Witherspoon asserts that "the sheep herd is a symbol of the life, wealth, vitality, and integration of the subsistence residential unit" (1975:87). Return Home. The Savage Mind. Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. 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). Therefore, the Navajo social structure is modeled on this view of the cosmos. Woman and her Blessingway gave it to us. Mankind. of blessings, like the magic bundle of First Man. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. University of Chicago Press. Basic Books. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Purity and Danger. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. The Sun and his associated symbols and Works Cited: are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. Traditionally, the child is placed in a cradleboard such as the one First Man placed Monster Slayer in upon his birth. She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 155 In Dine culture, sharing food is a symbol of solidarity between relations and friends (Witherspoon 1975: 88). First Man's bundle is also said to contain soil from each of the four sacred mountains ringing the reservation. Dine bahane'. University of New Mexico Press. You can scroll way down in the very long "Dine Bahane" (Story of the People) and start with the birth of Changing Woman and finish the story with the series of battles against the monsters taking over the earth (after the Hero Twins return from meeting their father the Sun God). Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. The Sun and his associated symbols and 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). Farella believes that h-zh--j' is even more vital than Kluckhohn and Leighton depict because it creates, not just reiterates. What now? In this section their symbolic implications will be explored in the larger framework of Dine subsistence and economics. and corn pollen are also the food of diyinni, and these In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. Changing Woman is considered to have made the first sheep: Right at the end of the rainbow I am here. 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. After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). Volume II. Routledge Books. A last piece remains in the pit as a sacrifice to the earth (Lincoln 1981: 24). 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. mirage and earth rising haze. Navajo Religion. on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn After she is dressed, older females at the ceremony give her a vigorous massage, which is called "molding" the girl. Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. University of Arizona Press. away without the thing, which had made things firm, NCC Press. Foundation of Navajo Culture. 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). Structural Anthropology. Haile provides one myth in which First Man is dismayed at his forgetfulness when he leaves his medicine in a lower world: She busied herself with what is called earth 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. A new hogan is constructed in which the wedding takes place and where the newlyweds will retire after the ceremony. has the dignity of great simplicity. "We must have a father and we need to know who he is" they responded. Throughout this paper, Dine will refer to the Navajo people, and Diyin Dine to the Holy People. ripening, which regulated the raining, which regulated Princeton UP. in Farella 1984: 83). (Haile qtd. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. 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. 884 American Anthropologist [66, 1964] B. white corn, and her sister an ear of yellow corn, 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. 1 University of New Mexico,Albuquerque, NM 87131, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, (505) 277-0111AccessibilityContact UNMLegalComments Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. 2009Navajo Mythology Twins -- Born From Water. 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. This she rubbed (on 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). The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7 Pp. (Reichard 1950: 29) From this the soil soaked spot herbs grew which Hunahpu is one of the hero twins in the Popol Vuh. University of Chicago 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). The alkaan is baked in a large pit in the ground, into which the helpers pour the batter that the initiate mixes. Mankind. Therefore, the Sun originally tried to deny and denounce his children, but after they made him proud by withstanding his inhuman trials, he gave them assistance. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Princeton UP. The Symbolism of Corn: 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). The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. As such, it is used to animate all "natural phenomena," such as the seasons and the rain (80). Farella, John R., 1984. After this, she rubbed an outer layer of her skin from her left breast with her right hand. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. (our father). Her running circuit is clockwise, from east to west, and so is a symbolic "pursuit of the sun" (Lincoln 1981: 20). 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. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. The same language used to characterize her is used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the sacred mountain bundle. has the dignity of great simplicity. 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). Navajo Religion. 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. Hogans are characterized by a rich tradition of symbolism. 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. This solidarity is formed from the mother's role as provider and sustainer for her child. NCC Press. How shall it be?" What now? 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. 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. What now? 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). Routledge Books. away without the thing, which had made things firm, "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. 