The Mountain Chant, A Navajo Ceremony Part 8

224. _Translation._-- 1, 6. Altsacie, on each side; igni, a holy one, a G.o.d. 2, 7. Kac, now; tsilke, young man; tcike, young woman; bakagi, on the summit, on top of it. 3, 8. Dsil, mountain; ilhyil, dark, black; coliji, blue. 4, 9. Tsintso, great stick, a notched stick used as a musical instrument in the dance. 5, 10. Tsia bialli, truly his dance implement; bija yeigingo, his holy treasure, his talisman, his charm, his magic wand.

225. _Free translation._

There's a G.o.d on each side.

Now the Holy Young Man Is the G.o.d on top of the black mountain, With his black notched stick, The implement of his dance, his magic wand.

There's a G.o.d on each side.

Now the Holy Young Woman Is the G.o.d on top of the blue mountain, With her blue notched stick, The implement of her dance, her magic wand.

226. This song is said to refer to that part of the myth where it is related that the prophet, flying from the Ute, climbed a hill which was transformed into a mountain. (Paragraph 38.) Each mountain was supposed to have a holy one on it, who could, by means of his notched stick, produce the metamorphosis. The mountains were not necessarily colored black and blue, but are thus described to indicate that they lay north and south of the prophet's path. (Paragraph 171.)

227. TWELFTH SONG OF THE HOLY YOUNG MEN.

Eaiea qala ela yainahe, oohe.

Eaiea qala ela yainoo yaaa yoo [three times], Eaiea qala ela yaina, qala ela qainahe oohe.

1. Dsil ilhyili inloo yaaa yoo, 2. Tsintso ilhyili inloo yaaa yeee.

3. Ci cigelgo yaina, Qala ela qainahe oohe.

4. Dsil coliji inloo yaaa yoo, 5. Tsintso ilhyili inloo yaaa yeee, 6. Ci cigelgo yaina, Qala ela qainahe oohe.

228. _Translation._--1, 4. Dsil, mountain; cilhyil, black; colij, blue.

2, 5. Tsints, a notched stick used in ceremonies to make music; inlo (inla'), they lie there (two long hard things lie). 3, 6. Cigel, my ultimatum, my desideratum (said of the peculiar sacrifice which belongs to each G.o.d), something I (the G.o.d) will have and accept nothing in place of it, my special sacrifice.

229. _Free translation._

There lie the black mountains; There lie the black sticks; There lie my sacrifices.

There lie the blue mountains; There lie the blue sticks; There lie my sacrifices.

230. This is supposed to be a part of the instructions which the Holy Young Men and Holy Young Women gave to the prophet. The tsintso is made of cherry, which grows only on high mountains in the Navajo country. The sticks are painted black and blue. (See paragraph 171.) The song alludes to all these facts.

231. EIGHTH SONG OF THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO BECOME BEARS.

coignia oyahe, oohe, coignia oya oya ooyaya Haiyaya haiyaya haiyahe, oohe.

1. Kac Tsilke-ignie coigna haiyahe, oohe, 2. Bitsintsie ie coigna haiyahe oohe, 3. Tsia biallie bija-yeignie, oya oya, oyaya, Haiyaya haiyaya haiyahe, oohe.

coignia oyahe, oohe, coignia oya oya ooyaya, Haiyaya haiyaya haiyahe, oohe.

4. Kac Tcike-ignie coigna haiyahe, oohe, 5. Bitsintsie ie coigina haiyahe oohe, 6. Tsia biallie bija-yeignie, oya oya, oyaya, Haiyaya haiyaya haiyahe, oohe.

232. _Translation._-- coignia, coignia, he is not a G.o.d; it is not holy; it is not divine. 1, 4. Kac, now; tsilke, young man; tcike, young woman; igni, holy, supernatural. 2, 4. Bitsintsi, his great notched stick. 3, 6. Tsia, verily; bialli, his implement of the dance or rite; bija-yeigni, his treasure which makes holy; his magic wand.

233. _Free translation._

The Holy Young Man is not divine; His great notched stick is not holy; His magic wand is not holy.

The Holy Young Woman is not divine; Her great notched stick is not holy; Her magic wand is not holy.

234. This is supposed to refer to an altercation between these two G.o.ds, in which they tried to belittle each other.

235. I have another song of this series, in which the idea is conveyed that their powers depend on their magic wands or notched sticks.

236. ONE OF THE AWL SONGS.

we we we yani ya owan na a [repeat three times], we we ni ahe oohe.

1. 'Ke-cac-natlehi natcagahi, 2. Kac dsil ilhyili bakagi natcagahi, 3. Kac ni' inzac inc coholna na, 4. Kac ni' inzac inc conia na.

5. Tcike-igni natcagahi, 6. Dsil coliji bakagi natcagahi, 7. Kac ni' inzac inc, coholna na, 8. Kac ni' inzac inc, conia na.

237. _Translation._--1. Ke, an abbreviation of tcike; Tcike-cac-natlehi, maiden who becomes a bear; natcaga', she travels far, she walks or wanders far around. 2. Kac, now; dsil ilhyil, black mountain; bakagi, on top of. 3, 4, 7, 8. Ni', earth, land; inzac, distant; inc, it lies, it stretches; coholna, seems not to be; conia, not obscure or dim like a faint distance. 6. Dsil coliji bakagi, on top of the blue mountains.

238. _Free translation._

The Maid Who Becomes a Bear walks far around On the black mountains, she walks far around.

Far spreads the land. It seems not far [to her].

Far spreads the land. It seems not dim [to her].

The Holy Young Woman walks far around On the blue mountains, she walks far around.

Far spreads the land. It seems not far [to her].

Far spreads the land. It seems not dim [to her].

239. FIRST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK.

Aena.

Aeya aia aeya ie ee ieee [three times] ie lan.

1. 'Ke-cac-natlehi dsilyi' iilkon ie nan, 2. Dsilyi' olklkon; dsil bekonnce ie nan, Ie nan yaha haia ie nan a.

3. cabascni co'yi' iilkon ie nan, 4. co'yi olklkon; co'bekonnce ie nan, Ie nan yaha haia ie nan a.

240. _Translation._--1, 3. 'Ke-cac-natlehi = Tcike-cac-natlehi, Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear; cabascin, the Otter; iilkon, he or she set on fire in many places. 2, 4. Dsil, mountains; dsilyi', in the mountains; co', water, waters; co'yi', in the waters; olkolkon, he set on fire as he went along; bekonnce, its fires in a line, its string of fires.

241. _Free translation._

Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear set fire in the mountains In many places; as she journeyed on There was a line of burning mountains.

The Otter set fire in the waters In many places; as he journeyed on There was a line of burning waters.

242. It is related that in the ancient days, during a year of great drought, these holy ones, on their way to a council of the G.o.ds, set fire to the mountains and the waters. The smoke arose in great clouds, from which rain descended on the parched land. The song alludes to this legend.

243. LAST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK.

Hie ieee naaia aia i a ai an an [twice] ie.

1. Tcike-cac-natlehie igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.

2. Dsil aga azagie igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.

3. Tsia ci cigeliye igni qayikalgo; baniya aie.