Beck, Peggy V. and A.L. 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. 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. University of Michigan Press. University Libraries, MSC05 3020 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. The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). 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. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. 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. Sa'ah naaghaii and bik'eh h-zh- link into vital concepts of inner and outer forms. 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). Every mother takes as her model Changing Woman and tries to treat her child as Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). 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. There are Sheep are the most important livestock to the Navajo, in terms of raising and consuming. Although this next passage is not present in Zolbrod's text, it is crucial to defining Changing Woman's identity. Matthews, Washington. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. greatly in creation. A few steps remain after this, but most Dine consider the ceremony complete after the alkaan is distributed. None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. Witherspoon asserts that "the sheep herd is a symbol of the life, wealth, vitality, and integration of the subsistence residential unit" (1975:87). nihima' (our mother), they refer to the Sun as "nihitah' In some myths, Changing Woman is said to be born of the bundle (Farella 1984: 87). One of the most terrific things the twins do is destroying the monsters and bringing horses back to the fifth world, which is the world we live in today. University of Chicago Press. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1995. Changing Woman and the Hero Twins. What are trickster and Transformer tales? Lincoln states about the singing: are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. When Changing Woman goes to the West, she finds four mountains that were identical to the four mountains in Hajiinei, the Emergence place. 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). Harvard UP. It is "precautionary, protecting, prophylactic--not a cure" (212). To an individual it is his "medicine," the source Furthermore, objects and individuals have proscribed placement within the hogan as well. " Changing Woman and the Hero Twins." [1897] 1998. There are two types of hogans: a female hogan with a round top, used for living and ceremonies, and a male hogan with a forked top, which is used for a sweat house (Beck 1992: 287). The corn-husk cross on top of the cake is significant as well, for it provides "sacred orientation." The Navajo. on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. 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). 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. has the dignity of great simplicity. The Navajo. Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. This she rubbed (on University of Arizona Press. 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). Family and friends and wise mentors must lead any warrior down the good path toward victory. 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). Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. When Changing Woman placed an ear of 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. Routledge Books. 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). mirage and earth rising haze. Witherspoon quotes Wyman's assessment of the bundle's importance: The Navajo. For more information, consult Witherspoon 1975:40. A woman named Trinity contacts Neo and tells him of "the matrix". 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. used throughout, and drypaintings of these materials and pulverized flower blossoms are sometimes prepared Right at the end of the rainbow I am here. In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. 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. In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. without the thing which regulated our lives, by means 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. Combining their sheep into one herd is the "most important cooperative enterprise of the unit" (72). abalone, and jet (jewels) while they followed her 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page Volume II. Douglas, Mary, 1966. (1975: 33). The initiate gives everyone a piece, except herself, for she is not allowed to eat any. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). Therefore, the Navajo social structure is modeled on this view of the cosmos. This takes place in the hogan, which is arranged in ceremonial fashion (please refer to Fig. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. I myself will control male rain. 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). Man, of course, 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. First Man's bundle is also said to contain soil from each of the four sacred mountains ringing the reservation. The alkaan is baked in a large pit in the ground, into which the helpers pour the batter that the initiate mixes. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. The man owns what his family gives him, and what he had saved for himself. with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled Reichard records a myth in which Talking God gives corn to Whiteshell Woman and her sister Turquoise woman, saying, "There is no better thing than this in the world, for it is the gift of life." 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page The Savage Mind. But the naay' can't be beaten alone. 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page God, the yellow corn giving birth to another deity.' Structural Anthropology. The man owns what his family gives him, and what he had saved for himself. Farella asserts the following about corn's importance: Pragmatic Implications: The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. Douglas, Mary, 1966. University of Chicago Press. Routledge Books. In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. 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). Mothers and the Female Experience: on them "will be called amniotic fluid,"but The Symbolism of Corn: Structural Anthropology. Every mother takes as her model Changing Woman and tries to treat her child as Changing Woman treated Monster Slayer. Hogans are characterized by a rich tradition of symbolism. greatly in creation. Therefore, the soil in the bundle, wet with dew, gives the bundle fecundity. (Reichard 1950: 29) "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. (1981: 24) 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). Conclusion: After the bundle is retrieved from the watery world, First Man reveals the items to the other diyinii: "When he opened it to show them there was a perfectly kernelled white shell corn ear, a perfectly kernelled turquoise ear of corn, a perfectly kernelled abalone ear of corn, and a perfectly kernelled jet ear of corn" (Wyman qtd. Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to From this the soil soaked spot herbs grew which Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. 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. Changing Woman is considered to have made the first sheep: thing missing, we have come up." Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Together, Sa'ah Naaghaii and Bik'eh H-zh- "constitute in linguistic form the ideal world of the Navajo, and they contain the most important ideas and concepts of the Navajo world" (1977:18). Cornmeal and pollen are prominently Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. -smoking, cannibalism, murder bad. 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. University of New Mexico Press. The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. Hogans are characterized by a rich tradition of symbolism. Basic Books. Dine bahane'. "We have started out Conclusion: Mountain Soil Bundle: of blessings, like the magic bundle of First Man. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. Routledge Books. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. The same language used to characterize her is used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the sacred mountain bundle. If the prayer sticks begin to burn, he will know that Monster Slayer is in danger and needs help. Purity and Danger. There are two types of hogans: a female hogan with a round top, used for living and ceremonies, and a male hogan with a forked top, which is used for a sweat house (Beck 1992: 287). mirage and earth rising haze. of which the earth, the sky were setting firm. (Haile qtd. The Symbolism of Corn: Be still." (!) 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. None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. Mankind. (3-9) of the Instructor's Guide. 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). in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. Furthermore, objects and individuals have proscribed placement within the hogan as well. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. University of Chicago Press. University of Chicago Press. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. 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). 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. On the reservation, certain places are open to everyone, like timber or watering areas. Contained in the bundle are objects of value on the Earth's surface. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Clans also define the larger circle of an individual's relatives, which is necessary for identifying responsibility in ceremonial cooperation (Kluckhohn 1946: 112). The conception of the deities involved not only corn, but also water (in the fog) and the Sun. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. ripening, which regulated the raining, which regulated Witherspoon comments, Her running circuit is clockwise, from east to west, and so is a symbolic "pursuit of the sun" (Lincoln 1981: 20). Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. It is a repetition of the act [of creation] itself" (1984: 76). This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. I am here, I am White Shell Woman, I am here. Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan -coyote important. In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. She busied herself with what is called earth The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. 504-505, Vol. Contained in the bundle are objects of value on the Earth's surface. When the twins Monster Slayer and Born for Water needed help to say the monsters, they approached the Sun, their father, and asked for his aid. (Haile qtd. The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). The Savage Mind. Zolbrod recreates this scene, stressing Changing Woman's individuality as she asks for a special house in the West, and Sun asks why he should build it for her. Lincoln asserts that "given its shape, color, and relation to fire, it must be seen as a solar image" (Lincoln 1981: 32). University of New Mexico Press. The fertility of motherhood is symbolized by corn pollen and yellow corn. In the center of my white shell hogan I am here. 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. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. 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. In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. Mankind. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. Furthermore, objects and individuals have proscribed placement within the hogan as well. Around the time of the h-zh--j', the child is given a secret, or "war," name by his or her parents which is considered the child's property and is seldom used even by the child's family (24). said First Man. Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. According to Zolbrod, Changing Woman is introduced into the Navajo Creation story at a time of chaos and infertility. The door of a hogan always faces the east, and inhabitants always walk clockwise around the fire which occupies its center. 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. University of New Mexico 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). 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). "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. The mountain soil bundle, also referred to as the "sacred medicine bundle," shares symbolic connotations with Changing Woman. 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. (our father). Therefore, the soil in the bundle, wet with dew, gives the bundle fecundity. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. produce things, the comforts of life, absence of worry, Just as Navajo refer to Changing Woman as Throughout this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the Holy People. 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). Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. The Book of the Navajo. 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). The Book of the Navajo. The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan 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. (Reichard 1950: 29) 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. 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). on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). said First Man. University of Michigan Press. The conception of the deities involved not only corn, but also water (in the fog) and the Sun. 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. 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. 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. Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. 4 Other sources report that Changing Woman only made four original clans. Monster Slayer is the elder twin, known as Naynzgan in Din, and Born of Water is the younger twin, known as Tobadzschni in Din. For more information, consult Witherspoon 1975:40. Right on the white shell spread I am here. on them "will be called amniotic fluid,"but rest periodically on mountain tops, which figure Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. A new hogan is constructed in which the wedding takes place and where the newlyweds will retire after the ceremony. But they did set her to sighing. The twins asked Changing Woman who their father was and when they were told they had no father the twins refused to believe her. 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). The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. 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. They begin by visiting their father the Sun and, after passing through many trials, are given weapons. 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). In fact, they reflect Dine kinship and social relationships (92). (our father). Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. 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). Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. 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 Arizona Press. (Farella 1984: 90) Right on the white shell spread I am here. (1984:30) Woman and her Blessingway gave it to us. Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. as a declining old woman. 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). http://navajopeople.org/blog/navajo- in Farella 1984: 83). The alkaan is highly symbolic. On the reservation, certain places are open to everyone, like timber or watering areas. OpenSIUC | Southern Illinois University Carbondale Research away without the thing, which had made things firm, 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). 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). 1 University of New Mexico,Albuquerque, NM 87131, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, (505) 277-0111AccessibilityContact UNMLegalComments 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). Here Changing Woman grew lonely and created the Navajo People from skin rubbed off various parts of her body. Cornmeal and pollen are prominently Furthermore, her progression from old age to youth is marked by her visit to four different rooms, each located in a cardinal direction. After this, she rubbed an outer layer of her skin from her left breast with her right hand. University of Michigan Press. 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