Monster Slayer. 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). Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. The Symbolism of Corn: Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. Harvard UP. The alkaan is baked in a large pit in the ground, into which the helpers pour the batter that the initiate mixes. (1975: 33). This is "a practice based upon the belief that at the time of initiation a girl's body becomes soft again, as it was at birth, and thus she is susceptible to being literally re-formed by the efforts of those around her" (Lincoln 1981: 20). Earth is My Mother, Sky Is My Father;: Space, Time, and Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. Navajo Religion. The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). The epitome of this active reality is Changing Woman, whose qualities described in myth are superimposed in contemporary Navajo life. by which they had life in them, which regulated the Every mother takes as her model Changing Woman and tries to treat her child as Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer. Lincoln asserts that "given its shape, color, and relation to fire, it must be seen as a solar image" (Lincoln 1981: 32). Earth is My Mother, Sky Is My Father;: Space, Time, and Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting. Sheep are the most important livestock to the Navajo, in terms of raising and consuming. http://libproxy.unm.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx, accessed of blessings, like the magic bundle of First Man. In earlier days, clans also provided social control, but Kluckhohn and Leighton report that this has changed with the imposition of Anglo "law and order" (112). The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Structural Anthropology. In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. Sa'ah naaghaii and bik'eh h-zh- link into vital concepts of inner and outer forms. After Monster Slayer meets his father the Sun, and eventually rids the world of monsters with his help, the Sun asks Changing Woman to move to a special house in the West with him. 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). 3 In Zolbrod's version, White Shell Woman and Changing Woman are sisters; some versions call her White Shell Woman instead of Changing Woman, other sources acknowledge that they are different names for the same deity. Navajo Religion. Navajo Religion. For four days, the mountain Ch'ool'i'i was covered with a dark cloud that slowly descended down its base. Hunahp and Xbalanqu are gods. 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). abalone, and jet (jewels) while they followed her Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. While on one hand it similarly widens the circle of a Dine's obligations, that individual will be able to call upon the same relatives when needed. Lincoln states about the singing: The fourth day is devoted to singing sacred Blessingway and "free" songs. Every mother takes as her model Changing Woman and tries to treat her child as Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer. It is organized around a head mother, a certain tract of land, and the sheep herd (72). on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn does this and in return he is fed, but the corn meal Combining their sheep into one herd is the "most important cooperative enterprise of the unit" (72). Basic Books. (Reichard 1950: 29) Four adults, two men and two women, were formed, who became Bit'ahnii, or Within His Cover People. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). By tracing the Kinaald, the Navajo wedding ceremony, and the birth of a new baby, a larger picture will emerge of exactly what shim in Navajo implies. Mankind. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. Farella believes that h-zh--j' is even more vital than Kluckhohn and Leighton depict because it creates, not just reiterates. NCC Press. Lincoln asserts that "given its shape, color, and relation to fire, it must be seen as a solar image" (Lincoln 1981: 32). Lincoln asserts, "[The cake] contains the sun and earth; male and female; the Holy People, first of all beings; corn, and by extension vegetation; the cardinal points; zenith and nadar" (32). Pp. NCC Press. These are human maternal behavior (including the "coming of age" ritual for pubescent girls called Kinaald), the sacred mountain soil bundle (which ties into larger religious considerations), and the symbolism of sheep herding and the corn field (agriculture and sustenance). Slim Curly said, "Thereby the earth, when vegetation The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). Lincoln asserts, "[The cake] contains the sun and earth; male and female; the Holy People, first of all beings; corn, and by extension vegetation; the cardinal points; zenith and nadar" (32). Farella, John R., 1984. Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Purity and Danger. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). of which the earth, the sky were setting firm. Vol. Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. Pragmatic Implications: Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. 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). 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. 1983Navajo Views of Their Origin. Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. Each of these categories shares symbolic qualities with Changing Woman, exemplified in Witherspoon's paradigm which asserts all items provide sustenance or protection. University of New Mexico Press. in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7 Douglas, Mary, 1966. For example, the vital part of the Navajo wedding ceremony consists of the couple eating corn meal together; the white corn meal is male, the yellow is female, and corn pollen sprinkled on both unifies it (Witherspoon 1975: 17). A07 The Dark Wind (04-06) p. 186, A08 The Ghostway (05-03) p. 30 without the thing which regulated our lives, by means Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Works Cited: Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Washington. The alkaan is highly symbolic. Princeton UP. The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. ripening, which regulated the raining, which regulated White Shell Women did the same thing in a shallow pool, letting the water flow around her. It is important to remember that no one is forced to include his or her sheep in the flock--it is done on an independent voluntary basis, which reinforces the significance of the inclusion. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. This "static reality" is identifiable with the rigidly structured Navajo ceremonial life, which for the most part is male-dominated. 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). Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. Moreover, she bestowed several things upon mankind, such as certain ceremonies, that would protect humanity from evil forces. Purity and Danger. The Text's History According to the story, in the beginning there was a great stillness and water everywhere. The Kinaald puts the Navajo girl on the path to adulthood, which culminates in the wedding ceremony. She is associated with sacred items that represent speech and thought, both of which are in a medicine bundle that Changing Woman inherits. As stated before, Changing Woman is the first and model mother. Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. 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). None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. The Hero Twins tells the story of two brothers born to Changing Woman and trained by the Holy People to save their people from the naay', a race of monsters.But the naay' can't be beaten alone. The Kinaald, or girl's puberty ceremony, is performed when a girl experiences her first menstruation, and culminates in a second gathering after her second period.5 Mythically, the Kinaald is modeled after Changing Woman's own puberty rite, which has been already described. H-zho, the state of being in beauty and balance, exists among related things; it is impossible to have h-zh- between "unrelated entities" (Witherspoon 1977: 88). None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. The Emergence People in the fifth world had been terrorized by the Binaayee', or monsters, and so only First Man, First Woman, and old man and wife, and their two young children survived. Return Home. 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. 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. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. the amniotic fluidsoaked into the soil right there. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. the earth which changes in summer and becomes young Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. giving birth, which regulated our progress, with this 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page University of New Mexico Press. His curiosity arises and he wants to learn more about the matrix. 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page (Witherspoon 1975: 18). Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. Farella asserts the following about corn's importance: Works Cited: 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). The four pairs of people created at this time are the ancestors of all Navajo today. 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. on them "will be called amniotic fluid,"but Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. I One of the main reasons I adopted Heath in fall 1990 was to help my Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. in Farella 1984: 79-80). The door of a hogan always faces the east, and inhabitants always walk clockwise around the fire which occupies its center. 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." 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). This makes sense when considered as an offspring of the initiate as Changing Woman (32). Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. Therefore, one may gage the healthiness and wealth of any given unit of Dine by the appearance of their sheep. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. "It is in the corporate enterprise of the sheep herd that the Navajo child learns the meaning, necessity, and nature of group or communal life, and it is this experience, more than any other, that forms his social personality" (1975:73). Navajo Religion. Return Home. Metaphorically, the qualities of nurturing and fertility are applicable to several other areas of Navajo culture, which are all called shim in Navajo (Witherspoon 1977: 91). University of New Mexico Press. For example, Changing Woman gives protection from evil beings; human mothers provide affection and nurturing; mountain soil bundles give protection from danger; sheep herding metaphorically gives security from starvation and poverty, and the corn field stands for the fecundity of motherhood (1977:94). their meanings provide the major conceptual framework 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. Works Cited: As stated before, Dine refer to both sheep and corn as shim. with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled Clans also define the larger circle of an individual's relatives, which is necessary for identifying responsibility in ceremonial cooperation (Kluckhohn 1946: 112). The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. At the metaphysical level, Changing Woman is the alleged product of the union between Sa'ah Naaghaii (First Boy) who represents thought, and Bik'eh H-zh- (First Girl) who represents speech (Witherspoon 1977: 17). 1). Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. "We must have a father and we need to know who he is" they responded. "This is really too bad my children. At the metaphysical level, Changing Woman is the alleged product of the union between Sa'ah Naaghaii (First Boy) who represents thought, and Bik'eh H-zh- (First Girl) who represents speech (Witherspoon 1977: 17). Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. In fact, they reflect Dine kinship and social relationships (92). rest periodically on mountain tops, which figure their meanings provide the major conceptual framework thing missing, we have come up." She busied herself with what is called earth When they passed all his grueling tests, with Nilch'i the Wind's aid, he was surprised and proud, and gave them gifts to help overcome the monsters (Zolbrod 1984: 212). Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. In the center of my white shell hogan I am here. Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. For more information, consult Witherspoon 1975:40. 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. In some myths, Changing Woman is said to be born of the bundle (Farella 1984: 87). In Heath Anthology of American Literature, ed. 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. She is also the benevolent being who creates the first Navajo of the four original clans and corn and is therefore known for bringing fertility and regeneration into the world. Woman and her Blessingway gave it to us. The Book of the Navajo. H-zho, the state of being in beauty and balance, exists among related things; it is impossible to have h-zh- between "unrelated entities" (Witherspoon 1977: 88). University of Chicago Press. In four more days they each delivered boys, which were placed in traditional cradleboards by First Man. The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. As soon as children are old enough to help out with the herding, they are given sheep of their own to care for. The Blessingway ceremony performed after the child's birth is also performed on several other occasions, such as the departure or return of family members after leaving the reservation for an extended amount of time, during a girl's Kinaald and a woman's wedding (Kluckhohn 1946: 212). The door of a hogan always faces the east, and inhabitants always walk clockwise around the fire which occupies its center. Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. on buckskin spread on the ground. 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). Lincoln states that Changing Woman, whose name can be translated to mean "the woman who is transformed time and time again," has a "peculiar life cycle: she grows old and becomes young again with the change of the seasons. Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. After she is dressed, older females at the ceremony give her a vigorous massage, which is called "molding" the girl. 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. The Navajo. These mountains are "today the immediate source of life and breath on the earth's surface. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. K'e' terms, or the Dine descent system, contains six large categories: the mother's clan, father's clan, born for mother's clan8, born for father's clan, clan for which mother is born, and the clan for which father is born (95). Lincoln states about the singing: The soil is also the earth's flesh" (Farella 1984: 182). Mankind. The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. 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. "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. 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. Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to For example, the vital part of the Navajo wedding ceremony consists of the couple eating corn meal together; the white corn meal is male, the yellow is female, and corn pollen sprinkled on both unifies it (Witherspoon 1975: 17). Navajo Kinship and Marriage. The initiate gives everyone a piece, except herself, for she is not allowed to eat any. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. (1975: 33). When Changing Woman placed an ear of Write one paragraph on what the Navajo Story "Changing Woman and the Hero Twins" shows about Indian values, way of life and religion. Dine bahane'. accumulation of property, insuring a long and happy 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). 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. 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). Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. Right on the fabric spread I am here. He says that the bundle, which began with First Man before emergence, provides "temporal and spatial continuity for the Navajo" (Farella 1984: 69). She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. Witherspoon comments. It is revealed that, "As the seasons advance, [Changing Woman] becomes old, it is true, but she has the power to reverse the process, becoming young again by degrees, as two children, deifically 'borrowed' from the original cornfield, testified: This passage is significant not only because it demonstrates Changing Woman's power of rejuvenation and the cyclical aspect of her nature, but also because it encodes several different layers of symbolism working together. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. 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). Navajo People Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. 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. 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. Routledge Books. 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page mirage and earth rising haze. 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). University of Michigan Press. What are trickster and Transformer tales? Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. The initiate gives everyone a piece, except herself, for she is not allowed to eat any. "We have started out For more information, consult Witherspoon 1975:40. Moist earth is shoveled in to cover the batter, a fire is built up on top and kept going all night to bake the batter fully" (Lincoln 1981: 21). Works Cited: and corn pollen are also the food of diyinni, and these All living things have inner and outer forms, and "to achieve well-being the inner forms must harmonize and unify with Sa'ah Naaghii," and the outer forms must do the same with Bik'eh H-zh- (Witherspoon 1977: 25). The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). and corn pollen are also the food of diyinni, and these Hunahpu is a skilled trickster and is referred to by the narrator as genius. Therefore, sheep who are not yet slaughtered represent the potential for further reinforcement of the group. 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). Therefore, it performs the same functions as Changing Woman, and is said to be Changing Woman's gift to humanity. 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