Chapter IV: Growth of the Navaho Nation (8)

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269. Plate IV. represents a man dressed to personate Nayénezgani, or Slayer of the Alien Gods, as he appears in an act of succor in the ceremony of the night chant, on the afternoon of the ninth day, in company with two other masqueraders (To`badzistsíni[270] and Hastséoltoi[206]). The personator has his body painted black with charcoal of four sacred plants, and his hands painted white. He wears a black mask which has a fringe of yellow or reddish hair across the crown and an ornament of turkey's and eagle's feathers on top. Five parallel lines with five angles in each, to represent lightning, are painted on one cheek of the mask (sometimes the right, sometimes the left). Small, diamond-shaped holes are cut in the mask for eyes and mouth, and to the edge of each hole a small white shell is attached. On his body there are drawn in white clay the figures of eight bows; six are drawn as shown in the picture and two more are drawn over the shoulder-blades. All these bows are shown as complete (or strung) except those on the left leg and left side of the back, which are represented open or unstrung, as shown in the plate and fig. 41. The symbol at the left leg is made first, that on the left shoulder last of all. All the component lines of the symbol are drawn from above downward; fig. 41 shows the order in which they must be drawn. The symbols must all turn in one direction. The personator wears a collar of fox-skin, a number of rich necklaces of shell, turquoise and coral, a fine skirt or sash around his loins (usually scarlet baize, bayeta, but velvet or any rich material will do), a belt decorated with silver, and ordinary moccasins. He carries in his right hand a great stone knife, with which, in the scene of succor, he makes motions at the patient and at the medicine-lodge to draw out the disease. The patient prays to him, and gives him a cigarette painted black and decorated with the bow-symbols in white. This cigarette is preferably deposited under a piñon-tree. A dry-painting of this god has never been seen by the author, and he has been told that none is ever made.

270. Plate VII. represents the personator of the War God, To`badzistsíni, or Child of the Water, as he appears in the act of succor described in notes 206 and 269. His body and limbs are painted with a native red ochre; his hands are smeared with white earth; and eight symbols are drawn in his body in white,--two on the chest, two on the arms, two on the legs, and two on the back, partly over the shoulder-blades. As with the bow-symbols of Nayénezgani (note 269), two of the symbols are left open or unfinished,--that on the left leg (painted first) and that over the left shoulder-blade (painted last), to indicate (some say) that the labors of the god are not yet done. Fig. 42 shows the order and direction in which each component line of the symbol must be drawn. The symbols represent a queue, such as the Navahoes now wear (fig. 31). Some say these figures represent the queue of the god's mother, others say they represent the scalps of conquered enemies; the latter is a more probable explanation. The personator wears a mask painted also with red ochre (all except a small triangular space over the face, which is colored black and bordered with white); and it is decorated both in front and behind with a number of queue-symbols (the number is never the same in two masks, but is always a multiple of four). The mask has a fringe of red or yellow hair, and a cockade of turkey-tail and a downy eagle-feather. The holes for the eyes and mouth are diamond-shaped, and have white shells attached to them. The actor carries in his left hand a small round cylinder of cedar-wood painted red, and in his right a cylinder of piñon painted black. With these, in the scene of succor, he makes motions at the patient and at the lodge. Like his companion, the personator of Nayénezgani, he wears a collar of fox-skin (Vulpes velox); rich necklaces of shell, turquoise, and coral; a skirt or sash of bayeta, or some other rich material; a belt adorned with plaques of silver; and ordinary moccasins. The sacrificial cigarette which he receives is painted red, marked with the queue-symbols, and deposited under a cedar-tree. No dry-painting of To`badzistsíni has been seen by the author, and he has been assured that none is made.

271. The name Has-tsél-tsi (Red God) is derived from Hastsé (God, see par. 78) and litsí (red). The Red God, it is said, is never depicted in dry-paintings. The author has never seen the character in masquerade; it seldom appears,--only on the rare occasions when there is no dance of the naakhaí on the last night of the night chant. He seems to be a god of racing. The following account of him is from verbal description: Red God is one of the yéi, and dwells wherever other yéi dwell (hence there are many). His representative never appears in an act of succor and never helps the patient. A fast runner is chosen to play the part. He goes round among the assembled Indians and challenges men, by signs and inarticulate cries, to race with him. If he wins, he whips the loser with two wands of yucca leaves (culled with special observances) which he carries. If he loses, the winner must not whip him. If the loser begs him to whip softly he whips hard, and vice versa. His body is painted red and has queue-symbols drawn on it, like those of To`badzistsíni (plate VII.). His mask, which is a domino and not a cap, is painted red and marked with circles and curves in white. His cigarette is prepared on the fourth day, but it is not given to him to sacrifice; it is placed by other hands. Song and prayer accompany the preparation and sacrifice of the cigarette. The latter is painted red, and decorated in white with queue-symbols, either two or four; if four, two are closed or complete, and two open or incomplete. (Note 270.)

NAVAHO MUSIC.

BY PROF. JOHN COMFORT FILLMORE.

