Sacred Texts
Native American
Navajo
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THE MOUNTAIN CHANT
A NAVAJO CEREMONY.
BY WASHINGTON MATTHEWS
[1887]
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System of transliteration.
This is a description of a Navajo shamanistic healing ceremony.
It centers around a recitation of a cycle of myths about
a Navajo culture hero, Dsilyídje Qaçàl.
His journey takes him to the land of the gods and goddesses,
where he learns powerful magic.
The narrative is compelling and compares well with the Homeric
Odyssey,
which it resembles both thematically and stylistically.
The ceremony incorporates dance, song, prayer, sand-painting,
drama, sculpture, conjuring, and even a bit of farce.
Of note are the beautiful plates of
the ephemeral sand-paintings.
Title Page
Introduction.
Myth of the Origin of Dsilyídje Qaçàl.
The Ceremonies of Dsilyídje Qaçàl.
The Great Pictures of Dsilyídje Qaçàl.
Sacrifices of Dsilyídje Qaçàl.
Original Texts and Translations of Songs.
Other Songs and Extracts.
Addendum: The Suppressed Sections from the 1884 Edition of the Mountain Chant