Washington Matthews
The Mountain Chant
(Complete Edition)
Navajo Ceremony
Published by
Books
- Advanced Digital Solutions & High-Quality eBook Formatting -
2018 OK Publishing
ISBN 978-80-272-4542-0
Table of Contents
Myth of the Origin of Dsilyídje Qaçàl
The Ceremonies of Dsilyídje Qaçàl
The Great Pictures of Dsilyídje Qaçàl
Original Texts and Translations of Songs, &c.
First Song of the First Dancers
First Song of the Mountain Sheep
Sixth Song of the Mountain Sheep
Twelfth Song of the Mountain Sheep
First Song of the Holy Young Men, or Young Men Gods
Sixth Song of the Holy Young Men
Twelfth Song of the Holy Young Men
Eighth Song of the Young Women Who Become Bears
First Song of the Exploding Stick
Last Song of the Exploding Stick
Song of the Prophet to the San Juan River
Song of the Building of the Dark Circle
Instructions Given to the Akáninili
Prayer of the Prophet to His Mask
Note on the Orthography of Navajo Words
The spelling of Navajo words in this paper is in accordance with the alphabet of the Bureau of Ethnology:
c = ch in chin; ¢ = th in this; ç = th in think; j = z in azure; q = German ch in machen; ‘ shows that a vowel is aspirated; the vowels have the continental sounds; ai is the only diphthong, and is like i in line; l is usually aspirated; the other letters have the ordinary English pronunciation.
Introduction
1. The ceremony of dsilyídje qaçàl, or mountain chant—literally, chant towards (a place) within the mountains—is one of a large number practiced by the shamans, or medicine men, of the Navajo tribe. I have selected it as the first of those to be described, because I have witnessed it the most frequently, because it is the most interesting to the Caucasian spectator, and because it is the best known to the whites who visit and reside in and around the Navajo country. Its chief interest to the stranger lies in the various public performances of the last night. Like other great rites of the shamans, it has its secret ceremonies of many days’ duration in the medicine lodge; but, unlike the others, it ends with a varied show in the open air, which all are invited to witness. Another ceremony which I have attended, and which the whites usually call the “Yaỳbichy Dance” (Yèbitcai), has a final public exhibition which occupies the whole night, but it is unvaried. Few Europeans can be found who have remained awake later than midnight to watch it. Such is not the case with the rite now to be described. Here the white man is rarely the first to leave at dawn.
2. The appropriateness of the name dsilyídje or tsilgitce—towards (a place) within the mountains—will be better understood from the myth than from any brief description. “Dsilyi‘” may well allude to mountains in general or to the Carrizo Mountains in particular, to the place in the mountains (paragraphs 9 and 38) where the originator of these ceremonies (whom I often find it convenient to call “prophet”) dwelt, or to the name of the prophet (par. 41), or to all these combined. Qaçàl signifies a sacred song or a collection of sacred songs. From the many English synonyms for song I have selected the word chant to translate qaçàl. In its usual signification hymnody may be its more exact equivalent, but it is a less convenient term than chant. The shaman, or medicine man, who is master of ceremonies, is known as qaçàli or chanter—el cantador, the Mexicans call him. In order to keep in mind his relationship to similar functionaries in other tribes I shall, from time to time, allude to him as the priest, the shaman,