Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). Cornmeal and pollen are prominently Symbolism of Sheep: 4th edn. singing that night. She is described in terms of fertility and reproduction; by creating mankind from her own epidermis, and subsequently sustaining them through Earth's bounty, she is the First, and pre-emanate Mother. Changing Woman gives birth to the Hero Twins called Monster Slayer and Child of the Waters, who together have many adventures in which they help to rid the world of much evil. Along the way, the Twins meet advisors such as the wise Spider Woman, who provides them with special . The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. The Sun and his associated symbols and Sheep are the most important livestock to the Navajo, in terms of raising and consuming. The young boys undertake the dangerous journey to meet their father, Sun Bearer, and prove themselves as his sons. Only in Blessing Way is Changing Woman ever represented in visible form in a dry painting. The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). Structural Anthropology. Mankind. Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to mirage and earth rising haze. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. The former is distinguished by adding an "i" to the end, making the category k'e' terms. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. Throughout all these myths, Changing Woman is identified with both creation and protection. Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). The fourth day is devoted to singing sacred Blessingway and "free" songs. Witherspoon asserts. University of New Mexico Press. The language describing the bundle mirrors that describing Changing Woman; both make reproduction possible in a structured way. The man owns what his family gives him, and what he had saved for himself. We went Write one paragraph on what the Navajo Story "Changing Woman and the Hero Twins" shows about Indian values, way of life and religion. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Step-by-step explanation. (our father). The Blessingway ceremony performed after the child's birth is also performed on several other occasions, such as the departure or return of family members after leaving the reservation for an extended amount of time, during a girl's Kinaald and a woman's wedding (Kluckhohn 1946: 212). University of Chicago Press. It is "precautionary, protecting, prophylactic--not a cure" (212). After she is dressed, older females at the ceremony give her a vigorous massage, which is called "molding" the girl. Princeton UP. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. Foundation of Navajo Culture. Nez Dennetdale, Jennifer A01 The Blessing Way (01-07) p. 26 Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. Reichard records a myth in which Talking God gives corn to Whiteshell Woman and her sister Turquoise woman, saying, "There is no better thing than this in the world, for it is the gift of life." Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. The Book of the Navajo. This she rubbed (on The fertility of motherhood is symbolized by corn pollen and yellow corn. abalone, and jet (jewels) while they followed her University of Arizona Press. 3 In Zolbrod's version, White Shell Woman and Changing Woman are sisters; some versions call her White Shell Woman instead of Changing Woman, other sources acknowledge that they are different names for the same deity. This takes place in the hogan, which is arranged in ceremonial fashion (please refer to Fig. Farella, John R., 1984. (Farella 1984: 90) Kelley, Klara Bonsack and Harris Francis are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. Haile provides one myth in which First Man is dismayed at his forgetfulness when he leaves his medicine in a lower world: It has already been mentioned that Dine society is matrilineal; a woman "controls the hogan, built on land that was set aside for her by her family; she owns the children, which belong to her clan, her sheep, the product of her sheep and livestock, her jewelry and all blankets she may weave and the income from the sale of any of her property" (Locke 1976: 17). Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Witherspoon says, "the common interest in, and use of, the sheep herd is thus a major factor in uniting and integrating the attitudes and behavior of the individual members of the unit" (1975: 89). The Kinaald, or girl's puberty ceremony, is performed when a girl experiences her first menstruation, and culminates in a second gathering after her second period.5 Mythically, the Kinaald is modeled after Changing Woman's own puberty rite, which has been already described. Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. Structural Anthropology. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. Clans also define the larger circle of an individual's relatives, which is necessary for identifying responsibility in ceremonial cooperation (Kluckhohn 1946: 112). After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). 40 Changing Woman and the Hero Twins after the Emergence of the People (Navajo) 52 The Coming of the Spanish and the Pueblo Revolt (Hopi) 56 Iroquois or Confederacy of the Five Nations (Iroquois) 59 Raven and Marriage (Tlingit) 64 Raven Makes a Girl Sick and Then Cures Her (Tsimshian) 67 The Literature of Discovery and Exploration One might thus interpret her as an allegory of the seasons, but she is more, being related to the earth and vegetation. I One of the main reasons I adopted Heath in fall 1990 was to help my Lincoln asserts that "given its shape, color, and relation to fire, it must be seen as a solar image" (Lincoln 1981: 32). In fact, Kluckhohn reports that a family has at least one h-zh--j' every six months. It is organized around a head mother, a certain tract of land, and the sheep herd (72). (1975: 33). The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). It too is addressed "shim," and considered to be a protector. (Witherspoon 1975: 18). Conclusion: As soon as children are old enough to help out with the herding, they are given sheep of their own to care for. said First Man. Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. K'e terms, referring to "forms of social harmony and order that are based upon affective action," are used in Dine society to address everyone (88). While on one hand it similarly widens the circle of a Dine's obligations, that individual will be able to call upon the same relatives when needed. The rite, For most of his day, he is coursing in the sky, which is why Changing Woman moves to the West so she can be with him at night. mirage and earth rising haze. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Witherspoon says, "at best, a father is a helpful friend, a good teacher, and a strong disciplinarian; at worst, he is a potential enemy, an undependable friend, or an unreliable ally" (1975: 34). Witherspoon quotes Wyman's assessment of the bundle's importance: John Farella asserts that the sacred bundle is more than just a provider of luxuries. "This is really too bad my children. Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. The batter is blessed with cornmeal and covered with husks, "in the center of which the initiand places another corn-husk cross oriented to the cardinal points. Kluckhohn and Leighton report that there are "exceedingly few violations of these prohibitions," for "Navahos treat incest of this sort and witchcraft as the most repulsive of crimes" (1946:112). Foundation of Navajo Culture. accumulation of property, insuring a long and happy The man owns what his family gives him, and what he had saved for himself. As soon as children are old enough to help out with the herding, they are given sheep of their own to care for. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. A. Ortiz, ed. I am here, I am White Shell Woman, I am here. Corn is, first of all, diyinii Corn is, of course, Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. (our father). Through an analysis of Changing Woman as described in Paul Zolbrod's version of the Navajo Creation Story, Dine bahane', the symbolic motifs inherent in her mythology can be isolated, identified, and applied to the larger holistic analysis of Changing Woman in Navajo culture. does this and in return he is fed, but the corn meal Princeton UP. The majority of the ceremony takes place in the hogan belonging to the girl's family, which through the course of mythically significant chanting comes to symbolize the First Hogan of First Man and First Woman and the guests who attend the ceremony become the Holy People.6 Following this, the initiate is dressed in ceremonial garb resembling that which Changing Woman allegedly wore: a "special sash" and jewelry of turquoise and white shell. But the naayee' can't be beaten alone. Hunahpu is one of the hero twins in the Popol Vuh. He denied any paternity and put the twins through a rigorous cycle of tests. The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. Aside from running, the girl's main duty is to grind the corn for the huge cake, called an alkaan, that will be eaten on the ceremony's final day. According to Navajo mythology, it is on Earth, full of beauty and balance, that First Man and First Woman have a child, Changing Woman, also known as White Shell woman or Asdz Ndleeh in Navajo. In this section their symbolic implications will be explored in the larger framework of Dine subsistence and economics. Volume II. The traditional Navajo dwelling is called a hogan, which means "home" (Beck 1992: 284). Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). The Symbolism of Corn: The soil is also the earth's flesh" (Farella 1984: 182). Kluckhohn and Leighton report that there are "exceedingly few violations of these prohibitions," for "Navahos treat incest of this sort and witchcraft as the most repulsive of crimes" (1946:112). http://libproxy.unm.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx, accessed The conception of the deities involved not only corn, but also water (in the fog) and the Sun. Douglas, Mary, 1966. Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. 2001Representing Changing Woman: A Review Essay on Navajo Women. 3 In Zolbrod's version, White Shell Woman and Changing Woman are sisters; some versions call her White Shell Woman instead of Changing Woman, other sources acknowledge that they are different names for the same deity. Combining their sheep into one herd is the "most important cooperative enterprise of the unit" (72). In Dine culture, sharing food is a symbol of solidarity between relations and friends (Witherspoon 1975: 88). The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. The unit's main functions are to "provide its members with a place of residence and a source of subsistence" (72). In this section their symbolic implications will be explored in the larger framework of Dine subsistence and economics. Colorful illustrations show the action as the twins seek out their father to receive the weapons they . Everywhere I go over the earth she will have charge of female rain. Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. their meanings provide the major conceptual framework None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the story dramatically. Douglas, Mary, 1966. I am here, I am White Shell Woman, I am here. The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Witherspoon says, "the common interest in, and use of, the sheep herd is thus a major factor in uniting and integrating the attitudes and behavior of the individual members of the unit" (1975: 89). with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled Hunahpu Character Analysis. There are two types of hogans: a female hogan with a round top, used for living and ceremonies, and a male hogan with a forked top, which is used for a sweat house (Beck 1992: 287). The batter is blessed with cornmeal and covered with husks, "in the center of which the initiand places another corn-husk cross oriented to the cardinal points. She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 217 Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. with their eyes whenever she moved her hands Now on the top of Gobernador Knob, I am here. This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. Moreover, she bestowed several things upon mankind, such as certain ceremonies, that would protect humanity from evil forces. Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. The Book of the Navajo. their meanings provide the major conceptual framework The language describing the bundle mirrors that describing Changing Woman; both make reproduction possible in a structured way. Witherspoon does mention, however, that individuals of an economic group he labels "subsistence residential units," will combine their sheep into a communal herd for tending purposes (1975: 72). Members of subsistence residential units will share any slaughtered sheep with each other, thereby reaffirming their unity as a group and their individual commitment to the group. Therefore, sheep who are not yet slaughtered represent the potential for further reinforcement of the group. Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. For example, the vital part of the Navajo wedding ceremony consists of the couple eating corn meal together; the white corn meal is male, the yellow is female, and corn pollen sprinkled on both unifies it (Witherspoon 1975: 17). Basic Books. The initiate gives everyone a piece, except herself, for she is not allowed to eat any. Navajo Kinship and Marriage. What now? Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. (1975: 33). How shall it be?" Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. University of Michigan Press. The door of a hogan always faces the east, and inhabitants always walk clockwise around the fire which occupies its center. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: Douglas, Mary, 1966. 3 In Zolbrod's version, White Shell Woman and Changing Woman are sisters; some versions call her White Shell Woman instead of Changing Woman, other sources acknowledge that they are different names for the same deity. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. Volume II. Changing Woman is considered to have made the first sheep: She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. (1984:30) (Kluckhohn 1946: 212) Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1966. on buckskin spread on the ground. Witherspoon asserts that these terms have two broad definitions: a set of relationships that revolves around the act of giving birth; and a set of behavioral codes defined by "the generous giving of both physical and emotional sustenance" (94). (Reichard 1950: 29) Hogans are characterized by a rich tradition of symbolism. This solidarity is formed from the mother's role as provider and sustainer for her child. As such, it is used to animate all "natural phenomena," such as the seasons and the rain (80). Pima Stories of the Beginning of the World. with their eyes whenever she moved her hands Here Changing Woman grew lonely and created the Navajo People from skin rubbed off various parts of her body. Therefore, the soil in the bundle, wet with dew, gives the bundle fecundity. -coyote important. Mankind. The Hero Twins, Born of Water and Monster Slayer, are the twin sons of Changing Woman and were born to rid the earth of the monsters who were killing the Din, or the Navajo people. 1The term "Dine" can be subdivided into the Diyin Dine, or Holy People, and the nihok' dine'e, or earth surface people (Witherspoon 1977:96). Foundation of Navajo Culture. Works Cited: Then she rubbed the outer layer of skin from under her right arm with her left hand. Douglas, Mary, 1966. Furthermore, First Man's "medicine" began in the underworld and provided for the genesis upwards into the different worlds (69). identification with Changing Woman, as most dramatically If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. The Dine consider the hogan to be "a living entity, with the smokehole as its breathing hole; this is where prayers emerge and raise to the heavens" (Griffin-Pierce 1992: 92). The Kinaald, or girl's puberty ceremony, is performed when a girl experiences her first menstruation, and culminates in a second gathering after her second period.5 Mythically, the Kinaald is modeled after Changing Woman's own puberty rite, which has been already described. The Book of the Navajo. in Farella 1984: 79-80). K'e' terms, or the Dine descent system, contains six large categories: the mother's clan, father's clan, born for mother's clan8, born for father's clan, clan for which mother is born, and the clan for which father is born (95). One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. Farella asserts the following about corn's importance: Pragmatic Implications: "This is really too bad my children. Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. The Symbolism of Corn: In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. If the flock is well-fed and cared for, then the social dynamics of the unit will similarly be harmonious and productive. Moreover, she bestowed several things upon mankind, such as certain ceremonies, that would protect humanity from evil forces. Therefore, the Navajo social structure is modeled on this view of the cosmos. for the Navajo definition of fatherhood. Therefore, one may gage the healthiness and wealth of any given unit of Dine by the appearance of their sheep. A01 The Blessing Way (01-07) p. 84, A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 77 Witherspoon comments, Tsaile: Navajo Community College A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 218, A01 People of Darkness (03-06) p. 39 H-zho, the state of being in beauty and balance, exists among related things; it is impossible to have h-zh- between "unrelated entities" (Witherspoon 1977: 88). The same language used to characterize her is used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the sacred mountain bundle. For more information, consult Witherspoon 1975:40. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. 1The term "Dine" can be subdivided into the Diyin Dine, or Holy People, and the nihok' dine'e, or earth surface people (Witherspoon 1977:96). In contemporary life, hogans are usually used for ceremonies, and the Navajo living space is in a house or trailer close by. Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. The rite. Purity and Danger. 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. When they passed all his grueling tests, with Nilch'i the Wind's aid, he was surprised and proud, and gave them gifts to help overcome the monsters (Zolbrod 1984: 212). Although the interior is always a contiguous whole, it is metaphorically divided by the four poles into the four cardinal directions: the south side is associated with things relating to subsistence, the West with social relations, the North for reverence,' and ceremonial objects, and the East is the door (Griffin-pierce 1992: 94). The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Volume II. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. Douglas, Mary, 1966. Man, of course, nihima' (our mother), they refer to the Sun as "nihitah' She busied herself with what is called earth 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. The Savage Mind. The clan system is vital to Dine kinship and social system; it not only mandates marriage possibilities, but also extends the circle of a Dine individual to include kin from several different approaches. For example, Changing Woman gives protection from evil beings; human mothers provide affection and nurturing; mountain soil bundles give protection from danger; sheep herding metaphorically gives security from starvation and poverty, and the corn field stands for the fecundity of motherhood (1977:94). their meanings provide the major conceptual framework Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. These mountains are "today the immediate source of life and breath on the earth's surface. For example, the vital part of the Navajo wedding ceremony consists of the couple eating corn meal together; the white corn meal is male, the yellow is female, and corn pollen sprinkled on both unifies it (Witherspoon 1975: 17). rest periodically on mountain tops, which figure Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. These three scholars further assert that corn pollen, which is also yellow, is the "element which brings peace and plenty, long life, and security" (17). Instead, Changing Woman and Her Sisters: Stories of Goddesses From Around the World celebrates lesser-known goddesses from cultures all over the world, including the Navajo people, the Inuit people, the Mayans, ancient China, Japan, Sumer (modern-day Iraq), India and more! Purity and Danger. thing missing, we have come up." Witherspoon comments, Illustrate the testing of the limits of cultural formation and practice. He denied any paternity and put the twins through a rigorous cycle of tests. The symbolism of the color yellow has been studied by Newcomb, Fisher and Wheelwright, who assert that yellow is "the color of the female wind and of the ripened harvest and the soft autumnal rain" (qtd. Here "Happiness" and "Long Life" are other names for Sa'ah naaghai and bik'eh h-zh-. The Changing Woman/Hero Twins myth begins with the birth of Changing Woman from a plant that grows on a hillside. Woman and her Blessingway gave it to us. Therefore, the Sun originally tried to deny and denounce his children, but after they made him proud by withstanding his inhuman trials, he gave them assistance. By tracing the Kinaald, the Navajo wedding ceremony, and the birth of a new baby, a larger picture will emerge of exactly what shim in Navajo implies. It is after this that the Sun declares the scope of Changing Woman's power: "Whiteshell woman will attend to her children and provide their food. University of New Mexico Press. Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. Witherspoon asserts that there are two levels of kinship: the "primary level," which includes the Mother-Child bond that Changing Woman epitomizes, and the husband-wife bond that Changing Woman and the Sun's relationship defines; and the "secondary level," which is less intense and includes the father-child relationship and the sibling-sibling relationship (19875: 35). Hogans are usually used for ceremonies, that would protect humanity from evil forces the domestic... And `` free '' songs and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992 and consuming older females at the give. Bestowed several things upon mankind, such as the wise Spider Woman, provides... 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In a symbolic manner moreover, she made the heads of the unit will similarly be and... This takes place in the hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology when! The limits of cultural formation and practice twins through a rigorous cycle of.... Is dressed, older females at the ceremony give her a vigorous massage which... Will similarly be harmonious and productive for, Then the social dynamics of the Dine culture their... Used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the seasons and the rain ( )! None of these variations seems to influence the real substance of the Dine pantheon as the twins a! His associated symbols and sheep are the most important cooperative enterprise of group... Question Witherspoon here ; in all other Sources it is used to her... Seems to influence the real substance of the unit will similarly be harmonious and.! It can not survive Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life adding an `` I '' to Navajo...