272. The twenty-eight songs which I have transcribed from phonographic records made by Dr. Washington Matthews have very great scientific interest and value, inasmuch as they throw much light on the problem of the form spontaneously assumed by natural folk-songs. Primitive man, expressing his emotions, especially strongly excited feeling, in song, without any rules or theories, must, of course, move spontaneously along the lines of least resistance. This is the law under which folk-melodies must necessarily be shaped. The farther back we can get toward absolutely primitive expression of emotion in song, the more valuable is our material for scientific purposes; because we can be certain that it is both spontaneous and original, unaffected by contact with civilized music and by any and all theories. In such music we may study the operation of natural psychical laws correlated with physical laws, working freely and coming to spontaneous expression through the vocal apparatus.

These Navaho songs are especially valuable because they carry us well back toward the beginnings of music-making. One only needs to hear them sung, or listen to them in the admirable phonographic records of Dr. Matthews, to be convinced of this from the very quality of tone in which they are sung. In all of them the sounds resemble howling more than singing, yet they are unmistakably musical in two very important particulars: (1) In their strongly marked rhythm; (2) In the unquestionably harmonic relations of the successive tones. I shall deal with them, therefore, under the two heads of Rhythm and Harmonic Melody.

1. Rhythm.--Mr. Richard Wallascheck, the distinguished author of "Primitive Music," has lately called attention to the importance of sonant rhythm. Not only does the rhythmic impulse precede the other musical elements, but the superiority of sonant rhythm is such as to serve as an incitement to tone-production. Rhythm tends to set the voice going; and of course vocal sounds, which constitute the first music, do not become music until they are rhythmically ordered. They tend to become so ordered by a natural law of pulsation which need not be discussed here. The regularly recurring pulsations, which specially show themselves in all prolonged emissions of vocal sounds, tend also to form themselves in metrical groups; speaking broadly, these metrical groups are usually twos or threes, or simple multiples of twos or threes. This is so, for the most part, in savage folk-music, in our most advanced culture-music, and in all the development which comes between. The metrical grouping into fives or sevens is comparatively rare; but I have found it more frequently by far in savage folk-music than in our music of civilization.

The most striking characteristic of the metrical grouping of tones in the Navaho songs here given is the freedom with which the singer changes from one elementary metre to the other; i.e. from twos to threes and vice versa. So in the compound metres: two twos and three twos, or two threes and three threes, are intermingled with the utmost freedom, so that few of them can be marked in the notation with a single-time signature. Or, if they are, there is almost sure to be an exceptional measure or two here and there which varies from the fundamental metrical type. Thus, the first song on cylinder No. 38 has metrical groupings of three threes and of two threes; i.e. 9/8 and 6/8 time. The two songs on cylinder No. 41 have three twos and two twos, treating the eighth note as a unit; or, better, 2/4 and 3/4 metre, mingled at the pleasure of the singer. Nearly all the songs vary the metre in this way. The one on cylinder No. 62 has an exceptionally rich variety of metrical arrangement; while the second one, on cylinder No. 38, is exceptionally simple and monotonous in metre and rhythm. A few of them, like No. 25, recorded on cylinder No. 143, are singularly irregular. This song would seem to be based on a grouping of simple twos (2/4 time, equal to 4/8) as its fundamental metrical conception; yet a great many measures contain only three eighth notes, and some contain five or even six. The song numbered 28, on cylinder No. 144, has a 8/8 metre as its foundation, but varied by 2/4, equal to 4/8. In respect of metrical grouping, these Navaho songs do not differ in any essential characteristic from the songs of the Omahas, the Kwakiutls, the Pawnees, the Otoes, the Sioux, and other aboriginal folk-music, nor from that of other nations and races, including our own. The complexity of metrical arrangement has been carried much farther by some other tribes, notably the Omahas and the Kwakiutls, than by the Navahoes, so far as appears from the present collection of songs. There is no record here of an accompanying drum-beat, so that, if the combinations of dissimilar rhythms which are so common in the two above-named tribes exist among the Navahoes, they are yet to be recorded and transcribed.

