Fig. 16.
Arrow Dance of the Navaho
"This song," says Natalie Curtis (The Indians' Book, p. 362), "is an ancient Navaho war chant. It was sung by the god Nayenezrani, the Slayer of the Anaye. Nayenezrani made the ancient war-songs and gave them to the Navahos. In olden times, when the Navahos were going to war, the warriors chanted this song, and then went out into a wide plain, and put the war-feather in their hair. These feathers were very holy, and were ornamented with turquoise. No woman or child might ever look upon them, lest the warrior, in battle, become like a child or a woman.
"The war-chant tells how Nayenezrani hurls his enemies into the ground with the lightning, one after another. The four lightnings strike from him in all directions and return, for lightning always looks as if it flashed out and then went back."
The words of the chant follow, together with the translation which Miss Curtis gives
NAYS-E SIN
Pesh ashike ni shli-yi-na, Pesh ashike ni shli-ya-e.
Nayenezrani shi ni shli-kola Pesh ashike ni shliE-na.
Pesh tilyilch-iye shi ke-kola, Pesh ashike ni shliE-na.
Pesh tilyilch-iye siskle-kola, Pesh ashike ni shliE-na.
Pesh tilyilch-iye shi e-kola, Pesh ashike ni shliE-na.
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Nayenezrani, lo, behold me, he am I,
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Moccasins of black flint have I,
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Leggings of black flint have I,
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Tunic of black flint have I,
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Pesh tilyilch-iye shi tsha-kola, Bonnet of black flint have I,
Pesh ashike ni shli- Lo, the flint youth, he am I;
E-na. The flint youth.
Song No. 2 Nolienni tshina shi-ye Clearest, purest flint the heart
Shi yiki holon-e-kola, Living strong within me-heart of flint;
Pesh ashike ni shli- Lo, the flint youth, he am I;
Naye-a Sin-Wear Song (Navaho) E-na. The flint youth.
--;rs ~~~--r-o
s s
Elk= EE r,
$ times * -,
-is----4-
i ~ ~-ci i ' i
`Sing 5 times if using the words, but for dance only once. Natalie Curtis-Indians' Book, p. 393•
30
Ka' itsiniklizhi-ye Din-ikwo Sitzan nahatilch-kola, Din-ikwo
Peshashike ni shliE-na.
Tsini nahatilch ki la Nihoka hastoyo-la Whe-e-yoni-s'n-iye Yoya aiyinilch-kola,
Peshashike ni shliE-na.
Now the zigzag lightnings four From me flash,
Striking and returning, From me flash; Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
There where'er the lightnings strike, Into the ground they hurl the foeAncient folk with evil charms,
One upon another, dashed to earth; Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
Ka' sa-a narai, Living evermore,
Ka' binihotsitti shi ni shli-kola, Feared of all forevermore,
Pesh ashike ni shli- Lo, the flint youth, he am I;'
E-na. The flint youth.
Peshashike ni shli-kola,
Pesh ashike ni shli-ya-e.
Lo, the flint youth, he am I; The flint youth.
The dance is a small section of the MOUNTAIN CHANT. In it, there are two dancers, men. In either hand they hold a zigzag arrow (Fig. 16), hung with long ribbons, and two eagle feathers in the middle.
Fig. 16.
Introduction
q. meas.
(a) Shuffle in with very short steps, from opposite sides, toward each other
(b) Jump high in air, facing each other
i i meas,,
z meas.
(c) Shuffle around each other, passing right shoulders 8 meas.
(d) Hold, facing each other (e)
z meas.
With a very high trot step ( 2 steps to the measure), knees up
in front at each step, but remaining in place S meas.
( f ) Jump high in air, ending back to back (g) High front-trot in place, back to back (h) Jump, ending side by side, facing front (i) Shuffle forward
( j) Hold (k) Shuffle about each other, passing right shoulders (l) Hold, facing front (n2) Shuffle about each other, passing left shoulders (n) Jump, ending facing each other, arrows high in zontally
z meas.
13 meas.
t meas.
S meas.
z meas.
3 meas.
z meas.
