Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-22
SINGING AS THEY GAMBLE.
A Queer Game Among the Navajoe
Founded on a Myth.

rOunueu on Myth.
DR. WASHINGTON MATTHEWS GIVES An INTER
EsrISo ACCOUNT OF NAVAJO GAMBLING SONGS
TIRE GAME OF KEsIcHAY AND THE STRANGE
MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
DR.. Washington Matthews of the army, read
paper before the Anthropological society
Tuesday evening on the subject of Navajo
Gambling Songs" He said that his audience
must not expect too much from him in the way
of music; there was a time when he could
with some little difficulty, distinguish the diff
ference between yankee Doodle" and ''0ld
Hundred" but he feared that he had even for
gotten that The Navajo Indians. he began.
have numerous songs, many of which are sung
during the progresssof a gambling game called
''Kesichay." (This spelling, DR.. Matthews after
ward explained, will suffce.) The game is
founded on a myth which forms one of the ira
ditional beliefs of the Navajoes. The songs
used in this game are almost numberless. and
one old man of whom the doctor asked the
| number said. with an intended exaggeration.
that there were over 1900 in the game. An
other said that there was a song for every bird
that flies every animal that crawls or prowls.
The game is sacred and is usually played in
winter and always in the dark hours. When
asked why the night should be selected for the
game, one Indian remarked that The on whom
the sun shines while playing the kesichay viii be
stricken blind" The game Is played IN a lodge
or wigwam. Six moccasins are buried with
their tops even with the ground IN two rows
several feet apart and filled to their edges with
sand
HOW THE GAME Is PLAYED.
The Indians divide into two parties and draw
lots for the first move. The winners of the
| move take small black stone, and, raising a
blanket between themselves and their oppo-
nents to conceal their operations. hide the stone
in one of the moccasins, burying it in the sand
so that it is entirely out of sight. The others
then try to find the stone by striking with a
stick the moccasin supposed to contain it. If
they find it they take the stone in turn and hide
1t, the Others guessing, but If they fail
their opponents hold it until it is
found, each time hanging up the
blanket and changing, or pretending to change,
Its location. The game is counted by means of
102 long slender sticks on each side, which
change hands the sides win or lose. The
system of counting is very intricate, the count
depending on the location of the ball. Four,
six or ten counters change hands at each
hiding. The chances are almost all in favor
of the holders of the ball, and frequently
one side will lose all of their counters before
the ball is found. when the game comes to an
end. Two of the counters on each side are
notched, and are called ''grandmothers." When
there has been a long run of bad luck the
''grandmothers" are stuck up in the ground
and told to go and seek their grandchildren,
meaning to bring back the luck and the lost
counters. 1t is supposed to be lucky to hold the
grandmothers until the last. SO they are not
laid out until the others are all gone.
THE KEsICHAY MYTH.
The myth on which the kesichay is founded
is based, like most other Indian traditions,
upon the sayings and doings of animals in
rhan no 30 H..
peopled entirely with beasts. There were
some animals, the tradition runs. that saw
better, hunted better, and were happier in the
light. and others that liked the dark. As il
was thought wise that the existing alienation
of night and day should be changed SO as to
suit one or the other of these classes. it de-
termined to call a council of the animals to de-
termine in whose favor the change should be
made. When all were together they decided
to play the kesichay to settle the controversy.
The council was held at night. and the game
Progressed with varying success for many hours.
uDring the playing the animals of either side
began to sing songs illustrative of their luck or
their feelings, sometimes haunting each other
with their ill-success. Every animal present
sang Of his own characteristics, and SO the
foundation for the present animal songs of the
keschay laid. When the blanket is put
up the holders of the ball sing a chant to the
effect that 1.-The old screen hangs in front, the
old screen hangs in 'front.'" repeated many
times. The bear, the dog. the owl, every bird
and animal known to the Navajoes, has some
appropriate song that is sung in the game.
THE DAWN.
The game between the nocturnal and the
diurnal animals developed into a round of
haunting songs, flung from one side to another,
until some one called on the raven. He sang
a song of the morning. and cried that the dawn
had come, when the eastern sky began to be
filled with light and with a mingled cry of
disappointment the nocturnal animals fed to
their homes. scattering the articles used in the
game, which was thus brought to an undecided
end. For this reason the alienation of night
and day has never been changed.
THE BEARS MISTAKE
The moccasins used belonged to the bear,
who, in his hurry, put them on wrong, thus
giving his feet their peculiar shape. The sun
shone on him before he reached his den. and
turned his black coat to a reddish brown, which
is Its color now.
A Navajo Indian will not Kill snake. but if
one is encountered, will put stick beneath it
and toss it away. SO. if snake come into the
tent where the kesichay is being played il is
tossed from one side to the other by the oppo-
nents in the hope that it will bring bad luck
to those with whom it stays.