2. Harmonic Melody.--These songs seem to be a real connecting link between excited shouting and excited singing. In quality of tone they are shouts or howls. In pitch-relations they are unmistakably harmonic. Some of them manifest this characteristic most strikingly. For example, the two songs on cylinder No. 41 contain all the tones which compose the chord of C major, and no others. The second one on cylinder No. 38 has the tones D and F sharp and no others, except in the little preliminary flourish at the beginning, and here there is only a passing E, which fills up the gap between the two chord-tones. D is evidently the key-note, and the whole melody is made up of the Tonic chord incomplete. The first song on the same cylinder is similarly made up of the incomplete Tonic chord in C minor; only the opening phrase has the incomplete chord of E flat, the relative major. Cylinder No. 49 has nothing but the Tonic chord in C major, and the chord is complete. No. 61 has the complete chord of B flat minor and nothing else. No. 62 is made up mainly of the chord of F major complete. It has two by-tones occasionally used, G and D, the former belonging to the Dominant and the other to both the Sub-dominant and Relative minor chords. Song No. 9 on cylinder No. 100 has the incomplete chord of D sharp minor, with G sharp, the Sub-dominant in the key, as an occasional by-tone. The last tone of each period, the lowest tone of the song, sounds in the phonograph as if the singer could not reach it easily, and the pitch is rather uncertain. It was probably meant for G sharp; but a personal interview with the singer would be necessary to settle the point conclusively. Song No. 10, on the same cylinder, has the complete Tonic chord in D sharp minor and nothing else except the tone C sharp, which is here not a melodic by-tone, but a harmonic tone, a minor seventh added to the Tonic chord. This is curiously analogous to some of the melodies I heard in the Dahomey village at the World's Fair, and also to some of the melodies of our own Southern negroes. Song No. 11, on the same cylinder, has the same characteristics as No. 9. Nos. 12 and 13, on cylinder No. 135, contain the complete chord of D flat and nothing else. The two songs on cylinder No. 138 contain the complete chord of C major and nothing else, except at the beginning, where A, the relative minor tone, comes in, in the opening phrase. As a rule, whatever by-tones there are in these songs are used in the preliminary phrase or flourish of the song, and then the singer settles down steadily to the line of the Tonic chord. The two songs recorded on No. 139 have the complete major chord of B flat, with G, the relative minor, as a by-tone. The two songs on No. 143 are in C sharp minor and embody the Tonic chord, with F sharp, the Sub-dominant, as a by-tone. Only the first of the two begins with the tone B, which does not occur again. Song No. 27, on cylinder No. 144, embodies only the complete chord of C sharp minor. No. 28 has the same chord, with F sharp as a by-tone. The two songs on No. 145 are in D minor and are made up mainly of the Tonic chord. The by-tones used are G and B flat, which make up two thirds of the Sub-dominant chord, and C, which belongs to the relative major. No. 32, on cylinder No. 146, has more of diatonic melody. It is in G major, and embodies the chord of the Tonic with by-tones belonging to both the Dominant and Sub-dominant chords, one from each chord. No. 33, on the same cylinder, is less melodious, but has the same harmonic elements. Cylinder 147 has two songs in D major which embody the Tonic chord complete, with slight use of a single by-tone, B, the relative minor. The same is true of song No. 36, on cylinder No. 148. Song No. 37, on the same cylinder, has the major chord of C and nothing else.

There are two striking facts in all this: (1) When these Navahoes make music spontaneously,--make melodies by singing tones in rhythmically ordered succession,--there is always a tone which forces itself on our consciousness as a key-note, or Tonic, and this tone, together with the tones which make up its chord (whether major or minor), invariably predominates overwhelmingly; (2) Whenever by-tones are employed, they invariably belong to the chords which stand in the nearest relation to the Tonic.

I do not care at present to go into any speculations as to why this is so. No matter now what may be the influence of sonant rhythm; what may be the relations of the psychical, physiological, and physical elements; how sound is related to music; how men come to the conception of a minor Tonic when only the major chord is given in the physical constitution of tone. All these questions I wish to waive at this time and only to insist on this one fact, viz.: That, so far as these Navaho songs are concerned, the line of least resistance is always a harmonic line. If we find the same true of all other folk-melodies, I can see no possible escape from the conclusion that harmonic perception is the formative principle in folk-melody. This perception may be sub-conscious, if you please; the savage never heard a chord sung or played as a simultaneous combination of tones in his life; he has no notion whatever of the harmonic relations of tones. But it is not an accident that he sings, or shouts, or howls, straight along the line of a chord, and never departs from it except now and then to touch on some of the nearest related chord-tones, using them mainly as passing-tones to fill up the gap between the tones of his Tonic chord. Such things do not happen by accident, but by law.

That these Navahoes do precisely this thing, no listener can doubt who knows a chord when he hears it. But the same thing is true of all the folk-music I have ever studied. Hundreds of Omaha, Kwakiutl, Otoe, Pawnee, Sioux, Winnebago, Iroquois, Mexican Indian, Zuñi, Australian, African, Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Hindoo, Arab, Turkish, and European folk-songs which I have carefully studied, taking down many of them from the lips of the native singers, all tell the same story. They are all built on simple harmonic lines, all imply harmony, are all equally intelligible to peoples the most diverse in race, and consequently owe their origin and shaping to the same underlying formative principles.

Mr. Wallascheck has called attention to the fact that the rhythmic impulse precedes the musical tones, and also to the part played by sonant rhythm in setting tone-production going. The rhythmic impulse is doubtless the fundamental one in the origination of music. But when the tone-production is once started by the rhythmic impulse, it takes a direction in accordance with the laws of harmonic perception. I was long ago forced to this conclusion in my study of the Omaha music; and these Navaho songs furnish the most striking corroboration of it. How else can we possibly account for the fact that so many of these songs contain absolutely nothing but chord tones? How can we escape the conclusion that the line of least resistance is a harmonic line? Is it not plain that, in the light of this principle, every phenomenon of folk-music becomes clear and intelligible? Is there any other hypothesis which will account for the most striking characteristics of folk-music? Every student must answer these questions for himself. But I, for my part, am wholly unable to resist the conviction that the harmonic sense is the shaping, formative principle in folk-melody.

