These stories were told to Sandoval, Hastin Tlo'tsi hee, by his
grandmother, Esdzan Hosh kige. Her ancestor was Esdzan at a', the medicine
woman who had the Calendar Stone in her keeping. Here are the stories of
the Four Worlds that had no sun, and of the Fifth, the world we live in,
which some call the Changeable World.
The First World, Ni'hodilqil,[1] was black as black wool. It had four
corners, and over these appeared four clouds. These four clouds contained
within themselves the elements of the First World. They were in color,
black, white, blue, and yellow.
The Black Cloud represented the Female Being or Substance. For as a child
sleeps when being nursed, so life slept in the darkness of the Female
Being. The White Cloud represented the Male Being or Substance. He was the
Dawn, the Light-Which-Awakens, of the First World.
In the East, at the place where the Black Cloud and the White Cloud met,
First Man, Atse'hastqin[2] was formed; and with him was formed the white
corn, perfect in shape, with kernels covering the whole ear. Dolionot i'ni
is the name of this first seed corn,[3] and it is also the name of the
place where the Black Cloud and the White Cloud met.
[1. Informant's note: Five names were given to this First World in Its
relation to First man. It was called Dark Earth, Ni'hodilqil; Red Earth,
Ni'halchi; One Speech, Sada hat lai; Floating Land, Ni'ta na elth; and One
Tree, De east'da eith.
Matthews (1897, p. 65): The First World was red. Franciscan Fathers (1912,
p. 140): ni' the world or earth; ni' hodilqil, the dark or lowest of the
underworlds; (p. 111) lai, one, or first. Franciscan Fathers (1910, p.
81): sad, a word, a language; Sad lai, First Speech.
2. Franciscan Fathers (1912, p. 93): Atse'hastqin, First Man.
3. Informant's note: Where much corn is raised one or two ears are found
perfect. These are always kept for seed corn.
Franciscan Fathers (1912, p. 85): do honot'i ni, the name of a full ear,
or seed corn.]
p. 2
The First World was small in size, a floating island in mist or water. On
it there grew one tree, a pine tree, which was later brought to the
present world for firewood.
Man was not, however, in his present form. The conception was of a male
and a female being who were to become man and woman. The creatures of the
First World are thought of as the Mist People; they had no definite form,
but were to change to men, beasts, birds, and reptiles of this world.[4]
Now on the western side of the First World, in a place that later was to
become the Land of Sunset, there appeared the Blue Cloud, and opposite it
there appeared the Yellow Cloud. Where they came together First Woman was
formed, and with her the yellow corn. This ear of corn was also perfect.
With First Woman there came the white shell and the turquoise and the
yucca.[5]
First Man stood on the eastern side of the First World. He represented the
Dawn and was the Life Giver. First Woman stood opposite in the West. She
represented Darkness and Death.
First Man burned a crystal for a fire. The crystal belonged to the male
and was the symbol of the mind and of clear seeing. When First Man burned
it, it was the mind's awakening. First Woman burned her turquoise for a
fire. They saw each other's lights in the distance. When the Black Cloud
and the White Cloud rose higher in the sky First Map. set out to find the
turquoise light. He went twice without success, and again a third time;
then he broke a forked branch from his tree, and, looking through the
fork, he marked the place where the light burned. And the fourth time he
walked to it and found smoke coming from a home.
"Here is the home I could not find," First Man said.
First Woman answered: "Oh, it is you. I saw you walking around and I
wondered why you did not come."
Again the same thing happened when the Blue Cloud and the Yellow Cloud
rose higher in the sky. First Woman saw a light and she went out to find
it. Three times she was unsuccessful, but the fourth time she saw the
smoke and she found the home of First Man.
"I wondered what this thing could be," she said.
"I saw you walking and I wondered why you did not come to me," First Man
answered.
[4. Informant's note: The Navaho people have always believed In
evolution.
5. Informant's note: Five names were given also to the First World in Its
relation to First Woman: White Bead Standing, Yolgai'na ziha; Turquoise
Standing, Dolt i'zhi na ziha; White Bead Floating Place, Yolgai'dana elth
gal; Turquoise Floating Place, Dolt i'zhi na elth gai; and Yucca Standing,
Tasas y ah gal. Yucca represents cleanliness and things ceremonial.
Franciscan Fathers (1912, p. 181): Tsa'zi ntqe'li, Yucca baccata, wide
leaf yucca or Spanish bayonet. The roots of this species furnish a rich
lather; the plant is frequently referred to as tqalawhush, soap.]
p. 3
First Woman saw that First Man had a crystal for a fire, and she saw that
it was stronger than her turquoise fire. And as she was thinking, First
Man spoke to her. "Why do you not come with your fire and we will live
together." The woman agreed to this. So instead of the man going to the
woman, as is the custom now, the woman went to the man.
About this time there came another person, the
Great-Coyote-Who-Was-Formed-in-the-Water,[6] and he was in the form of a
male being. He told the two that he had been hatched from an egg. He knew
all that was under the water and all that was in the skies. First Man
placed this person ahead of himself in all things. The three began to plan
what was to come to pass; and while they were thus occupied another being
came to them. He also had the form of a man, but he wore a hairy coat,
lined with white fur, that fell to his knees and was belted in at the
waist. His name was Atse'hashke', First Angry or Coyote.[7] He said to the
three: "You believe that you were the first persons. You are mistaken. I
was living when you were formed."
Then four beings came together. They were yellow in color and were called
the tsts'na. or wasp people. They knew the secret of shooting evil and
could harm others. They were very powerful.
This made eight people.
Four more beings came. They were small in size and wore red shirts and had
little black eyes. They were the naazo'zi or spider ants. They knew how to
sting, and were a great people.
After these came a whole crowd of beings. Dark colored they were, with
thick lips and dark, protruding eyes. They were the wolazhi'ni, the black
ants. They also knew the secret of shooting evil and were powerful; but
they killed each other steadily.
By this time there were many people. Then came a multitude of little
creatures. They were peaceful and harmless, but the odor from them was
unpleasant. They were called the wolazhi'ni nlchu nigi, meaning that which
emits an odor.[8]
And after the wasps and the different ant people there came the beetles,
dragonflies, bat people, the Spider Man and Woman, and the Salt Man and
Woman,[9] and others that rightfully had no definite
[6. Informant's note: The Great Coyote who was formed in the water, Mat
tqo y elth chili. Franciscan Fathers (1912, p. 117): ma'ists, wolf (big
roamer); and ma'ists o'si, Coyote (slender roamer).
7. Informant's note: Some medicine men claim that witchcraft came with
First Man and First Woman, others Insist that devil conception or
witchcraft originated with the Coyote called First Angry.
Franciscan Fathers (1912, pp. 140, 175, 351).
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