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Birds are
not endowed with the faculty of speech excepting in their mythical character.
The zahalani, mocking-bird, alone is said to speak (yaltqi). Neither do they
sing, properly speaking (hatqal, he sings, being used of humans). Their song,
cry or call is universally expressed tsidi ani (adani) the bird says or sounds.
Pg.163
The eggs of birds are not eaten. Some birds, as the turkey, the bluebird, the
yellow warbler, the mourning dove, and some snow-birds, are occasionally eaten.
Pg. 163
When all the birds and amimals had started out on their way, First Man called one little, gray bird back. It was tse na'olch' oshi, the little rock wren, who had carried the cliff rock up from the Yellow World. First Man told him that, since he had been responsible for the cliffs he should make his home among the cliff rocks. And should anyone ever harm him he would have the power of getting even with him. That is why falling rocks sometimes harm people or animals. Pg. 34
Hummingbird:
Sacred bird of the Navajo and other Southwestern tribes, Hummingbird is believed
to be a medicine person, the first healer of birds. The sound of Hummingbird's
wings reminds The People of little bells ringing in the wind. Pg. 196
Magpie: One of the many Native American tricksters, Magpie is a n audacious,
clever, fun-loving, trick-playing bird. He has been known to hoodwink Coyote
by appealing to Coyote's vanity. Some tribes consider the Magpie's white and
blue-black feathers sacred and use them in ceremonials. Pg. 196
Don't put food in a bird's mouth. You will have a sore throat. Pg. 82
The Dawn or Washing Songs contain such ideas as "Since he talks to it now, now it listens to him . . . . . . Blessedness comes out of his mouth." The Racing Songs mention other sounds: sounds of the running "fading into the distance" and the returning; sounds of "small blue male" and "female birds who call with beautiful voices as they are playing in the tip of the girls head plume"; sounds of the "breeze coming from her as she runs"; and the sounds of the Corn Beetle and all kinds of small birds, including dark-colored ones." The sounds of some of these birds are also present in the Combing Songs and the Painting Songs. In other Kinaalda songs, some of the syllables previously thought to be meaningless have now been shown to be imitations of the sounds and calls associated with particular deities. Pg. 376
The Human-shaped agates are closely associated with flint. After Gila Monster conducts the ceremonial for the hero, he makes representations of his own pouch in the form of two cranebill pouches for the Earth Surface People. To the outside of these pouches are tied arrowhead-shaped flints (preferably agate flint), and other flints are jingled during the songs. Today, Cranebill pouches are carefully prepared in a specific ceremony from the bodies of cranes, who themselves represent both the power of restoration and the return of life. In using the cranebill pouches ceremonially, the one-sung-over is told by the singer to tie an offering on to the appropriate (male or female) pouch. Men use flint arrowheads or jewels and women use beads or shell. These offerings are not removed; thus, in time, the pouches become heavily decorated. These pouches are held by the one-sung-over with the cranebill heads turned toward the self during the litany-type prayer. "Through their structure and composition the cranebills . . . are homologous with the pouches of Gila Monster.
Bluebirds
(doli) (H), a symbol of peace and happiness, is generally beloved by the Navajo,
being herald of the dawn and a manifestation of Talking God, who told co, hero
of the Night Chant, he would appear among the Navajo as bluebird. His feathers
are a requisite of many ceremonial properties (Prayersticks, Con. C; Matthews
1902, p. 205).
Big-prairie-hawk (ginitsoh, gin' tsoh) (H) helped to scratch through the sky
from the fourth to this world (Matthews
1897, p.75).
Birds enter into various phases of ritual, especially in the manufacture of
bundle properties and prayersticks. Many birds were helpers of the Navaho, even
in their early prehuman existence. Some are sufficiently characterized to be
listed with deities and helpers; many others are more or less taken for granted
except as they enter incidentally into ritual. They are closely associated with
game and hunting, and with snakes (Matthews 1897, pp. 81, 88, 191, 193, 195;
1902,p. 151).