[In the numbers of The Land of Sunshine (Los Angeles, Cal.), for October and November, 1896, under the title of "Songs of the Navajos," the poetry and music of this tribe have already been discussed by Professor Fillmore and the author. All the music which follows (see pp. 258, 279-290), except that of the "Dove Song," was written by Professor Fillmore.]

273. DOVE SONG.

(See par. 50.) Music by Christian Barthelmess.

Slow.

Wos wos nai-di-la a a, Wos wos nai-di-lo o o,
Wos wos nai-di-la a a, Tsi-nol-ka-zi nai-di-la a a,
Ke-li-tsi-tsi nai-di-la a a, Wos wos nai-di-lo o o.

TEXTS AND INTERLINEAR TRANSLATIONS.

274. ASSEVERATION OF TORLINO (IN PART).

Naestsán bayántsin.
Earth (Woman Horizontal), for it I am ashamed.

Yádilyil bayántsin.
Sky (dark above), for it I am ashamed.

Hayolkál bayántsin.
Dawn, for it I am ashamed.

Nahotsói bayántsin.
Evening (Land of Horizontal Yellow), for it I am ashamed.

Nahodotli'zi bayántsin.
Blue sky (Land or Place of Horizontal Blue), for it I am ashamed.

Tsalyél bayántsin.
Darkness, for it I am ashamed.

Tsóhanoai bayántsin.
Sun, for it I am ashamed.

Si sizíni beyastí`yi bayántsin.
In me it stands, with me it talks, for it I am ashamed.

275. BEGINNING OF ORIGIN LEGEND.

To`bilhaski'digi haádze lakaígo ta`i'ndilto; tsin
Water with Hill Central in to the east white up rose; day

dzilínla tsi'ni. Sadaádze dotli'zgo ta`i'ndilto;
they thought it they say. To the south blue up rose;

tábitsin indzilté tsi'ni. Inádze litsógo
still their day they went around they say. To the west yellow

ta`i'ndilto; ininála á`le tsi'ni. Akógo náhokosdze
up rose; evening always it showed they say. Then to the north

dilyi'lgo ta`i'ndilto; akógo dazintsá dádzilkos tsi'ni.
dark up rose; then they lay down they slept they say.

To`bilhaski'di to`altsáhazlin;
Water with Hill Central water flowed from in different directions;

haádze la ilín, sadaágo la ilín, la inádze ilín
to the east one flowed, at the south one flowed, one to the west flowed

tsi'ni. Haádze ilínigi ban kéhodziti; they say. To the east where it flowed its border place where they dwelt;

sadaádze eltó`; inádze eltó` ban kéhodziti
to the south also; to the west also its border place where they dwelt

tsi'ni. they say.

Haádze Tan holgé; sadaádze Nahodoóla holgé;
To the east Corn a place called; to the south Nahodoóla a place called;

inádze Lókatsosakád holgé. Haádze Asalái
to the west Reed Great Standing a place called. To the east Pot One

holgé; sadaádze To`hádzitil holgé;
a place called; to the south Water They Come for Often a place called;

inádze Dsillitsíbehogán holgé. Haádze
to the west Mountain Red Made of House a place called. To the east

Léyahogan holgé; sadaádze Tsiltsi'ntha
Earth under House a place called; to the south Aromatic Sumac among

holgé; inádze Tse`litsíbehogán holgé.
a place called; to the west Rock Red Made of House a place called.

Holatsí Dilyi'le kéhati inté. Holatsí Litsí kéhati inté. Tanilaí Ants Dark lived there. Ants Red lived there. Dragon-flies

kéhati inté. Tsaltsá kéhati inté. Wointli'zi kéhati lived there. (Yellow beetles) lived there. Beetles (?) hard lived

inté. Tse`yoáli kéhati inté. Kinli'zin there. Stone carriers (beetles) lived there. Bugs black (beetles)

kéhati inté. Maitsán kéhati inté. Andi'ta Tsápani kéhati lived there. Coyote-dung (beetles) lived there. Besides Bats lived

inté. Totsó` kéhati inté. Wonistsídi kéhati inté. there. (White-faced beetles) lived there. Locusts lived there.

Wonistsídi Kaí kéhati inté. Nakidátago diné` aísi Locusts White lived there. Twelve people these

dezdél.
started (in life).

Haádze hahóse to`sigi'n tsi'ni; Sadaádze to`sigi'n
To the east extended ocean they say; to the south ocean

tsi'ni; inádze to`sigi'n tsi'ni; náhokosdze to`sigi'n they say; to the west ocean they say; to the north ocean

tsi'ni. Haádze to`sigi'n bígi Tiéholtsodi sitín tsi'ni. they say. To the east ocean within Tiéholtsodi lay they say.

Natáni inlíngo; hanantáï tsi'ni. Sadaádze to`sigi'n Chief he was; Chief of the people they say. To the south ocean

bígi Thaltláhale sitín tsi'ni. Natáni inlin'go; hanantáï within Blue Heron lay they say. Chief he was; chief of the people

tsi'ni. Inádze to`sigi'n bígi Tsal sitín tsi'ni. Natáni they say. To the west ocean within Frog lay they say. Chief

inlíngo; hanantáï tsi'ni. Náhokosdze to`sigi'n bígi he was; chief of the people they say. To the north ocean within

Idní`dsilkai sitín tsi'ni; hanantáï tsi'ni.
Thunder Mountain White lay they say; chief of the people they say.

