The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony Part 10

Reared Within the Mountains carries for me; A black spruce sapling, he carries for me; An implement of the rites, he carries for me; A holy treasure, he carries for me.

The Holy Young Woman carries for me; A blue spruce sapling, she carries for me; An implement of the rites, she carries for me; A holy treasure, she carries for me.

260. The evergreen poles used in the dance and in making "the dark circles," to both of which this song probably refers, were, in all cases where I have observed them, made of pinon and not of spruce; but all dances I have witnessed were at alt.i.tudes of about six thousand feet, where pinon was abundant and spruce rare. In those portions of the Navajo country with which I am familiar the spruce (_Pseudotsuga dougla.s.sii_) grows plentifully at the height of eight thousand feet, spa.r.s.ely below that. There is good reason for believing that the spruce is the true sacred tree of these rites and that the pinon is only a convenient subst.i.tute. The song is called Ilnasjin Benica, "that with which the dark circle is built." It is sung by the shaman at the eastern gate, while the young men are building the corral. (Paragraph 124.) I have other slightly different versions of it, probably suitable for different occasions. The form given above is recited, under ordinary circ.u.mstances, when the patient is a woman.

261. PRAYER TO DSILYI' NEYaNI.

1. Dsilyi' Neyani!

2. Dsil banaca!

3. Tsilke!

4. Nacani!

5. Nigel icla'.

6. Nae hila'.

7. Cike caailil.

8. Citcac eaailil.

9. Citses eaailil.

10. Cin' eaailil, 11. Cine eaailil.

12. Qojgo qaalce aciilil.

13. Citsidje qojolel.

14. Cikee qojolel.

15. Cizac qaqojolel.

16. Qojni qasle, 17. Qojni qasle, 18. Qojni qasle, 19. Qojni qasle.

262. _Translation._--1. The name of the prophet. 2. Dsil, mountains, banaca, chief (or master) for them. 3. Tsilke, young man. 4. Nacani, chieftain. 5. Nigel, your peculiar sacrifice, i.e., the kecan; icla', I have made. 6. Nae, a smoke, i.e., the cigarettes (paragraph 87), for you; hila', is made. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Cike, my feet; citcac, my lower extremities; citses, my body; cin', my mind; cine, my voice; eaailil, for me restore (as it was before) thou wilt. 12. Qojgo, in a beautiful manner; qaalce, repaired, mended; aciilil, restore me thou wilt. 13, 14. Citsidje, in the direction before me; cikee, from behind me; qojolel, wilt thou terrestrially beautify. 15. Cizac, my words; qaqojolel, wilt thou personally beautify. 16, 17, 18, 19. Qojni, in earthly beauty; qasle, it is made, it is done.

263. In other prayers, closely resembling this in form, the shaman adds: "Beautify all that is above me. Beautify all that is below me. Beautify all things around me."

264. The division into verses is that of the chanter. He p.r.o.nounces the name in the first line; the patient repeats it after him. Then he gives out the words in the second line, and so on. For free translation, see paragraph 88.

265. SONG OF THE RISING SUN DANCE.

Ooniyaye, ooniyaye ooniyahe yahe yahe heyiyoe [twice].

1. Qanacace 2. Tsilke-cigni 3. Katso-yiscani 4. Yyolnake 5. Qano qaksko.

6. Tcihanoaie 7. Akos nisinle.

Yahe, yahe ea ai.

Ooniyaye, etc.

8. Inacace 9. Tcike-cigni 10. Awetsal-yiscani 11. Yyolnake 12. Qana qoksko.

13. Klehanoaie 14. Akos nisinle.

Yahe, yahe ea ai.

266. _Translation._--1. Qanacace, from where it (the sun) rises.

2. Tsilke-igni, Holy Young Man. 3. Katso-yiscani, the great plumed arrow. 4, 11. Yiyolna', he swallowed slowly or continuously. 5, 12. Qano qaksko, it comes out by degrees. 6. Tcihanoai, the sun. 7, 14. Akos nisin, he is satisfied. 8. Inacace, from where it sets.

9. Tcike-igni, Holy Young Woman. 10. Awetsal-yiscani, prepared or plumed cliff rose, i.e., cliff rose arrow. 13. Klehanoaie, the moon.

