepped upon the rug
and put on his clothing. When the mask was removed from the invalid’s
head it drew all fever with it.

FIRST CEREMONY.

The theurgist carried a bowl of water and pine needles, and an attendant
bore a gourd of water, a small vase of powdered herbs, and an
Apache basket containing corn meal, buckskin bags, horn of the mountain
sheep and a piece of hide cut from between the eyes of the animal.
The theurgist and attendant took seats to the right of the entrance of
the sweat house west of the medicine lodge. This sweat house was
decorated with the rainbow. Over the entrance were, first, two striped
blankets, one upon the other, a buckskin, and a piece of white cotton.
Hot stones, etc., having been previously placed in the sweat house, the
sick man entered. The song-priest and four attendants sang, accompanied
by the rattle. At the conclusion of the chant Hasjelti and
Hostjoghon appeared as on the previous days. Hasjelti lifted the coverings
from the entrance and the invalid came out and sat upon a blanket
south of the entrance and bathed both his hands in the bowl containing
the pine needles and water; he then drank of it and bathed his
feet and legs to the thighs, his arms and shoulders, body and face and
head, and then emptied the remainder over his back. Hasjelti manipulated
the right leg with the sheep’s horn and hide, rubbing the upper
part of the leg with the right hand, then the under part with the left;
he then rubbed the sides of the leg in the same manner, each time giving
a hoot; the arms, chest, head, and face were similarly manipulated.
Hostjoghon repeated the hooting every time he changed the position
of the hands. Hasjelti, taking the gourd containing the water and corn
meal, gave four draughts of it to the invalid, hooting each time the bowl
was put to the lips; Hostjoghon did the same. The song and rattle
continued. Hasjelti, then put the powdered plants from the small vase
to the soles of the feet, knees, palms, breast, back, shoulders, and top
of the head of the invalid, hooting each time an application was made;
this was repeated by Hostjoghon. The invalid took a sip from the
bowl and rubbed the remainder over his body. The song-priest then
removed the wands from the base of the sweat house and the coverings
from the door; the pine boughs and hot stones were also removed and
the invalid preceded the song-priest to the medicine lodge. All the
wood of the sweat house was placed in a tree, excepting four small
pieces, which were deposited, together with the pine boughs from the
interior of the sweat house, in a semicircle formed by the rocks from
the sweat house at the base of a piñon tree. A line of meal 2 inches
in length running east and west was sprinkled on the apex of the
semicircle, and upon this line the black tube was laid. A bit of meal[pg 250]
was sprinkled on the tube and a quantity over the pine boughs of this
small shrine. Before sprinkling the meal on the top of the medicine
tube the attendant waved his hand in a circle from left to right, calling
“hooshontko;” meaning: Widespread blessings that come not from
spoken words, but come to all, that people may have the blessings of
corn pollen, and that tongues may speak with the softness of corn
pollen.

SECOND CEREMONY.

A rug was laid in front of the theurgist. Four medicine tubes were
placed on the rug, the one to the north end being white; the second one
black and red, a white line dividing the two colors; the third one, blue;
the fourth, black. The white tube was an offering to Hasjelti; the red,
to Zaadoltjaii; the blue, to Hostjoboard; the black, to Naaskiddi, the
hunchback. The tubes were filled as before described. These tubes
were begun and finished by the same person. (See Pl. CXVI.) When
the tubes were finished they were put into corn husks and bits of cotton
cloth; tiny pieces of turquois, white shell, abalone, and archaic black
beads having first been placed on the husks and cloths. The four turkey
plumes with barred tips that lay upon the rug were subsequently
placed upon the tubes. These parcels were sprinkled by the song priest
with corn pollen, and after closing them he placed them in the
hands of the invalid, who sat at the northeast corner of the rug facing
east. The song-priest sat before him and said a long prayer, which the
invalid repeated. At the close of the prayer an aged attendant received
the parcels from the theurgist and placed them to the soles of
the feet, palms, etc., of the invalid. They were afterward placed to his
mouth and he drew from them a long breath. The old man carried the
parcels south over the brow of a hill and deposited them in secluded
spots about 4 feet apart, repeating a brief prayer over each one; he
then motioned toward the east, south, west, and north, and returned to
the lodge. During his absence the choir sang; in the meantime the
fire in the lodge was reduced to embers.

THIRD CEREMONY.

About noon a circular bed of sand, some four inches in height and
four feet in diameter, was made. Five grains of corn and five pine
boughs were laid thereon; four of the grains of corn and four of the
boughs were placed to the cardinal points. The fifth and center branch
of pine covered most of the circle, its tips pointing to the east. The
fifth grain of corn was dropped in the center of the sand bed. (See
Pl. CXVII, 1). Four of these pine boughs were cut from the east,
south, north, and west sides of one tree. The fifth bough may be taken
from any part of the tree. Of the five grains of corn one must be
white, one yellow, and one blue, and the other two grains may be of
either of these three colors. On this particular occasion there were[pg 251]
two blue, two white, and one yellow. These grains were, after the ceremony,
dried and ground by the theurgist and placed among his medicines.
The boughs and sand absorbed the disease from the invalid,
and at the close of the ceremony they were carried to the north and
deposited in a shady spot that the sun might not touch and develop the
latent disease that had been absorbed by them. The boughs and sand
were never afterward to be touched. An Apache basket containing
yucca root and water was placed in front of the circle. (See Pl. CXVII 2.)
There was a second basket south of it which contained water and
a quantity of pine needles sufficiently thick to form a dry surface, and
on the top a number of valuable necklaces of coral, turquois, and
silver. A square was formed on the edge of the basket with four
turkey wands. (See Pl. CXVII 3.) The song-priest with rattle led the
choir. The invalid sat to the northeast of the circle; a breechcloth
was his only apparel. During the chanting an attendant made suds
from the yucca. The basket remained in position; the man stooped
over it facing north; his position allowed the sunbeams which came
through the fire opening to fall upon the suds. When the basket was a
mass of white froth the attendant washed the suds from his hands by
pouring a gourd of water over them, after which the song-priest came
forward and with corn pollen drew a cross over the suds, which stood
firm like the beaten whites of eggs, the arms of the cross pointing to
the cardinal points. A circle of the pollen was then made around the
edge of the suds. The attendant who prepared the suds touched his
right hand to the four points of the pollen lines and in the center and
placed it upon the head of the patient who first made a circle embracing
the sand and basket and then knelt upon the boughs in the center
of the sand.3 A handful of the suds was afterwards put upon his head.
The basket was placed near him and he bathed his head thoroughly;
the maker of the suds afterwards assisted him in bathing the entire
body with the suds, and pieces of yucca were rubbed upon the body.
The chant continued through the ceremony and closed just as the remainder
of the suds was emptied by the attendant over the invalid’s
head. The song priest collected the four wands from the second basket
and an attendant gathered the necklaces. A second attendant placed
the basket before the invalid who was now sitting in the center of the
circle and the first attendant assisted him in bathing the entire body
with this mixture; the body was quite covered with the pine needles
which had become very soft from soaking. The invalid then returned
to his former position at the left of the song priest, and the pine needles
and yucca, together with the sands, were carried out and deposited at
the base of a piñon tree. The body of the invalid was dried by rubbing
with meal.

FOURTH CEREMONY.