Tígi itégo hazágo kédahatsitigo; e'hyidelnago In this way they quarrelled around where they lived; with one another

ahádaztilge tsi'ni. E'hyidelnago estsáni altsan
they committed adultery they say. With one another women several

tatsikíd tsi'ni. Yúwe tséhalni tsi'ni. Tiéholtsodi
committed crime they say. To banish it they failed they say. Tiéholtsodi

haádze "Hatégola doléla? Hwehéya
to the east "In what way shall we act? Their land

holdá`odaka`la." Sadaádze Thaltláhale halní
the place they dislike." To the south Blue Heron spoke to them

tsi'ni. Inádze "Kat si dokoné kehadzitídolel," Tsal they say. To the west "Now I (say) not here shall they dwell," Frog

hatsí Natáni inli'ni, hatsí tsi'ni. Náhokosdze he said Chief he was, he said they say. To the north

Idní`dsilkai "Ta`kadá` hádzeta dahízdinolidi" tsi'ni.
Thunder Mountain White "Quickly elsewhere they must depart" they say.

Haádze Tiéholtsodi ahánadazdeyago
To the east Tiéholtsodi when again they committed adultery

alkinatsidzé tohatsí tsi'ni. Sadaádze
among themselves again fought nothing he said they say. To the south

Thaltláhale tatohanantsída tsi'ni. Inádze Tsal natáni Blue Heron again said nothing to them they say. To the west Frog chief

inlinéni tatohanantsída tsi'ni. Náhokosdze
he formerly was again said nothing to them they say. To the north

Idní`dsilkai tatohanantsída tsi'ni.
Thunder Mountain White again said nothing to them they say.

Tóbiltahozondala tsi'ni.
Not with pleasant ways, one they say.

Tin naikálago takonáhotsa tsi'ni. Sadaádze Four again ends of nights again the same happened they say. To the south

kéhodzitini takonátsidza tsi'ni; kinatsidzé tsi'ni. the dwellers did the same again they say; again they fought they say.

Haádze la estsánigo la dinégo yahatsaáz inté;
To the east one woman one man tried to enter two together there;

tsehodineltsa, tsi'ni. Sadaádze Thaltláhale sitínedze they were driven they say. To the south Blue Heron to where he lay

yahanátsataz inté; tsenáhodineltsa
again they tried to enter two together there; again they were driven out

tsi'ni. Inádze Tsal natáni inli'nedze they say. To the west Frog chief to where he was

yahanátsataz inté; tsenáhodineltsa
again they tried to enter two together there; again they were driven out

tsi'ni. Náhokosdze tsenáhodineltsa "Tóta ní`yila. they say. To the north again they were driven out. "Not one of you.

Dainoká` hádzeta," ho`doní tsi'ni. Andi'ta aibitlé
Keep on going elsewhere," thus he spoke they say. Besides the same night

Nahodoóla bai'ndadzitigo iská' tatoastetsáda Nahodoóla they discussed it the end of the night they did not decide

tsi'ni. Na`déyayilkágo Tiéholtsodi hayálti tsi'ni. they say. After dawn Tiéholtsodi began to talk they say.

"Todadotsáda tsiní`yitsinyasti hádis tadidotsíl
"You pay no attention all I said to you anywhere you will disobey;

ní`yila` hádzeta tanelída; koné tóta ti` ni dasakádgi kat all of you elsewhere must go; here not this earth upon stand in now

tóta;" hodoní tsi'ni. not;" thus he said they say.

Estsánigo tin iskágo basahatsilágo tsi'ni.
Among the women four ends of nights, till they talked about it they say.

Tín iská` api'nigo názditse inté tsi'ni, Four ends of nights in the morning as they were rising there they say,

haádze hatísi lakáigo taigánil tsi'ni; andi'ta sadaádze
to the east something white it appeared they say; besides to the south

eltó` taigánil tsi'ni; naakoné inádze eltó` taigánil also it appeared they say; again here to the west also it appeared

tsi'ni; andi'ta náhokosdze eltó` taigánil tsi'ni. Dsil they say; besides to the north also it appeared they say. Mountains

ahyéna`a` náhalini silín tsi'ni; tatobitá`hazani.
rising up around like it stretched they say; without opening.

To`ahyéintsil tsi'ni; to`tobityió, tatódizaatego Water all around they say; water not to be crossed, not to be climbed

ahyéintsilin tsi'ni. Táako tahadiltél tsi'ni.
flowed all around they say. At once they started they say.

Ahyéiltégo nihiziilté tsi'ni;
They went around in circles thus they went they say;

yabiilté tsi'ni. Dilkógo. Táado tan indazdéti
they went to the sky they say. It was smooth. Thence down they looked

tsi'ni; to` i'ndadiltlayengi; to` toahotéhida tsi'ni. they say; water where it had risen; water nothing else there they say.