A systematic study of birds should be made, but until it is, the superficial
identifications at my disposal will have to do. In 1942 I took YL, who knew
the Shooting Chant, to the Museum of Northern Arizona, where, through the kindness
of Edwin McKee, we were able to work for a short while on the bird collections.
YL identified some of the birds most common in the ceremonies. This was an exhilarating
experience, for he was from the western part of the reservation, yet he said
nothing that conflicted with information I had obtained in the eastern part.
However, we were able to test several chanters in this way, their identifications
would probably not be in complete agreement. Wyman found differences in his
identification of plants and there are local differences in all fields of Navaho
teaching.
I showed a copy of Taverner's Birds of Western Canada (abbreviated Tav.) to
RP and tla'h, who were much interested and gave a few identifications from plates
which I include when they differ from those given by YL. I usually find that
Indians are unable to make trustworthy identifications from pictures. However,
these two chanters were so graphic-minded and attended to the least detail in
sandpaintings, even in copies on paper, so carefully that their identifications
may be trusted to a degree. An interesting phase of YL's classification is his
calling birds of different genera 'male' and 'female' of the same Navajo category.
In the Flint Chant the following associations are made (Haile 1943a, p. 173):
|
BIRD Red bird Eagle Big hawk Bluebird Hummingbird Cornbeetle Heron |
ASSOCIATED
WITH sun mountain rocks trees plants ground water |
Hummingbirds
(dahi'tihi) (H) and Chickenhawks were great hunters who lived together in the
same camp.
Hummingbird (bita' 'aya'hi', 'One-whose-wings-whir') brought beeweed sauce to
Rainboy of the Hail Chant, and gave him a bead that tinkled like a little bell
to wear around his neck (Matthews 1897, p.88; Reichard 1944d, p. 135).
Meadowlark (tsiya'yo'ji') (U) was a companion of Spider Woman, whom The Twins
encountered on their first visit to Sun. She was commissioned by Black God to
bring the plants for blackening in the War Ceremony (Reichard, Shooting Chant
ms.; Haile 1938b, p. 193).
Mourning Dove (xasbidi') (H), like roadrunner and turkey, is idealized. Mourning
Dove was said to report things reliably and to have no equal in speed.
Later, when he was sent to spy on Box Turtle and Long Frog, he brought back
an accurate report, since he could understand the special war language. He jerked
his head back and forth to imitate the enemy and has retained this, a war habit,
to this day.
A pair called Dove Man and Dove Woman aided Monster Slayer and his two wives
when he performed his first Eagle Chant (Ch. 16; Haile 1938b, p. 148; Newcomb
1940b, pp. 70ff.).
Roadrunner (na'tsedlozi') (H) is said to have been without fault of any kind
(Haile 1938b, p. 193).
Swallows (tactciji') (U) are often introduced into a tale and seem to have great
power, but are not thoroughly described. They helped the Spiders overcome Coyote.
As a reward they got pieces of his skin, which they laid as ornaments on their
wings (Reichard, Endurance Chant ms.).
Turkey Buzzard (dje'co") (U) is allied with Crow, Magpie, and other carrion-eating
birds. Monster Slayer succeeded in overcoming Turkey Buzzard, who offered his
feathers as the soot for the War Ceremony blackening (Chi 4; Haile 1938b, pp.95-7,
193).
White Goose (tcj'clgaihi) (P) was an important and respected (feared) member
of Winter Thunder's party in the Hail Chant. When the party had been brought
under control and Rainboy was observing his period of restriction after the
ceremony, White Goose brought him a dish of food made of parched corn and pinion
nuts, and spread over him the blanket of Old Age (Reichard 1944d, p. 135).
Woodpecker (tsiyikali') (H) helped the people from the third to the fourth world
by pecking through the sky.
Later he hid in a ball of mud, 'loaded 'for the contest with Gambler, and was
rewarded with a whiteshell.
In the vast Navaho mythology, woodpecker is not much in evidence, though he
is ubiquitous in Apache myth as the 'carpenter' bird (Goddard, pp. 131, 143;
Opler 1940).
