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Navajo religion Creation - page 3 of 7

It was at this point that two of the most important figures in Navajo religion appeared: the Hero Twins. After the first fires were lit, Áltsé Hastiin and Áltsé Asdzáá noticed tracks that led to the west. Part of the group decided to follow the tracks. The tracks were left by the children of White Shell Woman, also known as Changing Woman; born to her after the Sun committed adultery with her before the emergence. These children are known to the Navajo as the Hero Twins: Naye'nez ghani, Monster Slayer, and and Tqo bagish chi'ni, Born For Water. To travel to the western oceans and visit White Shell Woman, the group used rainbows to cover great distances. As the group proceeded west, they encountered the many monsters and evil spirits that were byproducts of the Sun's adultery. After visiting White Shell Woman in the west, the group returned with the Hero Twins, hoping they would grow up to battle the monsters and evil spirits.

Once they had returned to the Navajo Mountain area, holy men from the group placed the magic rainbow in the safest place they could: Bridge Canyon, below Navajo Mountain. The rainbow then turned to stone. Monster Slayer and Born For Water were raised in the cradle of Bridge Creek and the stone rainbow formed the protective handle of their cradle board. After they reached maturity, and discovered the Sun was their father, they traveled to visit him. They used the rock rainbow to ease their journey. The Sun tested his sons thoroughly during their trip and rewarded each of them with a weapon so they could battle the monsters. To Monster Slayer the Sun gave Lightning That Strikes Crooked. Born For Water received Lightning That Flashes Straight. The twins returned home and defeated most of the monsters. The monsters that were allowed to survive personified old age, lice, hunger, and death.

Monster Slayer and Born For Water went again to visit with the Sun. This time, the Sun gave them gifts from the four directions. In exchange for giving them these gifts, the Sun received the ability to destroy all beings that lived in houses. This was very important, as many of the surviving monsters were children of the Sun. The Sun precipitated an immense flood, which covered the earth and destroyed most living things. The Holy People saved one man and one woman and pairs of all the animals.

In the wake of the flood, Asdzáá Nádleehé, Changing Woman, established the first clans. Changing Woman went to the West, and found four mountains that were identical to the four mountains in Hajiinei, the Emergence place. After dancing on the tops of these mountains, she sits down and rubs an "outer layer of skin from under her left arm with her right hand, and this skin developed into two adult males and two females, from whom descended the clan Honágháahnii, One Who walks Around You. Then she rubbed the outer layer of skin from under her right arm with her left hand, and this developed into two adult males and females, who eventually became the clan Kiiyaa'áanii, Towering House. After this, she rubbed an outer layer of her skin from her left breast with her right hand, which changed into two adult males and two females, who eventually became Tó Dích'íi'nii, Bitter Water clan. She again rubbed skin from her breast, this time the right one, with her left hand, and four adults, two men and two women, were formed, who became Bit'ahnii, or Within His Cover People. She did this two more times, one rubbing skin from between her breasts, thereby forming what would become known as Hashtl'ishnii, or the Mud Clan. The last time she rubbed skin from between her shoulder blades, forming the Close to Her Body Clan. After she created all of these people, she took them with her to live in the West, inside the area bounded by the four scared mountains.

• Navajo Creation
• Navajo ceremonies
• Navajo medicine men
• Navajo ceremonial sandpaintings
• Navajo sacred lands

Navajo religion Creation Changing Woman - page 4

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