This ceremony commenced almost immediately after the close of the
one preceding. The rug was spread over the ground in front of the
song priest; four bunches of small sticks were brought in and laid in
piles north, south, east, and west of the rug. Four attendants took
seats, each before a pile of the wood, and scraped off the bark of their
respective heaps; they then cut twelve pieces 2 inches in length, except
that cut by the attendant who sat at the north, who made his about 1-1/4
inches long. Being asked why he cut his shorter than the rest, he replied,
“All men are not the same size.” The sticks were sharpened at
one end and cut squarely off at the other. In order that all of the
sticks should be of the same length they were measured by placing the
three first fingers across the stick. The fifth man sat immediately to
the right of the song priest, who took a hollow reed from the large medicine
bag from which he cut four pieces, each piece the breadth of his
three fingers. The reed, which was cut with a stone knife, was afterwards
rubbed with native tobacco. Six sticks of each of the piles had
their square ends beveled; these represented females. The attendant
on the east side of the rug having completed his twelve sticks, painted
them white with kaolin finely ground and mixed with water. The flat
ends of the sticks were colored black; the beveled parts were painted
blue; around the lower end of the blue was a bit of yellow which represented
the jaw painted with corn pollen. Three black dots were
painted upon the blue for the eyes and mouth; the ground color was
laid on with the finger; the other decorations were made with yucca
brushes. The man on the south side colored his sticks blue. The tops
of six sticks were painted yellow, and six were black. The black ends
were those having the beveled spots. These spots were blue with
a chin of yellow; they also had the three black dots for eyes and
mouth. The man to the west colored his sticks yellow with the flat ends
black; the beveled spots of six of them were blue with a yellow chin
and three black dots for eyes and mouth. The sticks to the north were
colored black; six of them had the beveled parts colored blue with a
yellow jaw, and three spots for eyes and mouth; the six sticks that were
not beveled had their flat tops painted blue. All these sticks were laid
on the rug with their flat ends outward. The attendants who prepared
the reeds, each reed being colored for a cardinal point, filled them with
balls of humming-bird feathers and tobacco and lighted them with a
crystal, when they were touched with corn pollen. The reed for the
east was white, the one for the south blue, that for the west yellow, and
that for the north black. Each reed was placed at its appropriate point
in line with the sticks. (See Pl. CXVIII.) The theurgist then advanced,
carrying a basket half filled with corn meal. This he placed in the
center of the rug; when kneeling on the edge of the rug and beginning
with the white sticks, he placed first the white reed in the east side of
the basket, and passing from this point around to the right he placed[pg 253]
the six offerings to the gods, then the six to the goddesses. Next taking
the blue tube at the south end he placed it to the left of the white
line of sticks, leaving sufficient space for the sticks between it and the
white tube; all the blue ones were placed in position corresponding to
the white. The yellow followed next, and then the black. All were
placed with their flat ends or heads pointed to the rim of the basket.
The theurgist deposited the basket in the niche on a pile of turkey
feather wands, the wands resting upon a large medicine bag. The
sticks and scraps left after making the tubes were carried out and
deposited without ceremony.

FIFTH CEREMONY.

The rug which was spread in front of the song priest was composed
of two blankets whose edges met, and upon this rug there were two
lines of masks running north and south; the tops of the masks were to
the east. There were sixteen masks; those representing the gods cover
the head, and those representing goddesses cover the face only. They
were decorated with ribbons, plumes, etc. During the forenoon prayers
were said over them and meal sprinkled upon them.

SIXTH CEREMONY.

Just after dark those who were to take part in the ceremony prepared
to personate one of the Hostjobokon and two of the Hostjoboard (goddesses)—Hostjoghon
and Hasjelti. Hostjobokon’s body and limbs were
painted, and he wore a mountain lion’s skin doubled lengthwise and fastened
around the loins at the back, and a silver belt encircled his waist.
Hasjelti wore knee breeches and a shirt of black velvet, ornamented
with silver buttons. His face and hands were covered with white kaolin.
Hostjoghon’s body was painted white, and he wore a red silk scarf
around the loins, caught on with a silver belt. The two men personating
the goddesses had their limbs painted white; one wore a black sash
around his loins, held by a silver belt. The other had a red woolen
scarf and silver belt; gray foxskins hung from the back of the belts.
The masks were fastened to their heads before leaving the lodge by
means of a string and a lock of their hair, and they were then thrown
back from the head. After a little indulgence in their hoots they all
left the lodge. The invalid entered the lodge and, stepping upon a
piece of white cotton which had been laid diagonally across the rug to
the northeast and southwest, took off his clothing. The lodge had now
become very crowded. The fire, which had burned brightly during the
day, was mere coals. The attendant at the left of the song priest opened
the choir with the rattle. The invalid sat upon the cotton cloth. Hasjelti,
entering with his favorite hoot amidst rattle and song, placed the
square (representing the concentrated winds) four times over the head
of the invalid and ran out of the lodge. He entered again and received[pg 254]
from the theurgist one of the twelve white sticks which during the forenoon
had been placed in the basket. The white stick farthest from the
white reed was handed him. This Hasjelti placed to the soles of the
feet, knees, palms, etc., of the invalid, amid hoots and antics, after which
he dashed out and hurled the stick to the east. One of the Hostjoboard
entered and received the next white stick, and after the same ceremony
ran out and cast it to the east. Hostjobokon returned and the theurgist
handed him the next white stick, when he repeated the ceremony, hurried
from the lodge, and threw the stick to the east. Hostjoboard again
entered, received a stick, repeated the ceremony, and ran out and threw
it to the east; and thus Hostjobokon and Hostjoboard alternated until
all the white sticks were disposed of, when Hasjelti reappeared and received
from the song priest the white reed (cigarette) and carried it
from the lodge. When he returned the theurgist handed him one of
the blue sticks, with which he repeated the ceremony and, leaving the
lodge, threw it to the south, when Hostjoghon and Hostjoboard alternately
disposed of the blue sticks in the same order in which the white
sticks had been distributed. The yellow and black sticks were disposed
of in a similar manner, Hasjelti officiating with the first stick of each
color and the reeds. The yellow sticks were thrown to the west; the
black to the north. This was all done amidst the wildest hoots and
song of the choir, accompanied by the rattle.

Hasjelti again appeared and placed the square four times over the
invalid’s head with wild hoots. The four cigarettes to be smoked by
the gods were afterwards taken by four of the personators of the gods
and deposited in a secluded spot under a tree and sprinkled with corn pollen;
after their return Hasjelti again placed the square over the
invalid’s head. The song priest placed two live coals in front of the
invalid, and upon the coals he put a pinch of tobacco, the smoke of
which the invalid inhaled. The attendant poured water over the coals,
when they were thrown out at the fire opening of the lodge. The personators
of the gods returned to the lodge bearing their masks in their
hands. The invalid put on his clothing and took his seat upon the
rug, but in a short time he returned to his former seat on the northwest
side of the lodge. The sweat-house priest appeared with a large buffalo
robe which he spread before the song priest, the head pointing north,
and upon this various kinds of calico were laid, carefully folded the
length of the robe. There were many yards of this. Upon the calico
was spread a fine large buckskin, and on this white muslin; these were
all gifts from the invalid to the song priest. The masks were then laid
upon the cotton (see Pl. CXV, 7, 8); the mask of Hasjelti was on the
east side to the north end, that of Hostjoghon at the south end, and
between these the six masks of the Hostjobokon were placed. Immediately
under these were the six Hostjoboard, and beneath the latter were
the masks of Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni at the north end.
Three other masks of the Etsethle followed in line running south.[pg 255]
After all the masks had been properly arranged the song priest sprinkled
them with pollen. Beginning with Hasjelti he sprinkled every mask of
the upper line thus: Over the top of the head down the center of the
face, then forming a kind of half-circle he passed over the right cheek,
then passing his hand backward to the left he sprinkled the same line up
the left cheek. The second and third rows had simply a line of the pollen
run across the masks, beginning at the north end. The theurgist repeated
a prayer during the sprinkling of the pollen, then handed the bag
of pollen to the priest of the sweat house, who repeated the sprinkling
of the masks, when everyone in the lodge, each having his individual
bag of pollen, hastened forward and sprinkled the masks, at the same
time offering prayers. The theurgist and priest of the sweat house
again sprinkled pollen on the masks as heretofore described.

