Navajo Legend
0 General Document comments
0 Sentence and Paragraph comments
0 Image and Video comments
The skill called "close reading" is fundamental for interpreting literature. "Reading closely," means developing a deep understanding and a precise interpretation of a literary passage that is based first and foremost on the words themselves. But a close reading does not stop there; rather, it embraces larger themes and ideas evoked and/or implied by the passage itself. It is essential that we distinguish between doing a close reading and writing one. Doing a close reading involves a thought process that moves from small details to larger issues. Writing a close reading begins with these larger issues and uses the relevant details as evidence.
Getting Started: Treat the passage as if it were complete in itself. Read it a few times, at least once aloud. Concentrate on all its details and assume that everything is significant.
The Navajo Origin Legend
Directions: This is worth 10 points. Please make sure that you follow the directions closely
1. Write directly on the passage! (2 Points)-Write at least two questions in the margins as you re-read. Write at least two opinions in the margins: you might write your opinion of a character, an idea, the writing style, etc.
2. Word meaning (2 Points): Determine the meanings of words and references. Also, note (and verify) interesting connotations of words. Look up two words you do not know or which are used in unfamiliar ways. (Laziness in this step will inevitably result in diminished comprehension.) Write the definition of the word. Explain how it is being used in the story.
3. Associations/ Inferences (2 Points): Highlight sentences that illustrate images that can be associated with some element of the Native American culture. Consider answering these questions: What customs are explained? What does the wind represent? Why are there animals in the text?
On the morning of the twelfth day the people washed themselves well. The women dried themselves with yellow cornmeal; the men with white cornmeal. Soon after the ablutions were completed they heard the distant call of the approaching gods. ( the four Navaho gods: White Body, Blue Body, Yellow Body, and Black Body.) It was shouted, as before, four times--nearer and louder at each repetition--and, after the fourth call, the gods appeared. Blue Body and Black Body each carried a sacred buckskin. White Body carried two ears of corn, one yellow, one white, each covered at the end completely with grains. The gods laid one buckskin on the ground with the head to the west; on this they placed the two ears of corn, with their tips to the east, and over the corn they spread the other buckskin with its head to the east; under the white ear they put the feather of a white eagle, under the yellow ear the feather of a yellow eagle. Then they told the people to stand at a distance and allow the wind to enter. The white wind blew from the east, and the yellow wind blew from the west, between the skins. While the wind was blowing, eight of the Mirage People ( mirages personified) came and walked around the objects on the ground four times, and as they walked the eagle feathers, whose tips protruded from between the buckskins, were seen to move. When the Mirage People had finished their walk the upper buckskin was lifted; the ears of corn had disappeared, a man and a woman lay there in their stead. The white ear of corn had been changed into a man, the yellow ear into a woman. It was the wind that gave them life. It is the wind that comes out of our mouths now that gives us life. When this ceases to blow we die. In the skin at the tips of our fingers we see the trail of the wind; it shows us where the wind blew when our ancestors were created. The pair thus created were First Man and First Woman (Atse Hastin and Atse Estsan). The gods directed the people to build an enclosure of brushwood for the pair. When the enclosure was finished, First Man and First Woman entered it, and the gods said to them: "Live together now as husband and wife."
In this story there are several mentions of things that have to do with the number 4. Like the four Navaho gods or four calls as the gods came closer. Apparently ears of corn and feathers are important in the creation of man and women. I don’t get the general idea of this story though.
I wonder where the origins of the Mirage people came from?
I really liked the imagery in this story, and how the idea of something so small can turn out extraordinary.
Mirage (Noun) – an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, especially the appearance of a sheet of water in a desert or on a hot road caused by the refraction of light from the sky by heated air.
I knew before what this word meant, but its a word that you don’t hear often in everyday life, so I thought it was important to show it’s literal definition in order to see how it is being used within the text.
Brushwood (Noun) – undergrowth, twigs, and small branches, typically used for firewood or kindling.
I didn’t know what “brushwood” was, as for I don’t think I’ve seen it used in any other stories we’ve read.