Water animals are sacred and figure in many rites. The skin of the beaver and otter were used in making highly prized headbands, while the fur of beaver and muskrat still decorates some rattles. It is said that these animals were quite plentiful on the banks of the rivers, and the skins were often bartered from neighboring Indians. Pg.156
Weaving has been carried to a high degree of perfection by the Navaho. The art as it exists among them today is not an invention of their own, as nothing similar is found among any other tribe of the Athapascan stock. It is pretty safe to say that the Navaho learned the art of weaving from the Pueblos. Their own legends, however, account for it in their own way. The hanelnaeheke hani', or moving upward chant legend, records that the art of weaving was taught by the Spider Man and Spider Woman in the following manner. "The Spider Man drew some cotton (ndaka') from his side and instructed the Navaho to make a loom. The cotton-warp was made of spider-web (nashjei bitlol). The upper cross-pole was called yabitlol (sky or upper cord), the lower cross-pole ni'bitlol (earth or lower cord). The warp-sticks were made of shabitlol (sun rays), the upper strings, fastening the warp to the pole, of atsinltlish (lightning), the lower strings of shabitlajilchi (sun halo), the heald was a tsaghadindini isenil (rock crystal heald), the cord-heald stick was made of atsolaghal (sheet lightning), and was secured to the warp strands by means of nltsatlol billdestlo' (rain ray cords)." "The batten-stick was also made of shabitlajilchi (sun halo), while the beidzoi (comb) was of yolgai (white shell). Four spindles or distaffs were added to this, the disks of which were of cannel-coal, turquoise, abalone and white bead, respectively, and the spindle-sticks of atsinltlish (zigzag lightning), hajilgish (flash lightning), atsolaghal (sheet lightning), and nltsatlol (rain ray), respectively." "The dark, blue, yellow and white winds quickened the spindles (beedizi) according to their color, and enabled them to travel around the world."
Presumably, this legend accounts for the now vanishing tradition that weaving should be done with proper moderation. Overdone weaving (akeitlo) is ameliorated by a sacrifice offered to the spindle (beedizi). Its prayerstick (bik'et'an) consists of yucca, precious stones, bird and turkey feathers, tassels of grass (tlo'zol) and pollen, and forms part of the blessing rite (hozhoji). The hach'eyatqei, or ch'aeyatqei (prayer to the gods), is recited with the sacrifice. The custom withholding maidens from weaving before marriage, which was formerly observed, is also explained by the fear of overdoing weaving. Little or no attention, however, is paid to this tradition today. Pgs. 221, 223
For references to steps in weaving, coloring and dyeing of wool, setting up of loom, weaving, Implements, use of loom, designs and knitting refer to below Pgs. 223-256
Take, for instance, the famous art of Navajo weaving. If you ask a member of the tribe today when weaving was learned, she - for Navajo weavers are women - will tell you that they were taught by Spider Woman, "in the beginning." Yet the Navajo weaving technique, point for point, exactly duplicates that of the Pueblos, who have been weaving since A.D. 600. It is a complicated art, and Navajo girls today need years to learn it from a female relative, practicing every day. It is difficult to believe that the Navajos had worked out the loom, the spindle, and all the other equipment before this era of "learning by marriage." A blanket got in trade, a loom glimpsed on a visit to some pueblo would never have given them enough information. Then there is the problem of sex etiquette, for most Pueblo weavers today are men. Indian proprieties would surely forbid a Navajo woman to receive daily instruction from a strange man. But if she married him! It is possible to imagine the skilled weaver working in a Navajo home, trying to teach his sons who were still wedded to the life of hunting and fighting and, finally, imparting the art to his daughters. That this did not happen too early in Navajo history can be gathered from the fact that all known specimens of Navajo weaving are in wool. Therefore they were made after the Spaniards had come and after the Navajos had sheep. And sheep did not come to the Navajos in any quantity until after the Pueblo revolt. Pgs. 46-47
Even such everyday tasks as weaving must be done only in moderation. Many women will not weave more than about two hours at a stretch; in the old days unmarried girls were not allowed to weave for fear they would overdo, and there is a folk rite for curing the results of excess in this activity. Closely related is the fear of completely finishing anything: as a "spirit outlet," the weaver leaves a small slit between the threads. Pgs. 225-226
The Navajos believe in the Greek maxim "Nothing to excess " believing that overdoing a thing brings bad luck as an offense to the spirits. For the same reason nothing must be too perfect. A rug or basket design with a solid border must have a break in it or flaw to let the spirit of the maker, who has spent so much time and energy, escape. It is natural that things which bring one a livelihood should also have some restrictions. Many commercially minded weavers and other craftsmen have begun to ignore the taboos of their trades as being too restrictive. The large number of taboos relating to pottery making have been given credit for the decline of that craft, and none are listed here.