Baskets and bowls in unlimited quantity, filled with food, were
placed in a circle around the fire which now burned brightly. The
guests formed into groups and drew the food toward them, but did not
touch it for a time. The invalid, song-priest, and his attendants, indulged
in a smoke which was social and not religious, the white man’s
tobacco being preferred on such occasions. A girl and a boy, about 12
years of age, came into the lodge. The boy was the son of the invalid,
the girl his sister’s child. The boy knelt at the northeast end of the
rug and the girl at the southeast end. They were richly dressed in
Navajo blankets, coral necklaces, etc., and they remained perfectly quiet.
The theurgist and his attendants talked together in an undertone, and
if the inmates of the lodge spoke at all their voices were scarcely audible.
After a time the choir opened, led by the song-priest with his rattle.
During the singing the rattle was passed from one to the other.
The invalid did not join in the song. The choir continued an hour
without cessation, and then rested 2 minutes, and again began and continued
for another hour.4 At the conclusion of the singing the song-priest
handed to the girl a wand of turkey plumes taken from a basket
of feathers which had stood, since the placing of the masks, on the
west side of him. Another wand was passed to the boy; and the children
received some instructions from the song-priest, who spoke in an
undertone, after which, an attendant filled with water from a wicker
water jug a basket that had stood throughout the ceremony at the east
of the rug.

The song was now resumed, and dipping the wand he held in the
basket of water the boy sprinkled the masks, beginning at the north
end and east row. The girl repeated the same. The east row of masks
was sprinkled twice. When the children sprinkled the middle and west
rows, the ceremony was always begun at the north end of each line of
masks; again dipping their wands in the water, the boy beginning at
the north side and the girl at the south, they sprinkled the inmates of[pg 256]
the lodge. The children were very awkward, and were rendered more
so by the many scoldings given them for their mistakes. The sprinkling
of the people was continued until the water was exhausted. The
lodge was also sprinkled at the cardinal points. The song never ceased
throughout this ceremony. The girl and boy, taking the position first
assigned them, an attendant, with a reed filled with sacred tobacco,
puffed the smoke over the masks, smoking each mask separately on the
east row; the middle and west rows he hurriedly passed over. While
this was being done an attendant took a pinch from all the different
foods and placed what he gathered into a basket in the niche behind
the song-priest.5 After the masks had been smoked, the attendant
puffed the smoke over all the people, beginning on the north side of the
lodge. During the smoking the song ceased, but was resumed when
the attendant took his seat. At the close of the song sacred meal was
mixed with water in a Zuñi pottery bowl. This meal is made of green
corn baked in the earth and then ground. During the preparation of
this medicine mixture the song-priest sang: “This food is mixed for the
people of the rocks! We feed you with this food, O people of the
rocks!” The theurgist then dipped his forefinger into the mixture, and
running his hand rapidly over the masks from north to south, he touched
each mouth; each line was passed over four times. The invalid dipped
his three first fingers into the basket, and placing them in his mouth,
sucked in his breath with a loud noise. This was repeated four times
by the invalid and then by each of the attendants, when all the inmates
of the lodge were expected to partake of the mixture. This was done
with a prayer for rain, good crops, health, and riches. All hands now
participated in the feast.

Little groups of threes and fives were formed over the floor of the
lodge; others less fortunate were closely packed together around the
outer edge of the lodge and could procure their food only through the
generosity of their neighbors. The girl and boy left the lodge after
having partaken of the sacred meal mixture. After refreshment the
song-priest lifted each mask with his left hand beginning with Hasjelti,
and first extending his right hand, which held a fine large crystal,
toward the heavens, he touched the under part of each mask with the
crystal; four times he passed over the masks. The choir sang but no
rattle was used. The crystal was afterward placed on the rug opposite
the basket of feathers. The food vessels were removed and the song
continued for a time when the song-priest repeated a long low prayer,
after which the song was resumed, and thus the night was consumed in
prayer and song over the masks.

FIRST CEREMONY.

A basket of yucca suds was prepared by an attendant, who cleansed
his hands of the suds by pouring a gourd of clear water over them; he
then put a handful of the suds upon the head of a man who stood before
him, nude with the exception of a breech cloth, after which the man
washed his head from a water jug which was held over the head of the[pg 258]
bather by the attendant. The bather covered his body with the suds,
and the contents of the jug was emptied on the floor of the lodge by the
attendant. The man dressed himself in the ordinary cotton clothing
with rare beads around his neck, and a leather pouch held by a band
of mountain sheep skin over his shoulders; he knelt before a bowl of
white kaolin which he spread over his face; he then took his seat between
two attendants, the one to the right of him holding a pinch of
native tobacco and the one on the left holding corn meal in the palms of
the right hands.

At early dawn the buffalo robe at the entrance of the lodge was slightly
dropped from the doorway to admit the rays of approaching day. The
masks which had been sung and prayed over all night were laid away
in the niche behind the song-priest. The little girl who performed the
previous night returned to the lodge, but I could not see that she was
there for any purpose save to eat some of the remaining food, which
had been gathered into two large parcels and left by the old woman
who removed the vessels after the feast. A red blanket was laid and
upon it a piece of white cotton. A reed five inches in length and twice
the diameter of the others heretofore used was prepared. The reed
was colored black in the usual manner and filled with a feather ball
and tobacco. It was lighted with the crystal and touched with the
pollen. Upon the completion of the tube the invalid took his seat on
the west side of the rug, the attendant who prepared the tube sitting on
the west side; he took from one pouch four white shell beads and from
another a turquoise bead; he looped a cord of white cotton yarn some
three feet long around the pollen end of the tube and fastened to the
loop two wing feathers of the Arctic blue bird, one from the right wing
and one from the left, and a tail feather from the same bird and three
feathers from a bird of yellow plumage, the right and left wing and tail
feather. The five beads were strung on the string, the turquoise
being the first put on; these were slipped up the cord and two under
tail-feathers and a hair from the beard of the turkey were fastened to the
end of the string with a loop similar to that which attached it to the tube.
(See PL CXIX.). This was the great (cigarette) offering to Hasjelti and
must be placed in a canyon near a spring, for all birds gather at the waters.
This was offered that the song-priest might have his prayers passed
straight over the line of song. This offering secures the presence of
this most valued god and so fills the mind of the song-priest with song
and prayer that it comes forth without hesitation and without thought,
so that he may never have to think for his words. A small quantity of
each variety of sand used in decorating was placed on a husk with a
little tobacco, and on these a pinch of corn pollen; the tube was then
laid on the husk and the string and feathers carefully placed. Two
additional feathers, the under tail of the eagle and turkey, were laid on
the husk. A blue feather was dipped in water, then in pollen, and
rubbed twice over these feathers; an attendant folded the parcel and[pg 259]
the song-priest received it and touched it to the soles of the feet, knees,
palms, breast, and back and mouth of the invalid; he then put a pinch
of the pollen into the invalid’s mouth, and a pinch on the top of the
head; he placed the folded husk in the invalid’s hand, and stood in
front of him and whispered a long prayer which the invalid repeated
after him. The manner of holding the husk has been previously described.
The man with painted face received the husk from the theurgist,
who returned to his seat and at once opened the chant with the
rattle. At the close of the chant the holder of the husk touched the
soles of the feet, palms, etc., of the invalid with it and left the lodge.
This precious parcel was taken three miles distant and deposited in a
canyon near a spring where there is a luxuriant growth of reeds. Prayers
were offered by the depositor for health, rain, food, and good fortune to
all. Only the theurgist and his attendants and a few of the near relatives
of the invalid were present at this ceremony.

SECOND CEREMONY.

The sweat-house priest preceded the invalid and song-priest, the
latter carrying his medicine basket, wands, etc. The hot stones and
pine boughs were put into the sweat house; meal was sprinkled around
the west base and the wands deposited, as before described, by the
song-priest. Three white and black striped blankets were placed over
the entrance, one upon the other, and upon these were a buckskin and
several folds of white muslin. An attendant brought a large medicine
bowl half filled with pine needles; water was poured upon these; a
small earthen bowl and a gourd containing water were placed before
the song-priest, who put into the bowl chopped sage, over which he
sprinkled dried foods reduced to powder; a small quantity of meal was
also sprinkled into the gourd and bowl. The song then began. A
small pine bough was laid to the right of the entrance of the sweat
house. The opening of the song was a call upon the gods to impart to
the medicine power to complete the cure of the invalid and to make all
people well, and to have a wet and good ground all over the earth.
This song is specially addressed to Toneennili, the water sprinkler.