Nité kondé la haznolán tsi'ni; tsi dotli'z léi; There from here one stuck out they say; head blue it had;

hatsotsí tsi'ni; "Kónne," tsiné, "haádzego
he called to them they say; "In here," he said, "to the eastward

ahótsala" tsi'ni. Akónne ooilté tsi'ni; binaká` a hole" they say. In here they went entering they say; through it

ilté tsi'ni bagándze hasté tsi'ni.
they went they say; to the upper surface they came out they say.

Dotli'zeni Hastsósidine` ati'nla tsi'ni. Hastsósidine` The blue one Swallow People belonged to they say. Swallow People

kéhatil tsi'ni. Hogánin togólgo nazni'l,
lived there they say. The houses rough (lumpy) scattered around,

tsi'ni; háhosi` yilá` tsi'ni. Bilathádze they say; a great many were placed they say. Toward their tops

dahatsózgo; áde yahadáhaztsa` tsi'ni. Háhosi` they tapered; from that gave entrance an opening they say. A great many

diné` altsí kotgá tsi'ni. Háalahazlín tsi'ni. people collected together they say. They crowded together they say.

276. SONG OF ESTSÁNATLEHI.

Aieneyá.
(No meaning.)

Eó eá aiá ahèea aía eeeaía ainá.
(A meaningless prelude twice repeated.)

1. Yéinaezgani sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Nayénezgani for me he brings, (meaningless.)

2. Kat Bitéelgeti sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Now Téelget for me he brings, (meaningless.)

3. Tsi'da la bidzái sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Truly one his lung for me he brings, (meaningless.)

4. Diné` nahostli'di. Sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
People are restored. For me he brings, (meaningless.)

Haía aína aiyéya aína.
(Meaningless refrain after each stanza.)

II.

1. Kat To`badzistsíni sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Now To`badzistsíni for me he brings, (meaningless.)

2. Tseninaholi'si sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Tse`náhale for me he brings, (meaningless.)

3. Tsi'da la bitái, sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Truly one his wing, for me he brings, (meaningless.)

4. Diné` nahostli'di. Sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
People are restored. For me he brings, (meaningless.)

III.

1. Kat Léyaneyani sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Now Léyaneyani for me he brings, (meaningless.)

2. Tse`tahotsiltá`li sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Tse`tahotsiltá`li for me he brings, (meaningless.)

3. Tsi'da bitlapi'le sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Truly his side-lock for me he brings, (meaningless.)

4. Diné` nahostli'di. Sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
People are restored. For me he brings, (meaningless.)

IV.

1. Kat Tsówenatlehi sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Now Tsówenatlehi for me he brings, (meaningless.)

2. Bináye Tsagáni sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Bináye Aháni for me he brings, (meaningless.)

3. Tsi'da la binái sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
Truly one his eye for me he brings, (meaningless.)

4. Diné` nahostli'di. Sa` niyi'nigi, yeyeyéna.
People are restored. For me he brings, (meaningless.)

In line 1, stanza I., Nayénezgani is changed to Yéinaezgani, and in line 1, stanza IV., Bináye Aháni is changed to Bináye Tsagáni. Nahostli'di in the last line of each stanza is rendered here "restored," but the more exact meaning is, not that the original people are called back to life, but that others are given in place of them. This verb is used if a man steals a horse and gives another horse as restitution for the one he stole.

277. SONG OF NAYÉNEZGANI (NAYÉNEZGANI BIGI'N).

Atsé Estsán Nayénezgani yihaholni'z, Atsé Estsán Nayénezgani began to tell her of,

Bitéelgeti yilhaholni'z, Téelget began to tell her of,

Nayé holóde yihaholni'z. Anáye from where they are began to tell her of.

II.

Estsánatlehi To`badzistsíni yilhaholni'z, Estsánatlehi To`badzistsíni began to tell her of,

Tse`nahalési yilhaholni'z, Tsé`nahale began to tell her of,

Nayé holóde yilhaholni'z. Anáye from where they are began to tell her of.

III.

Atsé Estsán Léyaneyani yilhaholni'z, Atsé Estsán Léyaneyani began to tell her of,

Tse`tahotsiltá`li yilhaholni'z, Tse`tahotsiltá`li began to tell her of,

Nayé holóde yilhaholni'z. Anáye from where they are began to tell her of.

IV.

Estsánatlehi Tsówenatlehi yilhaholni'z, Estsánatlehi Tsówenatlehi began to tell her of,

Bináye Tsagáni yilhaholni'z, Bináye Aháni began to tell her of,

Nayé holóde yilhaholni'z. Anáye from where they are began to tell her of.

Prelude, refrain, and meaningless syllables are omitted from this text.

278. SONG OF NAYÉNEZGANI.

Kat Nayénezgani koanígo digíni, Now Slayer of the Alien Gods thus he says a holy one,

Kat Tsóhanoai koanígo, Now The Sun thus he says,

Digi'n yiká` sizíni koanígo. Holy thereon he stands thus he says.

II.

Kat To`badzistsíni koanígo digíni, Now Child of the Water thus he says a holy one,

Kat Kléhanoai koanígo, Now The Moon thus he says,

Digi'n yiká` holési koanígo. Holy thereon he goes forth thus he says.

