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Last Updated: Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Navaho
Navajo legends tells that the Dineh traveled through four different worlds before entering into the present world, the Fifth World. Since the beginning, Navajos believed there are two classes of beings: The Earth People and The Holy People. The Earth People are ordinary human beings, while the Holy People are higher beings that cannot be seen.
THE FIRST WORLD was red in color and this world was an island, surrounded by oceans. On this world lived the Insect People: Dragon Flies, Red Ants, Black Ants, Red Beetles, Black Beetles, White Faced Beetles, Yellow Beetles, Hard Beetles, Dung Beetles, Bats and Locusts and White Locust. The Insect People sinned in the First World and were cast out by the Four Gods of the Insect People. They refused to leave so the Gods caused a huge flood. With no other choice, the Insect People took flight and flew in circles.
A creature called to them and told them to enter through a slit in the eastern sky. They entered THE SECOND WORLD, which was blue in color. The creature belonged to the Swallow People (cliff swallow). The Swallow People and the Insect People lived in harmony for 24 days until one of the Insect People sinned with one of the Swallow People. The Chief of the Swallow People discovered the wrong. He commanded the Insect People to leave their world. So they took flight in the sky, Wind (Nilch'i') told them to enter a slit in the southern sky.
The Insect People emerged into the Third World, which was yellow in color. There lived the Grasshopper People. They lived in harmony with the Insect People for 24 days until one of the Insect People sinned with one of the Grasshopper People. After the discovery was made, the Chief of the Grasshopper People demanded the strangers leave. Four of the Grasshopper People left with them and again, they flew in the sky. Red Wind told them to enter a slit in the western skies.
They entered the Fourth World, which was mixed black and white. They discovered the Kisani (Pueblos) living in this world. In the Fourth World, the Gods turned the Insect People into humans, First Man (Atse Hastiin) and First Woman (Atse Asdiin) was created. First Man and First Woman lived as husband and wife. Animals were created in this world. The Kisani and The People lived as neighbors. First Man and First Woman had an argument, as a result, First Man took the men with him and built a boat and crossed a river, leaving First Woman and the women behind. For some time, the men and women lived without each other. After discovering they couldn't live without each other, a mother and two of daughters jumped into the river and tried to swim across. The mother succeded in swimming across but the daughters were taken by Tieholtsodi, the water monster, and dragged them under the water.
Two Navajo Gods came and asked a man and a woman to follow them to the river, Coyote followed. The Gods made an open in the river and it gave entrance to a large house of four rooms. The man and woman and Coyote entered this house beneath the waters, they found Tieholtsodi and two of his own children and the two girls he had stolen. The man and woman took the girls with them and walked away. Without them knowing, Coyote took the two children of Tieholtsodi and hid them under his robe and followed the man and woman and children out of the house and out of the river.
The next day, The People began seeing many, many animals come to the camp of The People for refuge. The game of animals continued to seek shelter at the camp for three days. On the fourth day, the answer to why animals were taking shelter at the camp was revealed. Water was seen coming high as mountains, flooding the Fourth World.
A great reed was built by one of The People. It grew high into the sky. He told The People to enter a hole in the eastern side of the reed. The People, the Kisani and all animals entered this huge reed and began climbing up the reed. When they reached the very top, water had also entered through the hole in the reed and was coming up fast. Locust dug at the very top of the reed and broke through entering the Fifth World.
The People, the Kisani, and the animals entered the Fifth World. The water continued to rise, forming a lake called Changing Waters. A council was called about why the water rises. First Man pointed his finger at Coyote and asked why he never takes off his robe. He and others tore at his robe. The two children of Tieholtsodi were discovered. Quickly, they threw them into the hole. The water then subsided and rushed back into the lower worlds. No more did the water rise again. After, the Kisani had moved away, First Man and First Woman and two Navajo Gods set out to build the boundaries of Navajoland. They set the boundaries by making four sacred mountains. They populated them and everytning in between with plants and animals. On the peak they placed a black bowl with two blackbird eggs in it. They fastened down the peak with a rainbow. One twin took some clay from riverbed and it fashioned itself into a bowl. The other twin found reeds growing and shaped them into a water basket. They picked up stones from the ground which became axes, knives, spear points and hammers in their hands.
On the fifth day after The People entered the Fifth World, the Sun rose in the sky and stopped. The day grew hot and the people longed for night to come. But the Sun did not move. Coyote said the Sun has stopped because He has not been paid for His work, He demands a human life for everyday that He labors, He will not move until someone dies.
Soon, a woman died and The People gathered around her to mourn and the Sun moved across the sky and passed behind the western mountains. The Moon rose that night and also demanded payment and wouldn't move. It soon became very cold and The People longed for the warmth of the sun. When a man had died, the Moon journeyed across the sky and the Sun rose. It is why someone must die each day and night or the Sun and the Moon will not move across the sky. And that is how the Cycle of Life began and the Navajo story of creation
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