Hasjelti and Hostjoghon arrived just as the sick man emerged from
the sweat house. The invalid bathed himself from the bowl of pine
needles and water. Taking the sheep’s horn in the left hand and a
piece of hide in the right, Hasjelti pressed the invalid’s body as before
described. The god was requested by the priest of the sweat house to
pay special attention to the rubbing of the head of the invalid. The
small gourd was handed to Hasjelti, who gave four drafts of its contents
to the invalid. Hasjelti touched the soles of the feet, palms, etc.,
of the invalid with medicine water from the bowl. The gods then suddenly
disappeared. On this occasion Hostjoghon took no part in
administering the medicine. The invalid, after putting on his clothing,
proceeded to the lodge, followed by the song-priest. The sweat house[pg 260]
was razed as usual, and the pine boughs and stones were placed to the
north of the house in a small piñon tree; the logs of the house were
deposited on the ground a few feet from the tree. A line of meal the
length of the medicine tube was sprinkled on the logs and the tube
laid thereon. Meal was sprinkled over the tube and logs.

THIRD CEREMONY.

The first sand painting occurred on October 16; it was begun in the
early forenoon and completed at sundown. Common yellowish sand
was brought in blankets. This formed the ground color for the painting.
It was laid to form a square 3 inches in depth and 4 feet in
diameter. Upon this three figures were painted after the manner
described of the painting of the rainbow over the sweat house. Nine
turkey wands were placed on the south, west, and north sides of the
square, and a line of meal with four foot-marks extended from near the
entrance of the lodge to the painting. (See Pl. CXX.)

Hasjelti stands to the north end in the illustration, holding the
emblem of the concentrated winds. The square is ornamented at the
corners with eagle plumes, tied on with cotton cord; an eagle plume is
attached to the head of Hasjelti with cotton cord. The upper horizontal
lines on the face denote clouds; the perpendicular lines denote
rain; the lower horizontal and perpendicular lines denote the first
vegetation used by man. Hasjelti’s chin is covered with corn pollen,
the head is surrounded with red sunlight, the red cross lines on the
blue denote larynx; he wears ear rings of turquoise, fringed leggings of
white buckskin, and beaded moccasins tied on with cotton cord. The
figure to the south end is Hostjoghon; he too has the eagle plume on
the head, which is encircled with red sunshine. His earrings are of
turquoise; he has fox-skin ribbons attached to the wrists; these are
highly ornamented at the loose ends with beaded pendants attached
by cotton strings; he carries wild turkey and eagle feather wands,
brightened with red, blue, and yellow sunbeams. The center figure is
one of the Hostjobokon, and upon this figure the invalid for whom the
ceremonial is held sits. The four footprints are made of meal. These
the invalid steps upon as he advances and takes his seat, with knees
drawn up, upon the central figure. After dark the invalid walked over
the line of meal, being careful to step upon the footprints in order that
his mental and moral qualities might be strengthened. The invalid
removed his clothing immediately after entering the lodge; he had
downy breast feathers of the eagle attached to the scalp lock with
white cotton cord; he advanced to the painting and took his seat upon
the central figure. An attendant followed him, and with his right
hand swept the line of meal after the invalid, removing all traces of it.
The entrance of the invalid into the lodge was a signal for the song-priest
to open the chant with the rattle. Hasjelti and Hostjoghon
bounded into the lodge hooting wildly. The former carried the square[pg 261]
(the concentrated winds), which he placed over the sick man’s head.
Hostjoghon carried a turkey wand in each hand, and these he waved
over the invalid’s head and hooted; this was repeated four times, and
each time the gods ran out of the lodge. Hasjelti wore a velvet dress,
but Hostjoghon’s body was nude, painted white. This wild, weird ceremony
over, the sick man arose and the song-priest gathered the turkey
wands from around the painting, while an attendant erased it by rubbing
his hands over the sand to the center. The sands were gathered
into a blanket and carried out of the lodge and deposited some distance
away from the lodge, where the sun could not generate the germ of the
disease. The sand is never touched by any one when once carried out,
though before the paintings are erased the people clamor to touch
them, and then rub their hands over their own bodies that they may be
cured of any malady. The invalid, after putting on his clothes, returned
to his family lodge. A group then gathered around the spot where the
paintings had been and joined in a weird chant, which closed the fifth
day’s ceremony.

FIRST CEREMONY.

The final decoration of masks with ribbons, plumes, etc., began at sunrise
and consumed most of the morning. About noon two sticks 1
inch in diameter and 6 inches long were colored; one, of piñon, was
painted black, the other, of cedar, was colored red. Three medicine
tubes were made, one black, one red, and one blue. These were placed
in a basket half filled with meal; the basket stood in the niche behind
the song-priest. Two men personated Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni.
Naiyenesgony’s body was painted black (from the embers of a burnt
weed of which specimens were procured) and on the outside of his legs
below the knee, on the upper arms, breast and scapula were bows in
white but without arrows. Tobaidischinni had his body painted with
the scalp knot in white in relative positions to the bows on Naiyenesgony.
A third man, personating the turquois hermaphrodite Ahsonnutli, wore
the usual squaw’s dress with a blanket fastened over the shoulders
reaching to the ground. Her mask was blue. The three left the lodge
carrying their masks in their hands. Passing some distance down the
avenue to the east they put on their masks and returned to the lodge.[pg 270]
A buffalo robe had been spread in front of the lodge. Just as the
maskers returned, the invalid, wrapped in a fine red Navajo blanket and
bearing a basket of sacred meal, stepped upon the robe; he had before
stood in front of the lodge by the side of the song-priest. The many
spectators on foot and horseback clad in their rich blankets formed a
brilliant surrounding for this ceremony, which took place just at the
setting of the son. Naiyenesgony carried in his right hand a large lava
celt which was painted white. Tobaidischinni followed next carrying
in his right hand the black wood stick which had been prepared in the
morning, and in his left hand the red stick. Ahsonnutli followed with
bow and arrow in the left hand and an arrow in the right with a quiver
thrown over the shoulder.

Naiyenesgony drew so close to the invalid that their faces almost
touched and pointed his celt toward the invalid. Tobaidischinni then
approached and in the same manner pointed the sticks toward him, after
which he was approached by Ahsonnutli with her bow and arrows.
This was repeated on the south, west, and north sides of the invalid;
each time the invalid partially turned his arm, shoulder, and back to
sprinkle meal upon the gods. The gods then rushed to the entrance of
the medicine lodge repeating the ceremony there, when they hurried to
the south side of the lodge (the invalid having returned to the lodge;
the buffalo robe was carried in by an attendant). The gods went from
the south side of the lodge to the west and then to the north performing
the same ceremony. As the invalid had spent many days in the
lodge and the disease at each day’s ceremony exuded from his body, it
was deemed necessary that these gods should go to the four points of
the compass and draw the disease from the lodge. When they entered
the lodge the buffalo robe had been spread in front of the song-priest
with its head north. Upon this robe each god knelt on his left knee,
Naiyenesgony on the north end of the robe, Ahsonnutli on the south
end, and Tobaidischinni between them, all facing east. The song-priest,
followed by the invalid, advanced to the front of the line carrying the
basket containing the medicine tubes. He sprinkled Naiyenesgony
with corn pollen, passing it up the right arm over the head and down
the left arm to the hand. He placed the black tube in the palm, of the
left hand of the god, the priest chanting all the while a prayer. The
red tube was given with the same ceremony to Tobaidischinni, and the
blue tube with the same ceremony to Ahsonnutli. The quiver was
removed from Ahsonnutli before she knelt. The song-priest, kneeling
in front of Naiyenesgony, repeated a long litany with responses by the
invalid, when the gods left the lodge led by Naiyenesgony who deposited
his tube and stick in a piñon tree, Tobaidischinni depositing his in a
cedar tree, and Ahsonnutli hers in the heart of a shrub.