III.

Kat Léyaneyani koanígo digíni, Now Reared under the Earth thus he says a holy one,

Kat Tsóhanoai koanígo, Now The Sun thus he says,

Digi'n yiká` sizíni koanígo. Holy thereon he stands thus he says.

IV.

Kat Tsówenatlehi koanígo digíni, Now Changing Grandchild thus he says a holy one,

Kat Kléhanoai koanígo, Now The Moon thus he says,

Digi'n yiká` holési koanígo. Holy thereon he goes forth thus he says.

Meaningless parts omitted. Koanígo is from kónigo, which is the prose form.

279. SONG OF NAYÉNEZGANI.

Kat Yénaezgani la disitsáya. Now Slayer of the Alien Gods (Nayénezgani) one I hear him.

Ya benikásde la disitsáya. Sky through from one I hear him.

Bíniye tsíye ti'snisad lée. His voice sounds in every direction (no meaning).

Bíniye tsíye dígini lée. His voice sounds holy, divine (no meaning).

II.

Kat To`badzistsíni la disitsáya. Now Child of the Water one I hear him.

To` benikásde la disitsáya. Water through from one I hear him.

Bíniye tsíye ti'snisad lée. His voice sounds in every direction (no meaning).

Bíniye tsíye dígini lée. His voice sounds divine (no meaning).

III.

Kat Léyaneyani la disitsáya. Now Reared under the Ground one I hear him.

Ni` benikásde la disitsáya. Earth through from one I hear him.

Bíniye tsíye ti 'snisad lée. His voice sounds in every direction (no meaning).

Bíniye tsíye dígini lée. His voice sounds divine (no meaning).

IV.

Kat Tsówenatlehi la disitsáya. Now Changing Grandchild one I hear him.

Kos benikásde la disitsáya. Clouds through from one I hear him.

Bíniye tsíye ti'snisad lée. His voice sounds in every direction (no meaning).

Bíniye tsíye dígini lée. His voice sounds divine (no meaning).

Nayénezgani changed to Yénaezgani; bine (his voice) changed to bíniye; digi'n changed to dígini, for poetic reasons. Preludes and refrains omitted.

280. A SONG OF NAYÉNEZGANI.

Kat Nayénezgani nahaníya, Now Slayer of the Alien Gods he arrives,

Pes dilyi'li behogánla ásde nahaníya, Knives dark a house made of from he arrives,

Pes dilyi'li da`honíhe ásde nahaníya. Knives dark dangle high from he arrives.

Nizáza dinigíni, síka not.
Your treasures you holy one, for my sake tóta.

II.

Kat To`badzistsíni nahaníya, Now Child of the Water he arrives,

Pes dolgási behogánla ásde nahaníya, Knives serrate a house made of from he arrives,

Pes dolgási da`honíhe ásde nahaníya. Knives serrate dangle high from he arrives.

Nizáza dinigíni, síka not.
Your treasures you holy one, for my sake tóta.

III.

Kat Léyaneyani nahaníya, Now Reared under the Earth he arrives,

Pes althasaí behogánla ásde nahaníya, Knives of all kinds a house made of from he arrives,

Pes althasaí da`honíhe ásde nahaníya. Knives of all kinds dangle high from he arrives.

Nizáza dinigíni, síka tóta.
Your treasures you holy one, for my sake not.

IV.

Kat Tsówenatlehi nahaníya, Now Changing Grandchild he arrives,

Pes litsói behogánla ásde nahaníya, Knives yellow a house made of from he arrives,

Pes litsói da`honíhe ásde nahaníya. Knives yellow dangle high from he arrives.

Nizáza dinigíni, síka tóta.
Your treasures you holy one, for my sake not.

In endeavoring to explain the meaning of this song, the singer related that Nayénezgani said to his mother, "You are the divine one, not I." She replied, "No, you are the divine one." They were exchanging compliments. Then he said, "Not for my sake, but for yours, were these treasures (weapons, etc.) given by the Sun. They are yours." For the meaning of bizá (his treasure), see note 246. Nizá or ni'za means your treasure; the last syllable is here repeated perhaps as a poetic plural. The houses of knives are said to be the different chambers in the house of the Sun. Meaningless syllables are omitted in this text.

281. SONG OF THE SUN.

Kat Nayénezgani sideyáïye, Now Slayer of the Alien Gods I come (or approach) with,

Pes dilyi'li behogánde sideyáïye, Knives dark from house made of I come with,

Pes dilyi'li da`honíde sideyáïye, Knives dark from where they dangle high I come with,

Sa` alíli sideyáïye, aníhoyéle For me an implement of the rites I come with, to you dreadful

aineyáhi ainé. (no meaning).

II.

Kat To`badzistsíni sideyáïye, Now Child of the Water I come with,

Pes dolgási[264] behogánde sideyáïye, Knives serrate from house made of I come with,

Pes dolgási da`honíde sideyáïye, Knives serrate from where they dangle high I come with,

Sa` alíli sideyáïye, For me an implement of the rites I come with,

anídiginle aineyáhi ainé.
to you sacred (divine, holy) (no meaning).

