What does the Navajo origin legend show the origin of?

Answer 1

It describes Navajo creation stories. It is called the Diné bahaneʼ in Navajo. It is very complex and has many parts and versions. There is a English language translation available, ( see attached link). In broad outline it describes the creation and travels of creatures and people and Holy People (deities) and geography and mountains and plants. In most versions it goes through four worlds, three before this one. In a few versions this is the fifth world. Each successive world is more complete, complex, ordered and beautiful. In each world arguments or fighting or breaking taboos cause the problems that lead to the need to escape up into the next world. In each world new knowledge and rituals are gained. Each world is described as having a dominate color. Color in Navajo thought is related to directions, sacred mountains and certain qualities and deities. The first world (Nihodilhil) is black, the second (Ni'hodootl'izh) is blue, the third (Nihaltsoh) is yellow, and this is the glittering or white world (Nihalgai) . The emergence place is called "Hajinei". Many people say this place is somewhere in the La Plata Mountains, in Colorado.

In this world the six sacred mountains are reestablished, Changing Woman is born and then she gives birth to the hero twins who rid the world of monsters, except for a few like Cold and Hunger, Poverty and Death. They leave those because without cold it would always be hot and the would be no snow or water in the summer for plants, without hunger there will be no pleasure in eating and feasting, without poverty nothing will wear out and no one will create new things, without death the people will never increase and there will only be old people.

Changing woman creates the first four Navajo clans and sends them to the Dinetah.

There is much more but this is the outline. All of it is seen as having 12 levels of deeper and deeper meaning. The surface, literal story is for children and simple minds. At core it is about the complex Navajo ideas of Są́'ah naaghaii bik'eh Hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́ and inner and outer forms, male and female, dynamic symmetrical balance and K'e.

Answer 2

The Navajo origin legend that explains the origin of the Navajo tribe in the Southwestern United States. The legend gives an account of how they became the first humans to ever set foot in the new world.

Answer 3

In the Navajo Origin Legend, First Man and First Woman live in harmony among the animals in a lush world. The wind god helps them to learn procreation and they have several sets of twins in a row.

Answer 4

Diné Bahaneʼ ( the story of the people) is the Navajo creation story. It describes the creation of the world. Then the movement up from the first, second and third, and sometimes fourth world below and up to this one, our present world. It tells of the creation and placing to the four sacred mountains and the two center mountains. It tells coming of Changing Woman and her sons the Hero Twins, the creation of people and the Navajo clans. There are many parts and different versions to these stories. The main theme is the continual need to establish Hozho in the world.

Answer 5

There is reportedly another title for the excerpt from the Navajo origin legend. It is known as It Was the Wind That Gave Them Life.