SECOND CEREMONY.

The scene was a brilliant one. Long before the time for the dance a
line of four immense fires burned on each side of the avenue where the[pg 271]
dance was to take place, and Navajo men and women clad in their bright
colored blankets and all their rare beads and silver encircled each fire.
Logs were piled 5 or 6 feet high. In addition to these eight fires there
were many others near and far, around which groups of gamblers gathered,
all gay and happy. Until this night no women but those who carried
food to the lodge had been present at any of the ceremonies except
at the initiation of the children. To say that there were 1,200 Navajo
would be a moderate calculation. This indeed was a picture never to
be forgotten. Many had been the objections to our sketching and writing,
but throughout the nine days the song-priest stood steadfastly by
us. One chief in particular denounced the theurgist for allowing the
medicine to be put on paper and carried to Washington. But his words
availed nothing. We were treated with every consideration. We were
allowed to handle the masks and examine them closely, and at times
the artists working at the sand painting really inconvenienced themselves
and allowed us to crowd them that we might observe closely the
many minute details which otherwise could not have been perceived, as
many of their color lines in the skirt and sash decorations were like
threads. The accompanying sketches show every detail.

The green or dressing room was a circular inclosure of pine boughs
at the end of the avenue. It was about 10 feet high by 20 feet in diameter
made of piñon branches with their butts planted in the ground,
their tops forming a brush or hedge. Within this inclosure the masks
were arranged in a row on the west side. A large fire burned in the
center affording both heat and light. The different sets, when a change
of dress from one set of men to another was to be made, repaired to
this green room for that purpose. This inclosure was also the resort
during the night for many Indians who assisted the dancers in their
toilets.

At 10 o’clock the ceremonies opened by the entrance upon the avenue
of the song-priest who came from the green room. He wore a rich red
blanket and over this a mountain lion skin; immediately after him followed
Hasjelti, leading the four Etsethle (the first ones). These represented
first, natan (corn); second, natin (rain); third, nanase (vegetation);
fourth, jadetin (corn pollen). Their masks were blue ornamented
with feathers and were similar to the masks worn by the dancers; their
bodies were painted white with many rare beads around their necks,
and they wore loin skirts with silver belts; a gray fox skin was attached
pendant to the back of the belt, and blue stockings, tied with red garters,
and moccasins completed their dress. They carried in their right
hands gourd rattles painted white. The handles of these may be of any
kind of wood, but it must be selected from some tree near which lightning
has struck, but not of the wood of the tree struck by lightning.
Corn pollen was in the palms of their left hands and in the same hand
they carried also a piñon bough. Hasjelti wore a suit of velvet ornamented
with silver buttons; he never speaks except by signs. They[pg 272]
advanced single file with a slow regular step and when within 20 feet
of the lodge the priest turned and faced Hasjelti and repeated a short
prayer, when the Etsethle sang.

CONCLUSION – THE DANCE.

The song-priest having returned to the green room, emerged therefrom,
followed by Hasjelti, who carried a fawn skin partially filled with
meal, and by twelve dancers and Hostjoghon, holding in each hand a
feather wand. The twelve dancers represented the old man and woman
six times duplicated. Hasjelti led the dancers and Hostjoghon followed
in the rear. When they came near the lodge the song-priest
turned and faced the dancers, and being joined by the invalid, he led
him down the line of dancers on the north side, the invalid carrying a
sacred meal basket, and sprinkled the right side of each dancer. The
song-priest and invalid then returned to their seats in front of the
lodge. Hasjelti passed down the line on the north side and joined
Hostjoghon at the east end of the line, both then passing to the west end,
where each one endeavored to be the first to stamp twice upon the
ground immediately in front of the leading dancer. This double stamp
is given with hoots, and they then returned down the line to the
center, when Hasjelti dashes back to the west end, clasping the throat
of the fawn skin with his right hand and holding the legs with his left,
with both his arms extended to the front. Hostjoghon extending his
hands with the feather wands in them, they point the head of the skin
and tops of the wands directly in front of them as they stand facing
each other, hooting at the same time. Reversing sides by dashing past
each other, Hasjelti points his fawn skin to the east while Hostjoghon
points his wands to the west. They then return to their respective
positions as leader and follower.

After the dance begins Hasjelti passes down the north side and joins
Hostjoghon at the east end of the dancers, Hasjelti keeping to the
north side of Hostjoghon. Three of the men, representing women,
were dressed in Navajo squaw dresses and three of them in Tusayan
squaw dresses; they held their arms horizontally to the elbow and the
lower arm vertically, and, keeping their feet close together, raised
themselves simultaneously on their toes. The dance was begun in
single file, the men raising only their right feet to any height and balancing
on the left. After a minute or two the line broke, the women
passing over to the north side and the men to the south side; almost
instantaneously, however, they grouped into a promiscuous crowd, women
carrying a pine twig in each hand and the men a gourd rattle in
the right hand and a pine twig in the left. The men’s bodies were[pg 274]
painted white and were nude, excepting the silk scarfs and mountain
lion and other skins worn around the loins. Just before the stamping
of the feet in the beginning of the dance, a rattle was shaken by all
the male dancers, which was the signal for a peculiar back motion of
the right arm and body and one which preceded the actual dancing.
The six males lean their bodies to the right side extending the right
hand backward, and then bringing it forward in a circular under sweep
around to the mouth with a hoot. They then turn and face the east,
and bending their bodies toward the south perform the same motion as
before, when they turn to the west and repeat it in that direction. At
the same time the leader and follower repeat their peculiar performance
with the fawn skin and wands to the east and west. Dancing promiscuously
for a few moments to song and rattle, the men representing
women singing in feminine tones, they form again in two lines, the women
as before on the north side. The man at the west end of the male
line and the woman at the same end of the female line, meeting each
other midway between the lines she passes her right arm through the
arm of her partner, his arm being bent to receive it; they pass between
the line and are met a short distance from the other end of the line by
Hasjelti and Hostjoghon, who dance up to meet them, the movement
resembling closely the old-fashioned Virginia reel. The couple then
dance backward between the lines to their starting point, then down
again, when they separate, the man taking his place in the rear of the
male line and the woman hers in the rear of the female line. This
couple starting down the second time, the man and woman immediately
next in line lock arms and pass down in the same manner, Hasjelti
and Hostjoghon scarcely waiting for the first couple to separate
before dancing up to meet the second couple; the remaining couples
following in like order until the first couple find themselves in their
former position at the head of the line. Now a group dance is indulged
in for a minute or two when lines are again formed, and a second figure
exactly like the first is danced. This figure was again repeated without
variation, after which the men and women fell into single file, and,
led by Hasjelti and followed by Hostjoghon, left the dancing ground.
They did not go to the green, however, but moved off a short distance
to rest for a moment and returned. Upon each return the invalid
passed down the line on the north side sprinkling each dancer with
meal, Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performing with the fawn skin and
wands. This dance of four figures was repeated twelve times, each
time the dancers resting but a moment. After the twelve dances the
dancers passed to the green room, where they were relieved by a second
set of men. The second series of dances were exactly like the
first. There were twenty-one dances, four figures in each dance, and
each time the dancers appeared they were sprinkled with meal by the
invalid, while Hasjelti and Hostjoghon performed their antics with
fawn skin and wands. The third series embraced all the dances exactly[pg 275]
like the above. The fourth series embraced nineteen dances.
The only variation in this was that the leaders were often more clownish
in their performances, and upon several occasions only four men
representing women appeared. In this case two men danced together.
Some of the dancers dropped out from weariness, which caused diminution
in some of the sets. The last dance closed at the first light of day.
The song-priest had preceded the last dancers to the green room and
awaited their arrival to obtain the masks, which were his special property.

CREATION OF THE SUN.

The first three worlds were neither good nor healthful. They moved
all the time and made the people dizzy. Upon ascending into this
world the Navajo found only darkness and they said “We must have
light.”

