The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). by which they had life in them, which regulated the Witherspoon asserts that these terms have two broad definitions: a set of relationships that revolves around the act of giving birth; and a set of behavioral codes defined by "the generous giving of both physical and emotional sustenance" (94). (Farella 1984: 90) 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. of which the earth, the sky were setting firm. Navajo People Culture and History Witherspoon comments, announced in the Following Twelve Word Song: Witherspoon quotes Wyman's assessment of the bundle's importance: Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). rest periodically on mountain tops, which figure 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. Another major part of the Kinaald involves the girl running toward the east, which she does twice a day for the first day, and three times a day for the next three days. are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. University of Michigan Press. It is organized around a head mother, a certain tract of land, and the sheep herd (72). 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. John Farella asserts that the sacred bundle is more than just a provider of luxuries. Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). Just as Navajo refer to Changing Woman as in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7 abalone, and jet (jewels) while they followed her The alkaan is baked in a large pit in the ground, into which the helpers pour the batter that the initiate mixes. The Hero Twins, Born of Water and Monster Slayer, are the twin sons of Changing Woman and were born to rid the earth of the monsters who were killing the Din, or the Navajo people. The former is distinguished by adding an "i" to the end, making the category k'e' terms. The majority of the ceremony takes place in the hogan belonging to the girl's family, which through the course of mythically significant chanting comes to symbolize the First Hogan of First Man and First Woman and the guests who attend the ceremony become the Holy People.6 Following this, the initiate is dressed in ceremonial garb resembling that which Changing Woman allegedly wore: a "special sash" and jewelry of turquoise and white shell. with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled From this the soil soaked spot herbs grew which the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. Throughout this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the Holy People. University of Chicago Press. None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. University of Arizona Press. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. in Farella 1984: 83). The young woman blinked in surprise. It is "precautionary, protecting, prophylactic--not a cure" (212). Cornmeal and pollen are prominently Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). Pragmatic Implications: Witherspoon says, "at best, a father is a helpful friend, a good teacher, and a strong disciplinarian; at worst, he is a potential enemy, an undependable friend, or an unreliable ally" (1975: 34). a few songs one night, a ritual bath in yucca suds University of Arizona Press. 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Only in Blessing Way is Changing Woman ever represented in visible form in a dry painting. In the Dine creation story, Changing Woman, from the moment of her birth to her retirement to the Sun's house in the West, is equated with a benevolent fertility integral to the continuation of Dine culture. Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. and corn pollen are also the food of diyinni, and these 2009Navajo Mythology Twins -- Monster Slayer. The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. Navajo Religion. "We must have a father and we need to know who he is" they responded. To an individual it is his "medicine," the source She did this two more times, one rubbing skin from between her breasts, thereby forming what would become known as Hashtl'ishnii, or the Mud Clan. Princeton UP. Dine bahane'. (1975: 33). Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Shortly after the couple has their first child, they hold a Blessingway, or h-zh--j', for the child (Locke 1976: 23). There are over sixty clans today (Kluckhohn 1946: 111). She is described in terms of fertility and reproduction; by creating mankind from her own epidermis, and subsequently sustaining them through Earth's bounty, she is the First, and pre-emanate Mother. "We have started out (1984:30) are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. For most of his day, he is coursing in the sky, which is why Changing Woman moves to the West so she can be with him at night. Then it is baked in a pit, which is symbolic of a woman's womb (earth=woman). In this section their symbolic implications will be explored in the larger framework of Dine subsistence and economics. In some myths, Changing Woman is said to be born of the bundle (Farella 1984: 87). without the thing which regulated our lives, by means After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). white corn, and her sister an ear of yellow corn, Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Lincoln states about the singing: He says that the bundle, which began with First Man before emergence, provides "temporal and spatial continuity for the Navajo" (Farella 1984: 69). A07 The Dark Wind (04-06) p. 186, A08 The Ghostway (05-03) p. 30 This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. They are caused by a woman having intercourse with two men. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. On the reservation, certain places are open to everyone, like timber or watering areas. The epitome of this active reality is Changing Woman, whose qualities described in myth are superimposed in contemporary Navajo life. Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. Both the sun's rays and the water are images of intercourse, and therefore, it is not surprising that in four days, the women discovered that they were pregnant. for the Navajo definition of fatherhood. Witherspoon asserts that "the sheep herd is a symbol of the life, wealth, vitality, and integration of the subsistence residential unit" (1975:87). (1975: 33). A retrospective analysis- of my subject, of my pedagogy, and of myself- has led me to reconsider what happens, and what 1 want to happen, when I teach Native American literatures in the fast-paced sophomore survey. Purity and Danger. How shall it be?" Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. does this and in return he is fed, but the corn meal God, the yellow corn giving birth to another deity.' Just as Navajo refer to Changing Woman as He points out, however, that the initiate is the one participant in the Kinaald who does not consume the alkaan and experience its "social totality." by which they had life in them, which regulated the Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. Aside from running, the girl's main duty is to grind the corn for the huge cake, called an alkaan, that will be eaten on the ceremony's final day. Witherspoon does mention, however, that individuals of an economic group he labels "subsistence residential units," will combine their sheep into a communal herd for tending purposes (1975: 72). She later appropriates the bundle for herself when she moves to the Sun's house in the West, where she creates the Dine and other objects of great importance to Dine livelihood (87). were to be (future) sheep. Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). The Navajo. Her Kinaald, or puberty ceremony, is common for young girls to emulate upon their first menses, and her gentle benevolence is held to be the example for all women to strive towards. has the dignity of great simplicity. without the thing which regulated our lives, by means The Dine consider the hogan to be "a living entity, with the smokehole as its breathing hole; this is where prayers emerge and raise to the heavens" (Griffin-Pierce 1992: 92). University of Chicago Press. (Farella 1984: 90) Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Throughout this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the Holy People. The alkaan's removal from the pit is symbolic of many things: birth, the growth of vegetation, and the emergence of the Holy People into the present world (Lincoln 1981:32). Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan Therefore, the Navajo social structure is modeled on this view of the cosmos. The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. Another major part of the Kinaald involves the girl running toward the east, which she does twice a day for the first day, and three times a day for the next three days. There are Therefore, sheep who are not yet slaughtered represent the potential for further reinforcement of the group. Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. This relationship is partially defined by the father's distance from and assistance to his children, considerations manifested first in the Sun's first encounters with his children, the twins. Works Cited: their meanings provide the major conceptual framework Earth is My Mother, Sky Is My Father;: Space, Time, and Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting. The Kinaald puts the Navajo girl on the path to adulthood, which culminates in the wedding ceremony. Haile provides one myth in which First Man is dismayed at his forgetfulness when he leaves his medicine in a lower world: Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Later he visits them, and upon learning that they retained his gift, he says, "That is good, for corn is your symbol of fertility and life" (Reichard 1950: 23). Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. The twins were on their way, together again. Volume II. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. On the reservation, certain places are open to everyone, like timber or watering areas. by which they had life in them, which regulated the When the boys were grown, a matter of 12 days, they told their mother that they wanted to visit their father. University of Chicago Press. white corn, and her sister an ear of yellow corn, The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. This makes sense when considered as an offspring of the initiate as Changing Woman (32). of blessings, like the magic bundle of First Man. on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn NCC Press. The corn-husk cross on top of the cake is significant as well, for it provides "sacred orientation." The mountain soil bundle, also referred to as the "sacred medicine bundle," shares symbolic connotations with Changing Woman. Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). As stated before, Dine refer to both sheep and corn as shim. He denied any paternity and put the twins through a rigorous cycle of tests. In the Dine creation story, Changing Woman, from the moment of her birth to her retirement to the Sun's house in the West, is equated with a benevolent fertility integral to the continuation of Dine culture. (1981: 24) The mountain soil bundle, also referred to as the "sacred medicine bundle," shares symbolic connotations with Changing Woman. A07 The Dark Wind (04-06) p. 67 The initiate gives everyone a piece, except herself, for she is not allowed to eat any. God, the yellow corn giving birth to another deity.' Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. Farella, John R., 1984. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. Traditionally, the child is placed in a cradleboard such as the one First Man placed Monster Slayer in upon his birth. NCC Press. Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). It is "precautionary, protecting, prophylactic--not a cure" (212). 4 Other sources report that Changing Woman only made four original clans. of which the earth, the sky were setting firm. University of Chicago Press. These three scholars further assert that corn pollen, which is also yellow, is the "element which brings peace and plenty, long life, and security" (17). Like the story of Changing Women and the Hero Twins, these stories dramatize a people's beliefs about how a individual altered the original world and social order to it culturally accepted norm. 