Ablution: to wash oneself for a ceremonial purpose.
Brushwood: twigs, or small branches.
Where did yellow spirit go? Was he important at all to the creation of humans? And it talks about people in the story. Why would they make more people? Were the people in the beginning a different type of people?
I think that this idea of how people came into the world is very imaginative and creative. It is a fun take on the subject.
My opinion of this writing style is that it is a little confusing and, I guess you could call it, stuffy. I think that the writer needed to compose his thoughts in a more organized way. I did enjoy the overall idea of the passage, though.
Some of the customs that are explained are the customs of bathing, such as what to dry oneself with after bathing. Also, the customs of how to announce the arrival of gods or people of high importance is explained.
The wind represents our breath.
There were no actual animals in the text, but animals were mentioned in the text. The people were using feathers from eagles. This was mentioned because it shows that there was a close relationship between these people (and also people in general) and animals.
Where is the Yellow Body while the others were creating the man and woman?
Do the people only wash themselves on the twelfth day?
Ablution means to wash ones self. In the story it means washing themselves.
It makes sense that wind is portrayed as life because wind is very lively.
Personified means to represent a human figure. In the story it means the people.
Questions: Why did the people dry themselves with cornmeal? If the people created from corn and wind were the first people, who were the people the story referenced multiple times?
Opinions: The story definitely adds an interesting image for how people were created. The story could explain the trend with the colors white and yellow a little better.
Word Meanings: Mirage – an image or illusion often related to the heat.
buckskin – the hide of a deer, more specifically, the hide of a male deer.
Associations/Inferences: The wind represents the breaths that we breathe.
They like to describe things with color. The Navaho gods were different colors and the corn had colors.
I like how the gods each played a part in the creation of people.
Protruded means to extend beyond or above a surface.
Brushwood means wood with small branches. It was used to describe the wood that was brought by the people.
I think the things that represent the culture is wind, crops and animals. When the wind came it gave life to the man and woman. There was corn in the story that was part of the creation of man. Also, eagle feathers were part of the creation of man.
Why was the twelfth day chosen for bathing?
What happened on the other days before the 12th day?
The women dried themselves with yellow cornmeal, the men with white – Obviously, cornmeal was a big part of the Navajo culture. I’ve never heard of drying oneself with it, but maybe this is like when they say to put a cell phone in rice if you drop it in water. I could see how it would absorb the liquid.
I like how in the story they showed how the Navajo women would dry themselves with cornmeal. It totally sounds like something that the Navajo culture would do and practice because I could see that happening during those times in that culture.
Like most students have probably said, How was the first women and men created? Weren’t they created by other people, therefore those gods should be the first people?
It makes the story seem a little sketch without mentions all of God bodies. Yellow Body was not included much in the story.
Why was the women’s “color” yellow and the men’s “color” white?
Why did the women and men dry themselves with different colors of cornmeal?
Ablutions – I knew that this meant washing, but I decided to look it up anyway to see if there was more meaning. I noted that it could mean ceremonial washing. It seems like that might make sense in this context.
Ablutions-a cleansing with water or a liquid for a religious purpose or ritual. It was used in the context to show how they used rituals and practiced things for their culture.
How were they able to hear the call of the gods?
I did not know the meaning of “ablutions.” The meaning of “ablution” — the singular form of “ablutions” — is “a cleansing with water or other liquid, especially as a religious ritual” (“Ablution”).
This word is being used in the story to explain what the people are doing or what they do.
Works Cited:
“Ablution”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 8 Sep. 2016.
I can infer from all the stories we’ve read that eagle feathers have a magical connotation to the Native Americans, and the color has to do with what purpose they will use it for.
As in the last story, “When Grizzlies Walked Upright”, there was another reference to the “West Wind.” This idea is sometimes displayed as a deity, and other times only symbolic as a force. However, either way it signifies “new beginnings.” From what I know about the “East Wind”, I believe that it is symbolic of a harvest. So it would make sense if that is the case, being they were creating man. They created a new beginning, and eventually get to enjoy the benefits of their “harvest.”