In the Ute Mountain lived two women, Ahsonnutli, the turquoise
hermaphrodite, and Yolaikaiason, the white-shell woman. These two
women were sent for by the Navajo, who told them they wished light.
The Navajo had already partially separated light into its several colors.
Next to the floor was white indicating dawn, upon the white blue was
spread for morning, and on the blue yellow for sunset, and next was
black representing night. They had prayed long and continuously
over these, but their prayers had availed nothing. The two women on
arriving told the people to have patience and their prayers would
eventually be answered.

Night had a familiar, who was always at his ear. This person said,
“Send for the youth at the great falls.” Night sent as his messenger a
shooting star. The youth soon appeared and said, “Ahsonnutli, the
ahstjeohltoi (hermaphrodite), has white beads in her right breast and
turquoise in her left. We will tell her to lay them on darkness and see
what she can do with her prayers.” This she did.6 The youth from
the great falls said to Ahsonnutli, “You have carried the white-shell
beads and turquoise a long time; you should know what to say.” Then
with a crystal dipped in pollen she marked eyes and mouth on the turquoise
and on the white-shell beads, and forming a circle around these
with the crystal she produced a slight light from the white-shell bead
and a greater light from the turquoise, but the light was insufficient.

Twelve men lived at each of the cardinal points. The forty-eight
men were sent for. After their arrival Ahsonnutli sang a song, the
men sitting opposite to her; yet even with their presence the song failed
to secure the needed light. Two eagle plumes were placed upon each
cheek of the turquoise and two on the cheeks of the white-shell beads[pg 276]
and one at each of the cardinal points. The twelve men of the east
placed twelve turquoises at the east of the faces. The twelve men of
the south placed twelve white-shell beads at the south. The twelve men
of the west placed twelve turquoises at the west. Those of the north
placed twelve white-shell beads at that point. Then with the crystal
dipped in corn pollen they made a circle embracing the whole. The
wish still remained unrealized. Then Ahsonnutli held the crystal over
the turquoise face, whereupon it lighted into a blaze. The people retreated
far back on account of the great heat, which continued increasing.
The men from the four points found the heat so intense that they
arose, but they could hardly stand, as the heavens were so close to
them. They looked up and saw two rainbows, one across the other
from east to west, and from north to south. The heads and feet of the
rainbows almost touched the men’s heads. The men tried to raise the
great light, but each time they failed. Finally a man and woman
appeared, whence they knew not. The man’s name was Atseatsine and
the woman’s name was Atseatsan. They were asked “How can this
sun be got up.” They replied, “We know; we heard the people down
here trying to raise it, and this is why we came.” “Chanteen” (sun’s
rays), exclaimed the man, “I have the chanteen; I have a crystal from
which I can light the chanteen, and I have the rainbow; with these
three I can raise the sun.” The people said, “Go ahead and raise it.”
When he had elevated the sun a short distance it tipped a little and
burned vegetation and scorched the people, for it was still too near.
Then the people said to Atseatsine and Atseatsan, “Raise the sun
higher,” and they continued to elevate it, and yet it continued to burn
everything. They were then called upon to “lift it higher still, as high
as possible,” but after at certain height was reached their power failed;
it would go no farther.

The couple then made four poles, two of turquoise and two of white-shell
beads, and each was put under the sun, and with these poles the
twelve men at each of the cardinal points raised it. They could not
get it high enough to prevent the people and grass from burning. The
people then said, “Let us stretch the world;” so the twelve men at each
point expanded the world. The sun continued to rise as the world expanded,
and began to shine with less heat, but when it reached the
meridian the heat became great and the people suffered much. They
crawled everywhere to find shade. Then the voice of Darkness went
four times around the world telling the men at the cardinal points to
go on expanding the world. “I want all this trouble stopped,” said
Darkness; “the people are suffering and all is burning; you must continue
stretching.” And the men blew and stretched, and after a time
they saw the sun rise beautifully, and when the sun again reached the
meridian it was only tropical. It was then just right, and as far as
the eye could reach the earth was encircled first with the white dawn
of day, then with the blue of early morning, and all things were perfect.[pg 277]
And Ahsonnutli commanded the twelve men to go to the east,
south, west, and north, to hold up the heavens (Yiyanitsinni, the
holders up of the heavens), which office they are supposed to perform
to this day.

HASJELTI AND HOSTJOGHON.

Hasjelti and Hostjoghon were the children of Ahsonnutli, the turquoise,
and Yolaikaiason (white-shell woman, wife of the sun). Ahsonnutli
placed an ear of white corn and Yolaikaiason an ear of yellow
corn on the mountain where the fogs meet. The corn conceived, the
white corn giving birth to Hasjelti and the yellow corn to Hostjoghon.
These two became the great song-makers of the world. They gave to
the mountain of their nativity (Henry Mountain in Utah) two songs and
two prayers; they then went to Sierra Blanca (Colorado) and made two
songs and prayers and dressed the mountain in clothing of white shell
with two eagle plumes placed upright upon the head. From here they
visited San Mateo Mountain (New Mexico) and gave to it two songs and
prayers, and dressed it in turquoise, even to the leggings and moccasins,
and placed two eagle plumes on the head. Hence they went to San
Francisco Mountain (Arizona) and made two songs and prayers and
dressed that mountain in abalone shells with two eagle plumes upon the
head. They then visited Ute Mountain and gave to it two songs and
prayers and dressed it in black beads. This mountain also had two
eagle plumes on its head. They then returned to the mountain of their
nativity to meditate, “We two have made all these songs.”

Upon inquiring of their mothers how they came into existence, and
being informed, they said, “Well, let our number be increased; we can
not get along with only two of us.” The woman placed more yellow
and white corn on the mountain and children were conceived as before.
A sufficient number were born so that two brothers were placed on each
of the four mountains, and to these genii of the mountains the clouds
come first. All the brothers consulted together as to what they should
live upon and they concluded to make game, and so all game was created.

Navajo prayers for rain and snow are addressed to Hasjelti and Hostjoghon.
These gods stand upon the mountain tops and call the clouds
to gather around them. Hasjelti is the mediator between the Navajo
and the sun. He prays to the sun, “Father, give me the light of your
mind, that my mind may be strong; give me some of your strength, that
my arm may be strong, and give me your rays that corn and other vegetation
may grow.” It is to this deity that the most important prayers
of the Navajo are addressed. The lesser deities have shorter prayers
and less valuable offerings made to them. Hasjelti communicates with
the Navajo through the feathered kingdom, and for this reason the
choicest feathers and plumes are placed in the cigarettes and attached
to the prayer sticks offered to him.

THE FLOATING LOGS.

A man sat thinking, “Let me see; my songs are too short; I want
more songs; where shall I go to find them?” Hasjelti appeared and,
perceiving his thoughts, said, “I know where you can go to get more
songs.” “Well, I much want to get more, and I will follow you.”
When they reached a certain point in a box canyon in the Big Colorado
River they found four gods (the Hostjobokon) at work hewing logs of
cottonwood. Hasjelti said, “This will not do; cottonwood becomes
water-soaked; you must use pine instead of cottonwood.” The Hostjobokon
then began boring the pine with flint, when Hasjelti said,
“That is slow work,” and he commanded the whirlwind to hollow the
log. A Jerusalem cross was formed with one solid log and a hollow
one. The song-hunter entered the hollow log and Hasjelti closed the
end with a cloud, that the water of the river might not enter when the
logs were launched upon the great waters. The Hostjobokon, accompanied
by their wives, rode upon the logs, a couple sitting on the end
of each cross arm. These were accompanied by Hasjelti, Hostjoghon,
and two Naaskiddi, who walked on the banks to ward the logs off
from the shore. Hasjelti carried a squirrel skin filled with tobacco
from which to supply the gods on their journey. Hostjoghon carried
a staff ornamented with eagle and turkey plumes and a gaming ring
with two humming birds tied to it with white cotton cord. The two
Naaskiddi carried staffs of lightning.7 After floating a long distance
down the river they came to waters that had a shore on one side only,
and they landed. Here they found people like themselves. These people,
on learning of the song-hunter’s wish, gave to him many songs and
they painted pictures on a cotton blanket and said, “These pictures
must go with the songs. If we give this blanket to you you will lose it.
We will give you white earth and black coals which you will grind together
to make black paint, and we will give you white sand, yellow
sand, and red sand, and for the blue paint you will take white sand and
black coals with a very little red and yellow sand. These together will
give you blue.8“

The song-hunter remained with these people until the corn was ripe.
There he learned to eat corn and he carried some back with him to the
Navajo, who had not seen corn before, and he taught them how to raise
it and how to eat it.