Don 't hit anyone with weaving tools - crack the tools.
They will be paralyzed in the future.
Don't spank your children with weaving tools.
They'll get sick.
Don't have a weaving comb with six points.
Your baby might have six fingers.
Don't go between the poles of the loom when a woman is weaving.
You won't grow - cause evil - won't get much for the rug.
Don't have the loom of the weaving stand too long.
It will tire and hurt you.
Don't eat or drink while you prepare the loom for the rug.
You'll get poor - won't get much for the rug.
Don't eat while you are weaving.
It will go slow - won't be any good.
Don't weave a Yei figure with one eye smaller or one leg shorter.
It will affect you that way in later life - affect your baby.
Don't leave a Yei figure in a rug unfinished.
The Yeis will get angry - bring bad luck.
This is interesting as a compromise taboo. Yeis are Holy People and as such are supposed to be represented only in the sandpaintings which are used and destroyed before sundown but never done in any permanent form. The famous hermaphroditic medicine man Hosteen Clah was one of the first to weave rug versions of the sandpaintings. In the Shiprock area Yei rugs and other pictorial tapestries became increasingly popular after WWII.
Don't be stubborn while weaving a rug.
It won't be worth much.
Don't throw weaving tools.
You 'II never finish the weaving.
Don't burn weaving tools.
The "Yeis" will get angry - bad luck.
Don't weave if you don't know a weaving song.
It won't be any good.
Don't leave tools in the loom when they are not in use.
You won't finish right away.
Don't weave when it is raining.
It will cause the loom to fall.
Don't stand by the loom when it is raining.
Lightning will strike you.
Don't pass things through the loom.
Anything you pass through will be lost -food, yarn, beads.
Don't bump into or move around a loom you are preparing for a rug.
It will be crooked - you won't be able to get it straight.
Don't leave carded wool too long.
When you start weaving it won't like it and you'll have trouble.
Don't make fun of your weaving.
It will get worse - you'll be poor.
Don't leave a loom outside.
It will collect bad things.
Don't cut off a loom once it is made.
You will have a short life.
Don't steal a rug - wool - weaving tools.
You'll never be lucky - always have bad luck.
Don't weave immoral things in a rug.
You'll be sterile.
Don't weave any taboo animal into a rug.
You will have all the bad luck associated with that animal.
Don 't hang rugs out in the sun.
The sun will take it as an insult.
Don't weave at all (boys).
It will affect the reproductive organs.
Don't weave on the north side of the hogan.
The rug won't be worth anything.
Don't drag your rugs on the ground.
Causes poverty.
Don't leave an unfinished rug outside at night.
It might be witched - you won't be able to finish it or sell it.
Don't put a rug over your horse's face.
It will go blind.
Pgs. 179-183
The principal occupation of the present-day Navajo is raising sheep, goats, and a few cattle. And yet four hundred years ago he had seen no sheep or horses. Under the treaty of 1886, each Navajo was given two sheep - about twelve thousand sheep altogether, since not more than sic thousand Navajos survived Bosque Redondo. Now a million sheep graze on the Navajo land. Since the introduction of sheep to this country by Coronado's men, Navajo women have been weaving rugs on crude hand looms - an art which was not entirely new to them, since they already wove with yucca and other vegetable fibers. Pg. 167
There is a saying that a rug is not good unless a weaver puts her "soul" in it. Like Changing Woman, the Holy Person whom the Navajo woman personifies, the weaver is an eternal creator who weaves both an individual product of her own mind and a more universal product from the mind of the tribe. Pgs. 10-11
