In the time when all there was darkness, this was the first world, the one of eternal Blackness, created life out of the mist. The only people were the insect people. There also existed Talking God, and from Talking God came the Second Talking God. They created spirits out of the mist. When these spirits took form they became the insect people. The first was First Woman, First man, First Girl, First Boy. The people were taught the first two ceremonies, the Ant Way and the Blessing Way.
In time arguments about who was the most powerful developed. Talking God, Talking God II, Fist Woman, First Man, First Girl, First Boy all wanted to be the boss, and didn't share or work together. Just like today when people struggle for power, the world is destroyed.
During the Second World, this was the Blue World, there were the Crystal Way, the Ant Way and the Blessing Way Ceremonies to heal and protect the people. In addition the Bird People and the Anasazi People taught us their Ceremonies. Witchcraft and a struggle for power developed among the spiritual leaders and the Blue World was destroyed.
Shortly there after the People emerged into the Third World, the Yellow World, which belonged to the Four Legged People (Porcupine, Deer, Skunk, Badger). The People were taught to plant crops, as they had been taught to grow crops by the Anasazi People. To make the crops grow, new crop ceremonies had to be learned; this consisted of offering corn pollen to the Sacred Ones. Earth's Relatives were born at this time, the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets.
The People prospered and emerged out of the earth the Yellow World into the White World or Fourth World. The Sexes became separated and had to be reunited to create life in the Fourth World. All things Created emerged on to the third world. The Monsters too emerged and threatened the rest of creation. The Twins had to slay the Monsters and then the Twins brought with them the Protection Way, the Enemy Way and the Traveling Songs. Changing Woman gave us our Puberty Ceremonies. After the people emerged on to this world the people began to quarrel among themselves. This place was known as Diné tah. Changing Woman, also known as White Shell Woman, left to live in the west to get peace. Changing Woman was to assure that the Moon and the Sun would have a place to rest each night and each day. As she left she performed the Blessing Way on herself because her job would be difficult.
The fighting among the people only increased. The Herbs, Dark Clouds, Dark Sky, Female Rain and Male Rain, Wild Game and the Sacred Mountains Left with Changing Woman. The Diné had hard times without the rain. Fires burnt all the forests.
A council was made to investigate the problem. The messenger, Hummingbird, investigated. He found Changing Woman in her floating house of turquoise. The people stopped fighting and the lonely Changing Woman returned to Navajo Land with all the valuables she took. To keep the peace Changing Woman created our clans. There were four at first now their are about thirty clans. With the proper practice of our ceremonies harmony was reestablished. Every place in the Universe had its place and harmony and beauty was all around.
In Diné world view, the sky was created first and is male: Father Sky. The North Star was the central fire or point of reference in the sky. The Big Dipper is the male, and Little Dipper is female. All parts of the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, are both male and female.
The earth was created second, Mother Earth is female; all its parts, the mountains, the sea, the rivers and valleys are both female and male. The rain is the mating of Father Sky and Mother Earth. The sky, who is male, is made up of two elements: light, which is male, and air, which is female. The earth, which is female, is made up of two elements—land (male), and water (female). These four elements are the creator; the four elements together become Sa’ah Naaghai Bik’eh Hozhoon.
Born at the beginning of the fourth world were monsters that were killing all the people. All the animals and all the people were in great danger because of the fact the monsters were eating everybody.
When the twins went to meet their father the Sun, and ask the Sun for weapons to kill the Monsters, the twins told the Sun they were sent by the ‘People’ to get weapons because the monsters were killing and eating all the people. When the Sun heard this he grew very sad because the monsters were his people too. The Sun asked why he should give weapons to his twin sons to kill other of his children. The twins told their father the Sun that it was a necessary, although tragic, sacrifice because if the monsters were not killed no people would survive. The monsters used their power to cause harm to others. It is said that the Sun grew exceedingly sorrowful because the Sun knew the twins were right. In order to save his children the people the Sun must sacrifice his children the monsters. The Sun left the twins alone while the Sun went away to mourn the up coming death of his children the monsters. The Sun wept and cried forth his great sorrow, yet when he returned he gave his sons the weapons to protect the people from the great evil of the monsters. This is why among the Diné evil and protection are both called Naayee.
It is said that the male power of protection (Naayee) is the same power as that of evil (Naayee). The power of the Protection Way is used in defense against harm or the threat of harm to the people; Protection is used selflessly to help and used in moderation. Witch craft, or evil, is the same power, but it is used for personal gain or because of envy and greed knows no moderation. Protection is to do battle against harm. When fighting the Nakai or enemy, the warrior will use his power to deceive the enemy by leading them into a trap; dishonesty is a virtue here. When fighting an illness, the good doctor will weaken the bacteria, causing harm to the bacteria in order to kill it. Dishonesty when used for personal gain can cause much harm to the people; the same knowledge used to fight disease can be used to make biological weapons to harm.
It is said when the Sun gave his power to the Twins to kill the monsters, he gave this warning: this power will now fall into the hands of people who will use for personal gain which is evil and the Evil Way will be necessary to protect the people from the power of protection used in an evil way. Witchcraft, envy, and greed are always with us and behind the use of power for evil. The male principle must be balanced with the female, and the female with the male. Protection is necessary for happiness, and happiness is necessary for protection.
It is said after the monsters were killed men and women began to fight among themselves. First Woman who was married to First Man, lusted after a young lad she just met. This rapidly led her to commit adultery. Before this happened First Woman and First Man had grown distant and cold to each other. She had expressed her concern and when he failed to listen she grew angry. The adultery was also part of her anger. When First Man heard about the adultery he grew very angry. Now each blamed the other for their relationship falling apart. All the men on the world blamed First Woman, calling her a cheat. All the women on the world blamed First Man, for they said he did not treat First Woman with love and respect, thus driving her into the arms of another man. All the men said we do not need the women, and all the women said we do not need the men. The men left in a big boat one way across the river, and the women another way. The men so grew very weak, for without the blessings they could not feed, clothe or care for themselves; they suffered greatly and admitted to the women they could not live without them. The men only fought among themselves. They began to see how badly they had treated the women. They had always tried to be the boss of the women, and did not respect the gifts the women had to offer. The men approached asking them to return.
At first the women refused. They also had suffered, but they did much better than the men. The women had learned to do all the things the men had done before. They could protect themselves, they could hunt, they could clear the land. It had been difficult, but they learned the gifts of the men, and now felt that no longer needed the men. Yet the one thing they failed to realize was men were necessary for the next generation to be born. At first the women found they could impregnate themselves with animal parts from the animals they killed in the hunt for food. These half humans were born demons who only caused harm as they were neither human nor the animals who fathered them. These demons babies were very ugly and caused much harm to all humans. Because they did so much evil the demon babies had to be cast out of the human communities. The demon babies were thrown over the walls of the canyons to die, but they did not die, only grew stronger. This is what Diné mean when they say we gave birth to our own destruction.
The women were not powerful enough to protect themselves from the harm they had created. The men were needed to fight these demons. The men were allowed to return to the women. Each side apologized to the other for their lack of love. This is why both protection and blessings are necessary for life. This is why the Blessing Way Ceremonies also offer protection, and Protection Way Ceremonies also offer blessings. Today all men have a female side, and all women have a male side.
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