As the logs would not float upstream the song-hunter was conveyed
by four sunbeams, one attached to each end of the cross-logs, to the
box canyon whence he emerged. Upon his return he separated the logs,
placing an end of the solid log into the hollow end of the other and
planted this great pole in the river, whereto this day it is to be seen by
those so venturesome as to visit this point.

[pg 279]

The old song priest who related this myth to me regretted that so
few of his people now visited the sacred spot.

“When I was young,” he said, “many went there to pray and make
offerings.”

NAIYENESGONY AND TOBAIDISCHINNI.

This world was destroyed five times. The first time by a whirlwind;
the second, by immense hail stones; the third, by smallpox, when each
pustule covered a whole cheek; the fourth, all was destroyed by coughing;
the fifth time Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni went over the
earth slaying all enemies.

These two boys were born at Tohatkle (where the waters are mated),
near Ute Mountain, in Utah; they were the children of Ahsonnutli.
Ahsonnutli and Yolaikaiason (the white-shell woman) were the creators
of shells. Ahsonnutli had a beard under her right arm and Yolaikaiason
had a small ball of flesh under her left arm from which they made
all shells. The eyes of Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni were shells
placed on their faces by Ahsonnutli; the shells immediately becoming
brilliant the boys could look upon all things and see any distance without
their eyes becoming weary. A stick colored black was placed to
the forehead of Naiyenesgony and one colored blue to that of Tobaidischinni.
When Naiyenesgony shook his head the stick remained firm
on the forehead, but he felt something in the palm of his hand, which
proved to be three kinds of seeds, and he said, “We must go by this.”
When Tobaidischinni shook his head the stick dropped off the forehead
and they thought a long time and said, “We must go by this.” This is
why the deer sheds his horns. In ceremonials the breath is drawn from
sticks which are made to represent the originals; the sticks are also
held to wounds as a curative.

These two boys grew from infancy to manhood in four days and on
the fourth day they made bows and arrows; on the fifth day they began
using them. Although they were the children of Ahsonnutli they did
not know her as their mother, but supposed her to be their aunt. Frequently
they inquired of her where they could find their father. She
always told them to stop their inquiries, for they had no father.
Finally they said to her, “We know we have a father and we intend to
go and look for him.” She again denied that they had a father, but they
were determined and they journeyed far to the east and came to the
house of the sun. The house was of white shell, and the wife of the sun
(Yolaikaiason) was also of white shell. The wife inquired of the youths
where they were from, and, said she, “What do you want here?” They
replied, “We came to hunt our father.” When the sun returned to his
home in the evening he discovered the youths as soon as he entered his
house and he asked, “Where are those two boys from?” The wife replied,
“You say you never do anything wrong when you travel; these
two boys call you father and I know they are your children.” The wife[pg 280]
was very angry. The sun sent the boys off a distance and threw a
great roll of black clouds at them intending to kill them, but they were
not injured, and they returned to the house. He then pushed them
against a sharp stone knife, but they slipped by uninjured. Four times
they were thrust against the knife, but without injury. The sun finding
his attempts unsuccessful said, “It is so, you are my sons.” The sun
then ordered Hasjelti and Toneennili (these two were special attendants
upon the sun) to build a sweat house and put the boys in, that they
might die from the heat. Toneennili made an excavation inside of the
sweat house, put the boys into the hole, and placed a rock over the hole
and built a fire over the rock. When the rock became very hot the sun
ordered Toneennili to sprinkle it four times with water, being careful to keep
the entrance to the sweat house closely covered. After a time he
uncovered the entrance and removing the rock the sun commanded the
boys to come out. He did not expect to be obeyed, as he thought and
hoped the boys were dead, but they came out unharmed. The sun then
said, “You are indeed my own children; I have tried in vain to destroy
you.” The boys wished to return to the woman whom they supposed
to be their aunt. Before departing the sun asked them what they
wished; they said, “We want bows and arrows, knives, and good leggings.
There are people around the world eating our people (the
Navajo). Some of these people are great giants and some are as small
as flies; we wish to kill them with lightning.” The sun gave the youths
clothing that was invulnerable, and he gave them lightning with which to
destroy all enemies, and a great stone knife. They then went over the
world. Naiyenesgony killed with the lightning arrows and Tobaidischinni
scalped with his knife. After all enemies had been destroyed
Naiyenesgony and Tobaidischinni said to the Navajo, “Now we will
leave you and return to our home in the Ute Mountains, where the
waters are mated, but before leaving you we will give to you the ten
songs and prayers that will bring health and good fortune to your
people. Tobaidischinni is the parent of all waters.”

THE BROTHERS.

The Tolchini (a Navajo clan) lived at Wind Mountain. One of the
brothers became crazy and he went off a long way, and on his return
brought with him a pine bough; a second time he returned with corn,
and from each trip he brought something new and had a story to tell
about it. His brothers would not believe him, and said, “He is crazy;
he does not know what he is talking about.” The brothers, however,
became very jealous of him, and constantly taunted him with being a
crazy liar. The Tolchini left the Wind Mountain and went to a rocky
foothill east of San Mateo Mountain. They had nothing to eat but a
kind of seed grass. The eldest brother said, “Let us go hunt,” and
told the crazy brother not to leave the camp. But after five days and
nights and no word coming from the brothers he determined to follow[pg 281]
them and help them, bring home the game; he thought they had killed
more deer than they could carry. After a day’s travel he camped near
a canyon, selecting a cavelike place in which to sleep, for he was tired
and thirsty. There was much snow, but no water, so he made a fire
and heated a rock and made a hole in the ground, and placing the rock
in the cavity put in some snow, which melted and furnished him a
draft to quench his thirst. Just then he heard a tumult over his
head like people passing and he went out to see who made the noise,
and he discovered many crows crossing back and forth over the canyon.
This was the home of the crow. There were other feathered people
also (the chaparral cock was among them). He saw also many fires
which had been made by the crows on either side of the canyon. Two
other crows arrived and stood near him and he listened hard to hear
all that was being said. These two crows cried out, “Somebody says,
somebody says.” The youth did not know what to make of this. Then,
a crow from the opposite side of the canyon called, “What is the matter;
tell us, tell us; what is wrong?” The two first criers then said, “Two
of us got killed; we met two men who told us. They said the two men,
who were all the time traveling around (referring to the two brothers
of the crazy youth), killed twelve deer and a party of our people went
to the deer after they were killed. Two of us who went after the blood
of the deer were shot.” The crows on the other side of the canyon,
called, “Which men got killed?” The first crier replied, “The chaparral
cock, who sat on the horn of the deer, and the crow, who sat on its
backbone.” The other called out, “We are not surprised that they
were killed; that is what we tell you all the time. If you will go after
the dead deer you must expect to be killed.” “We will not think of
them longer; they are dead and gone. We are talking of things of
long ago.” The younger brother sat quietly below and listened to everything
that was being said.

