Thomas County cat., 1890-10-30

tStOrfes and Tfadltfoms of thc Na-'
i vajo indiana.
| In common with other tribes Of thu
southwest, the Navajos believe that they
y originally came from below, and like tho
Moquis their lower world is composed
OF two stories or stations. Their best
established traditions of the creation,
or appearance of men on earth, is a.
follows: The Nayajos originally lived
In the underworld is, the world
Immediately below the one upon which
they now live. In that world they were
happy and contented, and had every;
thing which heart could wish for.
There wife no excesses of heat or cold,
and fruits and flowers grew in album
dance. Theday was marked by a bright
cloud, which rose like a curtain in ths
east, and as this went down black
cloud rose in the west, which marked
the night. Inthis happy condition they
existed until some one of the tribe dis
covered an opening in the earth which
extended upward to some place then un-
known. He communicated his discov-
cry to his people, and the tribe set out
to find to what place the opening would
lead. Finally they emerged upon this
earth at a point somewhere in the Nava-
jo mountains. and Immediately prepared
to take possession of their new home.
When they came upon earth they were
ruled by a queen, who misterious,y dis
appeared four days afterwards. Men
were sent in all directions to search for
her, and those who had gone in the di-
recti''n of the Navajo mountains came
upon the opening by which the tribe had
ascended from the lower world, and
found that it had not yet been closed.
Looking downward, they saw their
queen cOmbing her long black hair. She
spoke to them, and told them to return
to her people with the message that she
had died on earth and had returned to
the lower world, and that they would
come to her only when death had re-
leased them from the upper world.
With this the earth closed, and the
searchers returned to The tribe with the
message which had been given them.
Soon after this, giants appeared in the
country, who killed and ate up the en-
tire tribe with the exception of four
families, who found safety III deep
canon of the Navajo mountains.
One day in their desolate retreat they
saw an early dawn bright ray of sun
shine beaming upon lovely verdant
hill not far away. Four days in sue
eessiOn this phenomenon was presented,
and before dawn by curiosity to visit
the spt they found a beautiful girl
babe. This child was regarded as the
daughter of heaven and earth, ard they
reard her with the greatest care. When
she grew to wOmanhOod the great war
rior who rides upon white horse and
carries the sun upon his arm as a shield
fell in love with and married her. The
of this union were two sor.s
who slew the giants who had destroyed
the Navajos; and under their protect.
ion the world has peopled again. The
laughter of heaven and earth was
finally taken up by her warrior husband
md transported to the great waters to
he westward, where she was placed in
! floating palace which has since been
ler home. She is immortal and to- herr
ere addressed the prayers of the people1
Her water home is guarded by twelve
beings, who return period
cally to the land to learn what the
<ayajOs are doing and to carry back
my messages which they may send.
rhe Tradition of this protecting goddess
accounts for the respect which tho
NavajOs show to the women of their
ribe. Among them man never lifts
lis hand against woman, although it
s no unusual thing for squaw to ad-
minister sound thrashing to the war
'iOr husband who has offended her.
AL of the sheep, which constitute the
,reat wealth of the tribe, are owned by
he women: and in the various families
he line of descent is always OIL the side
# the woman. The NavajOs have little
II no idea of the future existence, but
ire firm believers in the transmigrati0n
# souls. For this reason they have
reat reverence for different animals
md birds, which are supposed to be
of departed spirits of
SavajOs.-William NJ. Edwards, in
Iarper's Weekly.
One View oft.