Sacred Texts Native American Navajo Index Next

The Dîné: Origin Myths of the Navaho Indians

by AILEEN O'BRYAN

Bulletin 163 of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution.

[1956]

scanned at sacred-texts.com, February, 2001. J. B. Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain because it is a US Government publication. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact.

p. I

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY,
Washington, D. C., June 27, 1955.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled "The Dîné: Origin Myths of the Navaho Indians," by Aileen O'Bryan, and to recommend that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology.

Very respectfully yours,

M. W. STIRLING, Director.

Dr. LEONARD CARMICHAEL,
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.

p. III

	PAGE
Preface	VII
The Creation or Age of Beginning.	1
The First World	1
The Second World	4
The Third World	4
The Fourth World	10
The Fifth World	11
The Order of Things, or the Age of Animal Heroes	13
The First Hogan	13
The Creation of the Sun and Moon	14
The Twelve Months of the Year	16
The Sun's Path	21
The Sky and the Earth	21
The Mountains Sacred to the Dîné	23
Mountain Chants	27
The Coming of Death and Life	30
Old Age and Illness	32
The Plan, or Order of Things	32
The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins	35
The People of the Stone Houses	35
The Stick Race	36
Prayer Sticks	36
Weaving	37
The Monsters Appear	39
When the Coyote Married the Maiden	40
The Maiden who Became a Bear	44
The Story of Noqoil pi, the Great Gambler	48
The First Game, that of the Seven Sticks	56
The Second Game, that of the Rolling Ring	56
The Third Game, that of the Stick the Shape of the Rainbow	57
The Fourth Game, that of Hitting the Ball	58
The Fifth, the Guessing Game	58
The Sixth Game, the Kicked Stick	59
The Seventh, the Game of the Planted Sticks	60
The Eighth Game, the Foot Race	60
The Story of the Moccasin Game	63
The Story of the Coming of the White Bead Woman	71
The White Bead Maiden's Marriage with the Sun	75
The Story of the Twin Brothers	77
The Story of the Twins and the Giant Yeitso	83
The Story of the Twins and Teel get, the Giant Elk	84
The Story of the Elder Brother and Tse na'hale, the Giant Birds	87
The Story of Tse'naga'hai, the Rolling Rock	92
The Story of Tsadidahalt' a li, the Twelve Antelope	93

p. IV

The Age of the Gods, or the Story of the Twins-Continued	PAGE
The Story of Tse'tahotsilta'li, He-Who-Kicks-People-Off-Cliffs	94
The Story of Loka'adi kisi, the Slashing Reeds	95
The Story of the Beautiful, Dangerous Young Woman	96
The Story of the Last Great Grief, the Swallow People of Mesa Verde	97
The Story of Tse'yeinti'li, the Rocks that Crush	98
The Story of Nayie a'anyie, or the Evil Eyes	98
The Story of the Four Last Ills	99
The Wanderings or Age of the Patriarchs	101
Introduction: Sandoval's prayer	101
The Origin of the Dîné	102
The First Clans of the Dîné	103
The Making of the Headdress	107
The Story of the Water Buffalo's Kingdom	109
The Naming of the Brothers, and Their Departure	109
The Departure of the First Four Holy Ones	111
The Departure of the Holy Beings	111
The Departure of the White Bead Woman	112
The Story of the Clan Called Tqo yah ha'tline	115
The Story of the Rain Ceremony and Its Hogan	117
The Two Who Returned	119
Two Clans Related to the Clan Tqo yah ha' tline	119
The Story of the Pictograph of the Coil	119
The Story of the Mountain Chant and the Fire Dance	121
The Story of the Flint Knife Boys and the Great Warrior of Aztec	126
The Journey of the Elder Brother	127
The Story of the Younger Sister	130
The Story of the Mountain Top Chant, or the Story of the Maiden and the Bear	131
The Story of the Summer Dance	138
The Story of San'hode'di'begaeye, the Beggar's Son	143
The Story of the Two Maidens and the White Butterfly	157
The Story of San'hode'di's Medicine	164
The Story of the Dîné	166
The Story of the Two Boys and the Coming of the Horses	175
The Story of the Navaho and the Apache Peoples	181
Literature cited	185

p. V

ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATE

Frontispiece. First Man and First Woman.

TEXT FIGURES

	PAGE
1. The Calendar Stone. (The plan of the year.)	16
2. The Coyote's five marks	19
3. Sand Painting of the Earth. (The plan of the earth.)	22
4. The stick used in the Third Game	52
5. The sign the Great Gambler used in the Guessing Game	52
6. The game of the Planted Sticks	53
7. The sticks used in the game of the Rolling Ring	57
8. The Foot Race game	60
9. The chart of the Moccasin Game	63
10. The Sacred Mountain Dzil na'odili, also called Chol'i'i	71
11. The cloud circle on top of the mountain	71
12. The cradle of the White Bead Baby	71
13. The hogan	85
14. The entrance to the Gopher's tunnel	86
15. Hasjelti	106
16. The scalp	110
17. The ceremonial hogan	118
18. The Great Coil	121
19. Artifacts and designs on the Medicine Stick	141
20. Position of maiden's legs	158
21. The Guessing Game	165
22. Where the people crossed the running water, the level land, and the mountains	174
23. The Bear's mark	174

p. VII

Next: Preface