After a time the crows on the other side of the canyon made a great
noise and began to dance. They had many songs at that time. The
youth could not see what they were doing, but he listened all the time.
After the dance began a great fire was made, and then he could see black
objects moving, but he could not distinguish any people. He recognized
the voice of Hasjelti. Though the youth was crazy, he remembered
everything in his heart. He even remembered the words of the songs
that continued all the night; he remembered every word of every song.
He said to himself, “I will listen until daylight.” These people did not
remain on one side of the canyon where the first fires were built, but
they crossed and recrossed in their dance and had fires on both sides of
the canyon. They danced back and forth until daylight (on the ninth
night of the Hasjelti Dailjis was a repetition of this dance), when all the
crows and the other birds flew away to the west. All that he saw after
they left was the fires and smoke. The crazy youth then started off in
a run to his brothers’ camp to tell what he had seen and heard. His[pg 282]
brothers were up early and saw the boy approaching. They said, “I
bet he will have lots of stories to tell. He will say he saw something
no one ever saw, or somebody jumped on him.” And the brother-in-law
who was with them said, “Let him alone; when he comes into
camp he will tell us all, and I believe these things do happen, for he
could not make up these things all the time.”

The camp was surrounded by piñon brush and a large fire burned in
the center of the inclosure; there was much meat roasting over the fire.
As soon as the youth reached the camp he raked over the coals and
said, “I feel cold.” The brother-in-law replied, “It is cold. When
people camp together they tell stories to one another in the mornings;
we have told ours and we must now hear yours.” The youth related
his experiences of the past night. He said, “Where I stopped last
night was the worst camp I ever had.” The brothers kept their backs
to the youth and pretended not to pay any attention, but the brother-in-law
listened and questioned him. He continued, “I never heard
such a noise.” The brothers then remarked, “I thought he would say
something like that” (they were jealous of this crazy brother, he
saw so much they could not see). The brother-in-law was inclined to
believe the youth’s story and asked what kind of people made the noise.
“I do not know. They were strange people to me, but I do know they
danced all night back and forth across the canyon, and I know my
brothers killed twelve deer, and afterwards killed two of their people
who went for the blood of the deer. I heard them say, ‘That is what
must be expected if you will go to such places you must expect to be
killed.'” The elder brother began thinking and without turning
toward the youth asked, “How many deer did you say were killed?”
and he answered “twelve.” Then the older brother said, “Well, sir,
you have told me many stories and I never believed you, but this
story I do believe. What is the matter with you that you know all
these things? How do you know these things and find out these
things?” The youth replied, “I do not know how, but all these things
come to my mind and my eyes.” The elder brother said, “I will now
give more thought to you and study how you find out all about these
things. We have a lot of meat and we did not know how to get it
home; now that you have come let us return; you shall carry the
meat.” When halfway home they were about to descend a mesa, and
when on the edge they sat down to rest; then they saw far down the
mesa four mountain sheep, and the brothers commanded the youth to
kill one for them. They said, “Our meat is dry; your legs are fresh, so
you will kill the sheep.” The youth succeeded in heading off the sheep
by hiding in a bush (Bigelovia Douglasii9) sometimes called sage brush
but it is not the true sage brush. The sheep came directly toward him;
he aimed his arrow at them, but before he could pull the bow his arm
stiffened and became dead and the sheep passed by. All the sheep[pg 283]
passed him, but he again headed them off by hiding in the stalks of a
large yucca.10 The sheep passed within five steps of him, and again
when the time to pull the bow came his arm stiffened. The crow people
were watching him all the time. He again followed the sheep and
got ahead of them and hid behind a birch tree in bloom; he had his
bow ready, but as the sheep approached him they became gods. The
first one was Hasjelti, the second was Hostjoghon, the third was Naaskiddi,
the fourth one was Hadatchishi. At this strange metamorphosis
the youth was greatly alarmed, he dropped his bow and
fell to the ground senseless. Hasjelti stood at the east
side of the youth, Hostjoghon to the south, Naaskiddi to
the west, and Hadatchishi to the north of him. Each
had a rattle, which was used to accompany the songs for
the recovery of the youth. They also traced with their
rattle in the sand this emblem, meaning a figure of a man,
and drew parallel lines at the head and feet with the
rattle. When this was done the youth recovered and the gods had
again assumed the form of sheep. They asked the youth why he had
tried to shoot them. “You see you are one of us,” they said. The
youth had become transformed into a sheep. “There is to be a dance
far off to the north beyond Ute Mountain; we want you to go with us
to the dance. We will dress you like ourselves and teach you to dance;
we will then go over the world.” The brothers who watched from the
mesa top wondered what the trouble could be. They could not see the
gods. They saw the youth lying on the ground and said, “We must go
and see what is the matter.” On reaching the place they found that
their young brother had gone. They saw where he had lain and where
the people had worked over him. They began crying and said, “For a
long time we would not believe him, and now he has gone off with the
sheep.” They made many efforts to head off the sheep, but without
success, and they cried all the more, saying, as they returned to the
mesa, “Our brother told us the truth and we would not believe him;
had we believed him he would not have gone off with the sheep; perhaps
some day we will see him.”

At the dance the sheep found seven others like themselves. This
made their number twelve. The seven joined the others in their
journey around the world. All people let them see their dances and
learn their songs. Then all the number excepting the youth talked
together and they said, “There is no use keeping him with us longer
(referring to the youth); he has learned everything; he may as well
go now and tell his people and have them do as we do.” The youth
was instructed to have twelve in the dance, six gods and six goddesses,
with Hasjelti to lead them. He was told to have his people
make masks to represent them. It would not do to have twelve Naaskiddi[pg 284]
represented among the Navajo, for they would not believe it and
there would be trouble. They could not learn all of their songs. The
youth returned to his brothers, carrying with him all songs, all medicine,
and clothing.

THE OLD MAN AND WOMAN OF THE FIRST WORLD.

In the lower world four gods were created by Etseastin and Etseasun.
These gods were so annoyed by ants that they said, “Let us go to the
four points of the world.” A spring was found at each of the cardinal
points, and each god took possession of a spring, which he jealously
guarded.

Etseastin and Etseasun were jealous because they had no water and
they needed some to produce nourishment. The old man finally
obtained a little water from each of the gods and planted it, and from
it he raised a spring such as the gods had. From this spring came
corn and other vegetation. Etseastin and Etseasun sat on opposite
sides of the spring facing each other, and sang and prayed and
talked to somebody about themselves, and thus they originated worship.
One day the old man saw some kind of fruit in the middle of the spring.
He tried to reach it but he could not, and asked the spider woman (a
member of his family) to get it for him. She spun a web across the
water and by its use procured the fruit, which proved to be a large white
shell, quite as large as a Tusayan basket. The following day Etseastin
discovered another kind of fruit in the spring which the spider woman
also brought him; this fruit was the turquoise. The third day still
another kind of fruit was discovered by him and obtained by the spider
woman; this was the abalone shell. The fourth day produced the
black stone bead, which was also procured.

After ascending into the upper world Etseastin visited the four corners
to see what he could find. (They had brought a bit of everything
from the lower world with them). From the east he brought eagle
feathers; from the south feathers from the bluejay; in the west he
found hawk feathers, and in the north speckled night bird (whippoorwill)
feathers. Etseastin and Etseasun carried these to a spring, placing
them toward the cardinal points. The eagle plumes were laid to
the east and near by them white corn and white shell; the blue feathers
were laid to the south with blue corn and turquoise; the hawk feathers
were laid to the west with yellow corn and abalone shell; and to the
north were laid the whippoorwill feathers with black beads and corn of
all the several colors. The old man and woman sang and prayed as
they had done at the spring in the lower world. They prayed to the
east, and the white wolf was created; to the south, and the otter appeared;
to the west, and the mountain lion came; and to the north, the
beaver. Etseastin made these animals rulers over the several points
from which they came.

[pg 285]

When the white of daylight met the yellow of sunset in mid-heavens
they embraced, and white gave birth to the coyote; yellow to the yellow
fox. Blue of the south and black of the north similarly met, giving
birth, blue to blue fox and north to badger.

Blue and yellow foxes were given to the Pueblos; coyote and badger
remain with the Navajo; but Great Wolf is ruler over them all. Great
Wolf was the chief who counseled separation of the sexes.