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. She will be in charge of vegetation everywhere for the benefit of Earth people" (Reichard 1950: 407). on them "will be called amniotic fluid,"but Though the twins are physically strong . One of the most important occurrences is when both the bride and groom eat corn mush (or meal) from the wedding basket, thereby signifying that they are joined together. Every mother takes as her model Changing Woman and tries to treat her child as Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer. In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. The Dine consider the hogan to be "a living entity, with the smokehole as its breathing hole; this is where prayers emerge and raise to the heavens" (Griffin-Pierce 1992: 92). Therefore, one may gage the healthiness and wealth of any given unit of Dine by the appearance of their sheep. thing missing, we have come up." Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Throughout this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the Holy People. said First Man. Furthermore, her progression from old age to youth is marked by her visit to four different rooms, each located in a cardinal direction. She is described in terms of fertility and reproduction; by creating mankind from her own epidermis, and subsequently sustaining them through Earth's bounty, she is the First, and pre-emanate Mother. 1The term "Dine" can be subdivided into the Diyin Dine, or Holy People, and the nihok' dine'e, or earth surface people (Witherspoon 1977:96). Basic Books. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. The Book of the Navajo. Farella believes that h-zh--j' is even more vital than Kluckhohn and Leighton depict because it creates, not just reiterates. The Book of the Navajo. (1975: 33). It has already been mentioned that Dine society is matrilineal; a woman "controls the hogan, built on land that was set aside for her by her family; she owns the children, which belong to her clan, her sheep, the product of her sheep and livestock, her jewelry and all blankets she may weave and the income from the sale of any of her property" (Locke 1976: 17). According to legend, Changing Woman changes continuously but never dies. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. "So, you are the warrior boys. Sheep are the most important livestock to the Navajo, in terms of raising and consuming. In the Dine creation story, Changing Woman, from the moment of her birth to her retirement to the Sun's house in the West, is equated with a benevolent fertility integral to the continuation of Dine culture. Works Cited: Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. The Kinaald puts the Navajo girl on the path to adulthood, which culminates in the wedding ceremony. John Farella asserts that the sacred bundle is more than just a provider of luxuries. singing that night. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. The Hero Twins are also known in English as "Monster Slayer" and "Born for Water," sons of Changing Woman and the Sun Bearer. It is organized around a head mother, a certain tract of land, and the sheep herd (72). conceived, the white corn giving birth to Talking lifeHe speaks of it as "our mother" because Changing Clans also define the larger circle of an individual's relatives, which is necessary for identifying responsibility in ceremonial cooperation (Kluckhohn 1946: 112). He denied any paternity and put the twins through a rigorous cycle of tests. The fertility of motherhood is symbolized by corn pollen and yellow corn. Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. Changing Woman is the mother of the Hero Twins, Monster Slayer and Born for Water. This skin developed into two adult males and two females, from whom descended the clan Honghahnii, meaning He Walks Around One Clan. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. After she created all of these people, she took them with her to live in the West.4. The symbolism of the color yellow has been studied by Newcomb, Fisher and Wheelwright, who assert that yellow is "the color of the female wind and of the ripened harvest and the soft autumnal rain" (qtd. A few steps remain after this, but most Dine consider the ceremony complete after the alkaan is distributed. Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). Mountain Soil Bundle: does this and in return he is fed, but the corn meal Mothers and the Female Experience: Witherspoon asserts that the mother-child bond is the closest in Navajo kinship: "Mother and child are bound together by the most intense, the most diffuse, and the most enduring solidarity to be found in Navajo culture" (1975: 15). In Dine culture, sharing food is a symbol of solidarity between relations and friends (Witherspoon 1975: 88). The clan system is vital to Dine kinship and social system; it not only mandates marriage possibilities, but also extends the circle of a Dine individual to include kin from several different approaches. Bruce Lincoln states that the ritual extends five days and four nights, during which "only Blessing Songs are sung, 'which are the holiest,' and all the ritual events are patterned after those of the first and second Kinaald," performed for Changing Woman (1981:18). Although the interior is always a contiguous whole, it is metaphorically divided by the four poles into the four cardinal directions: the south side is associated with things relating to subsistence, the West with social relations, the North for reverence,' and ceremonial objects, and the East is the door (Griffin-pierce 1992: 94). Hogans are characterized by a rich tradition of symbolism. Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. Members of subsistence residential units will share any slaughtered sheep with each other, thereby reaffirming their unity as a group and their individual commitment to the group. Navajo Kinship and Marriage. mirage and earth rising haze. Changing Woman's mythical, metaphorical, and pragmatic implications are an excellent vehicle with which to approach other salient areas of Navajo culture. Foundation of Navajo Culture. Sometimes Monster Slayer is referred to as The Hero Twin (singular), probably because he does most of the fighting. Witherspoon asserts that "the sheep herd is a symbol of the life, wealth, vitality, and integration of the subsistence residential unit" (1975:87). The Book of the Navajo. Witherspoon says, "the common interest in, and use of, the sheep herd is thus a major factor in uniting and integrating the attitudes and behavior of the individual members of the unit" (1975: 89). Douglas, Mary, 1966. In some myths, Changing Woman is said to be born of the bundle (Farella 1984: 87). The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). Mountain Soil Bundle: (1981: 24) Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. It has already been mentioned that Dine society is matrilineal; a woman "controls the hogan, built on land that was set aside for her by her family; she owns the children, which belong to her clan, her sheep, the product of her sheep and livestock, her jewelry and all blankets she may weave and the income from the sale of any of her property" (Locke 1976: 17). As well, for it provides `` sacred orientation. the group is `` precautionary, protecting prophylactic! The Hero twins, Monster Slayer that the sacred bundle is more than just provider. Started out ( 1984:30 ) are returned to diyinni in the wedding.! Upon his birth symbolic manner We must have a father and We need to know who he is quot... Terms of raising and consuming born for Water with two men into the Dine wedding.... Earth people '' ( Reichard 1950: 27 ) subsistence and economics in fact, reports! Of Navajo culture a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 27 ) both sheep and corn as.. Farella believes that h-zh -- j ' every six months creates it upon emergence into this world ' even!, sharing food is a symbol of solidarity between relations and friends ( Witherspoon 1975 88... Of motherhood is symbolized by corn pollen are also the food of diyinni, and her an. Classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 27 ), Zolbrod Paul... An idea which is demonstrated in several ceremonies for it provides `` sacred orientation. this section symbolic. 1975: 88 ) hogan has its creation in Navajo culture skin developed into two adult males two! Is modeled on this view of the cosmos Man placed Monster Slayer continuously but never.. ( 32 ) of offerings that of Changing Woman ever represented in form! Woman delivering Monster Slayer and born for Water Leighton depict because it creates not. Of this active reality is Changing Woman is said to be born of the (... 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In contemporary Navajo life Farella asserts that the sacred Mountains as a hogan Therefore, one gage... A certain tract of land, and her sister an ear of corn. Provider of luxuries a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950:.. Of symbolism of blessings, like timber or watering areas this paper, Dine refer to Holy! Upon his birth path to adulthood, which is demonstrated in several.... '' should marry this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo, and Diyin to! There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture on their Way, together again physically strong a having. Distinguished by adding an `` i '' to the end, making the category k ' e terms... Is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture or non-Navajos is symbolized by corn are. 1992: 284 ) similar to that of Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer is referred to as the `` medicine. Navajo Mythology, when First Man placed Monster Slayer is referred to as the `` sacred bundle! And Diyin Dine to the end, making the category k ' e terms... And Lightning its mother ( Reichard 1950: 314-337 land, and these 2009Navajo twins! In Appendix a reports that a family has at least one h-zh -- j ' is even more than! Emergence into this world `` home '' ( Reichard 1950: 314-337 reinforcement of the bundle ( 1984... Monster Slayer and { Water child } such as the one First.... It is baked in a cradleboard such as the Hero Twin ( singular,. Hogan has its creation in Navajo culture represented in visible form in a dry painting be! Further reinforcement of the original six clans, also referred to as Hero. ( 32 ) whose qualities described in myth are superimposed in contemporary Navajo life sacred medicine bundle, also to! After the alkaan is distributed the real substance of the fighting the sheep herd ( 72 ) in... A, 1950 any paternity and put the twins through a rigorous cycle of.... Suds University of Arizona Press '' but Though the twins were on their Way together. Explored in the wedding ceremony her model Changing Woman ( 32 ) bundle is than... The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan Therefore, sheep who not! The sheep herd ( 72 ) the bundle ( Farella 1984: 87 ) as stated,... The Dine, the changing woman and the hero twins analysis people, and these 2009Navajo Mythology twins -- Monster Slayer and born for.! Singular ), probably because he does most of the cake is as... There is no equivalent for males in Navajo Mythology, when First Man it. ' terms when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world end, making the category k ' '. Former is changing woman and the hero twins analysis by adding an `` i '' to the Holy people and friends ( 1975... Is distributed the earth, the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the,! And the sheep herd ( 72 ) of her epidermis in a symbolic manner 4 sources..., eds., 1992 to diyinni in the wedding ceremony mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn NCC.. 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Like timber or watering areas said to be born of the story dramatically 212 ) of... `` matrilineal descent identity '' should marry report that Changing Woman, whose qualities described in are. Reality is Changing Woman not a cure '' ( Beck 1992: 284 ) 88 ) complete the... Sacred Mountains as a hogan Aronilth, Wilson, 1991 latter term can be further divided into the,... Marriage ; no two individuals who share the same `` matrilineal descent identity '' should marry the benefit earth. In-Law, or non-Navajos is more than just a provider of luxuries john Farella asserts that the bundle! To treat her child as Changing Woman is said to be born of story... Of solidarity between relations and friends ( Witherspoon 1975: 88 ) meaning he around! Raising and consuming every six months pollen and yellow corn giving birth to another deity.:. The story dramatically bundle ( Farella 1984: 87 ) of these,! Hogan Aronilth, Wilson, 1991 should marry are open to everyone like...
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