III.

Kat Léyaneyani sideyáïye, Now Reared Beneath the Earth, I come with,

Pes althasaí behogánde sideyáïye, Knives of all kinds from house made of I come with,

Pes althasaí da`honíde sideyáïye, Knives of all kinds from where they dangle high I come with,

Sa` alíli sideyáïye, aníhoyéle, For me an implement of the rites I come with, to you dreadful,

aineyáhi ainé. (no meaning).

IV.

Kat Tsówenatlehi sideyáïye, Now Changing Grandchild I come with,

Pes litsói behogánde sideyáïye, Knives yellow from the house made of I come with,

Pes litsói da`honíde sideyáïye, Knives yellow from where they dangle high I come with,

Sa` alíli sideyáïye, anídiginle For me an implement of the rites I come with, to you sacred

aineyáhi ainé. (no meaning.)

Alíl or alíli means a show, dance, or other single exhibition of the rites (see fig. 30). It also means a wand or other sacred implement used in the rites. It is thought that the colored hoops for raising a storm, described in par. 355, are the alíli referred to in this song.

282. SONG OF THE SUN.

Siní` eé deyá aá, deyá aá, My mind approaches, approaches,

Tsínhanoai eé deyá aá, The Sun God approaches,

Ni`ninéla` eé deyá aá,
Border of the Earth approaches,

Estsánatlesi bigáni yúnidze deyá aá, Estsánatlehi her house toward the hearth approaches,

Sána nagái eé deyá aá,
In old age walking approaches,

Biké hozóni eé deyá aá.
His trail beautiful approaches.

Siní` eé deyá aá, deyá aá. My mind approaches, approaches.

II.

Siní` eé deyá aá, deyá aá, My mind approaches, approaches,

Kléhanoai eé deyá aá, The Moon God approaches,

Ni`ninéla` eé deyá aá,
Border of the Earth approaches,

Yolkaí Estsán bigáni yúnidze deyá aá, Yolkaí Estsán her house toward the hearth approaches,

Sána nagái eé deyá aá,
In old age walking approaches,

Biké hozóni eé deyá aá.
His trail beautiful approaches.

Siní` eé deyá aá deyá aá. My mind approaches, approaches.

Yúni, here translated hearth, is a certain part of the floor of the Navaho lodge. Yúnidze means in the direction of the yúni.

The expressions Sána nagái and Biké hozóni appear in many songs and prayers, and are always thus united. Their literal translation is as given above; but they are equivalent to saying, "Long life and happiness;" as part of a prayer, they are a supplication for a long and happy life. Hozóni means, primarily, terrestrially beautiful; but it means also happy, happily, or, in a certain sense, good.

Estsánatlehi is often called, in song, Estsánatlesi, and Tsóhanoai is often called (apparently with greater propriety) Tsínhanoai. Siní` = Si'ni.

The syllables not translated are meaningless.

283. SIGNIFICANT WORDS OF SONGS OF THE LOG, FIRST SET.

First Song:-- Tsin nizóni sa` nii'nitha.
Tree (log, stick) beautiful for me they fell.

Second Song:--Tsin nizóni sa` haídile.
Tree beautiful for me they prepare or trim.

Third Song:--Tsin nizóni sa` haiyidíla`.
Tree beautiful for me they have prepared.

Fourth Song:--Tsin nizóni silá` yidití`yi`.
Tree beautiful with me they carry.

Fifth Song:--Tsin nizóni silá` tháiyiyitin.
Tree beautiful with me they put in the water.

The word for beautiful is usually pronounced inzóni, not nizóni as above.

284. SIGNIFICANT WORDS OF SONGS OF THE LOG, SECOND SET.

First Song:--Tsin nizóni silá` neyilgó`.
Tree beautiful with me they push.

Second Song:--Tsin nizóni silá` yidisél.
Tree beautiful with me floats.

Third Song:--Tsin nizóni silá` yiyilól.
Tree beautiful with me moves floating.

285. WORDS OF THE EAGLE.

Ahaláni siáz! E`yéhe siáz! Nitsi'li ta Greeting, my child! Thanks, my child! Your younger brother down

toadainini'lda, Donikí. you did not throw, Donikí.

286. SONG OF THE EAGLES.--A SONG OF THE BEAD CHANT.

Aóoóo aiá-hená an an anaié anaié.
(Meaningless prelude.)

Kinnakíye yéye saaíyista an an, Kinnakíye there he sits,

Hayáaaá yéye saaíyista an an,
When he rises, there he sits,

Yiltsá aá yéye saaíyista an an,
We shall see, there he sits,

Talpíl aá yéye saaíyista an an.
He will flap, there he sits.

Aiadoséye aiadoséye an an an ohaneyé.
(Meaningless refrain.)

Kinnakíye = Kinníki. The vocables not translated have no meaning now.

287. SONG OF THE ASCENSION.

Aió éo éo éo he, éo óo éo éo he.
(Meaningless prelude.)

1. Tsi'natan alkaí eé eé,
Plant of corn white,

2. Bidági tso ínyan eé.
Its ear sticks up in great to eat.