Mirage People – Since the Navajo lived in what is now the SouthWest United States, they were no doubt used to desert living and the things that came with it, including mirages.
The number four is used many times throughout this passage: four calls, four gods, four circles. What significance might this number have had to the Navajo?
What do the 4 different gods/bodies represent in this story?
This sentence can create an image in your head of customs or practices that Native Americans performed.
I did not fully understand the meaning of “stead.” One of the meanings of “stead” is “the place of a person or thing as occupied by a successor or substitute” (“Stead”).
This word is being used in the story to explain to the readers what happened: a male and a female had taken the place of the two ears of corn.
Works Cited:
“Stead”. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 8 Sep. 2016.
I at least noticed they kept the story true by white ear for men and yellow for women. This probably why they dried in white and yellow cornmeal
As in the first paragraph, the man used white corn to dry themselves, while women used yellow. I wonder why each gender is associated with a different color?
How can these be the first man and woman when it says there are already people, drying themselves with cornmeal?
Brushwood – I figured this had something to do with wood, but looking it up I see the definition is twigs and small branches usually used for kindling.
Brushwood-small branches used for firewood and/or kindling. It was used in this context to show how the Navajo culture would use brushwood for making enclosures.
This sentence creates an image in your head of what some of the structures that Native Americans inhabited may have looked like.
Definition: small branches or twigs used for fire starting.
Construct a Thesis or Argument for the values that are displayed in this text:
Throughout the story we learn many different gods or things used to help create new life. Wind can be a way of refreshment and understanding geography, maybe if you were one of the first tribes? Animals are relativity close to us scientifically showing that our bodies come from them. This probably puts a perspective to understand the Native Morals and beliefs on different animals.
Humans are to be prized, and gods are to be even more honored.
I believe the main value portrayed in this story is the preciousness of life and the work that is put into creating life.
2 Points: What is this passage about? Paraphrase it below.
The people wash and hear the gods coming. The gods lay objects on the ground, the Mirage people walk around it, and the wind blows through. In place of the objects is the first man and woman.
This passage is about the creation of the first(?) man and woman.
This passage is about the understanding of creation from Native Tribe stories on how man and woman were created. Showing how everything in the story was involved and still is important to most tribes today.
Many themes can be taken from this story. But in my opinion, this passage is telling a myth about the creation of man, and how we stem from the simplest elements on earth to the greatest collective of earth.
This passage is about how the first humans were created.
Here is my paraphrase:
Every twelfth day, the people bathed. On that day, gods came to the people. They laid down two buckskins — one on top of the other, and in between, they laid two ears of corn. One ear was white, and under this, the gods laid a white eagle’s feather; the other ear was yellow, and under this, the gods laid a yellow eagle’s feather. The wind blew upon the items, and some of the Mirage People walked around them. After awhile, the top buckskin was removed, and the people found a male and a female. The male had replaced the white ear of corn, and the female had replaced the yellow ear of corn. The people built a structure for the male and female, who were the first male and the first female, and the gods blessed them.
This passage is about how four Navaho gods put some things together to create people. They put the things together, let the wind envelope them and suddenly there were people.
This passage is about the four gods coming together, working together, and using their own individual resources to create man and woman.
The gods came and put objects onto the floor. The people walked around it and when the wind came it gave life to two people.
2 Points: What values do you think this illustrates are present in the culture?
Overall, I believe the strongest value displayed here is working in groups. The magic of teamwork between the gods made the creation of a man and woman possible, though only if everyone did their part.
I think that the values that this illustrates are present in the culture are:
1. People of high importance or gods are to be greatly honored.
2. Humans are very precious and are to be treated as such.
3. Bathing is an important practice and should be done thoroughly.
I think one of the values illustrated is making sure you appreciate things like wind and corn and the little things.
I think teamwork was one of the most emphasized values in the story, because it tells a tale of the four different gods coming together to create man and woman.
I think the values are the importance of wind in their culture and working together like the gods did.
General Document Comments 0
icons on the left to see existing comments.
0 archived comments