267. _Free translation._

Where the sun rises, The Holy Young Man The great plumed arrow Has swallowed And withdrawn it.

The sun Is satisfied.

Where the sun sets, The Holy Young Woman The cliff rose arrow Has swallowed And withdrawn it.

The moon Is satisfied.

268. This song is sung during the dance or alil described in paragraph 142. The conception of the poet seems to be that, the dance of the great plumed arrow having been properly performed, the sun should be satisfied and willing to do the bidding of the dancers, i.e., rise when desired, on the pole.

269. INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO THE AKaNINILI.

1. ci' betcana nilnlel.

2. ci' a'naniltyelo.

3. ci' beniqoilsinlel. Abingi nize ela'.

4. []a'yiltsisgo, a'bokgo tse'na akan hyisinle.

5. Tsin etlol akan bachyis hyisinle; ako bachyis hyisilcale.

6. Tse' elkagi akan hyisinle.

7. Ako katso-yiscan; abinigi djocile, qoiigine behoeqoiilsin.

270. _Translation._--1. ci', this; betcana, a thing to rise with (as you progress); nilnlel, will make for you. 2. ci', this; a'naniltyelo, will carry you along anywhere. 3. Beniqoilsinlel, by means of it people will know you; abingi, for this reason, or purpose; nize, your neck; ela', it hangs (once) around. 4. []a'yiltsisgo, at any little valley (yiltsis, a little valley); a'bokgo, at any gully or arroyo (boko', arroyo); tse'na, across; akan, meal; hyisinle, he sprinkles always across. 5. Tsin etlol, the root of a tree; akan, meal; bachyis, across it; hyisinle, he sprinkles across; ako, then; hyisilcale, he steps across. 6. Tse' elkagi, on flat rocks; akan, meal; hyisinle, he sprinkles across. 7. Ako, then, next; katso-yiscan, the great prepared arrow--so says the chanter, but he really refers to the inia', or cobolca, the plumed wand which akaninili carries; abinigi, for this purpose; djocile, he carries it (in the hand); qoiigine, from a holy place (igin, holy); behoeqoiilsin, by means of it people know him.

271. For free translation, see paragraph 102.

272. PRAYER OF THE PROPHET TO HIS MASK.

1. []a'andje qahasdsgo ancelini, ciln.

2. Hyininaleni, ciln.

3. Ayanan cocisyi'goolela, ciln.

4. Cainill.

273. _Translation._--1. []a'andje, at any time to you; qahasdsgo, when I spoke; ancelini, always you made or did it, i.e., granted my request or a.s.sisted me; ciln, my domestic animal, my pet. 2. Hyininaleni, you were alive (once); ciln, my pet. 3. Ayanan, be sure, take care; coa, negative; cisyi'go, that I die; olel, I desire, I beg (the divided negative makes one word of the sentence). 4. Cainill, watch thou for me, or over me.

274. For free translation, see paragraph 27.

275. LAST WORDS OF THE PROPHET.

1. Aqalani, citsili.

2. Cakalce ye qoigine.

3. []a'conasiilsela.

4. []a'hoelcgo a'eltcilgo, nagaiga cina anla dsinisinle, 5. []a'no'cilgo ayac inialago, anilcani inialago nagaiga cina binibikegola' dsinisinle.

276. _Translation._--1. Aqalani, greeting (farewell, in this case); citsili, my younger brother. 2. Cakalce, for me they have come; ye, the yays, the G.o.ds; qoigine, from a holy or supernatural place. 3. (a', any, on any occasion, etc.; coa, negative; na, again; siilsel, you will see me); a'conasiilsela, you will never see me again.

4. []a'hoelcgo, on any occasion as the rain pa.s.ses, i.e., whenever it rains; a'eltcilgo, whenever it thunders; nagaiga, in that; cina, my elder brother; anla, is his voice; dsinisinle, you will think so.

5. []a'no'cilgo, whenever they (crops) are ripening, i.e., in harvest time; ayac, small birds; inialago, of all kinds; anilcani, gra.s.shoppers; nagaiga, in that, in those; cina, my elder brother; binibikegola', is his ordering, his design (the trail of his mind); dsinisinle, so you will think.

277. For free translation, see paragraph 79.