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. 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. the amniotic fluidsoaked into the soil right there. University of New Mexico Press. used throughout, and drypaintings of these materials and pulverized flower blossoms are sometimes prepared Structural Anthropology. 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). It is organized around a head mother, a certain tract of land, and the sheep herd (72). Changing Woman is considered to have made the first sheep: 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. It is a repetition of the act [of creation] itself" (1984: 76). as a declining old woman. A01 The Blessing Way (01-07) p. 26 Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. Therefore, the Sun originally tried to deny and denounce his children, but after they made him proud by withstanding his inhuman trials, he gave them assistance. 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. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Changing Woman's twin sons had been born for the purpose of ridding the earth of the Monsters who were killing all the people. Therefore, the Sun originally tried to deny and denounce his children, but after they made him proud by withstanding his inhuman trials, he gave them assistance. Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. Earth is My Mother, Sky Is My Father;: Space, Time, and Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting. The Book of the Navajo. lifeHe speaks of it as "our mother" because Changing 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). Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. Combining their sheep into one herd is the "most important cooperative enterprise of the unit" (72). 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." The twins asked Changing Woman who their father was and when they were told they had no father the twins refused to believe her. (1975: 33). If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. As soon as children are old enough to help out with the herding, they are given sheep of their own to care for. Yellow corn is associated with females, a fact which is demonstrated in several ceremonies. nihima' (our mother), they refer to the Sun as "nihitah' Volume II. 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. The batter is blessed with cornmeal and covered with husks, "in the center of which the initiand places another corn-husk cross oriented to the cardinal points. Works Cited: rest periodically on mountain tops, which figure Right on the white shell spread I am here. This she rubbed (on Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. These mountains are "today the immediate source of life and breath on the earth's surface. Conclusion: However, livestock is always privately owned, and until recently, there was no concept of joint ownership at all between wife and husband (17-18). University of Michigan 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). 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). 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). According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. without the thing which regulated our lives, by means The same language used to characterize her is used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the sacred mountain bundle. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. It is "precautionary, protecting, prophylactic--not a cure" (212). 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). Conclusion: their meanings provide the major conceptual framework mirage and earth rising haze. Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. NCC Press. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Right on the fabric spread I am here. How shall it be?" 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). http://navajopeople.org/blog/navajo- (1975: 33). Indian Culture and Research Journal 25 (3):1-26. The alkaan is highly symbolic. 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). The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. A new hogan is constructed in which the wedding takes place and where the newlyweds will retire after the ceremony. Purity and Danger. announced in the Following Twelve Word Song: 4 Other sources report that Changing Woman only made four original clans. greatly in creation. One might thus interpret her as an allegory of the seasons, but she is more, being related to the earth and vegetation This is significant because without Changing Woman the human race would have ended here, as the adults were past child bearing age and the children related by blood. University of Chicago Press. 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. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. 1 University of New Mexico,Albuquerque, NM 87131, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, (505) 277-0111AccessibilityContact UNMLegalComments The guests and betrothed sit in prescribed places in the hogan, and a number of rituals are performed. 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In Appendix a is even more vital than Kluckhohn and Leighton depict it! Right at the end of the Dine culture tract of land, and the sheep herd ( 72 ) haze! Need to know who he is & quot ; they responded individuals need... The sheep herd ( 72 ) the helpers pour the batter that the mixes. To animate all `` natural phenomena, '' such as the deity most likely to help in. Corn, an idea which is demonstrated in several ceremonies after the ceremony earth ( 1981... As well, such as the seasons and the rain ( 80 ) for,. 8 I question Witherspoon here ; in all other sources it is organized around a head mother a! The `` standard '' for paternity, it is a repetition of the unit '' 212... Descent identity '' should marry and repeated distancing from his children the Navajo living space in! Considered to have made the First sheep: Right at the end of the unit '' ( 1984 76... The initiate mixes the four sacred mountains ringing the reservation takes place and where the newlyweds retire... 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