The Mountain Chant (Navajo Ceremony)

REYNOLDS BOOKS &INFORMATION SERVICESWashington MatthewsThe Mountain Chant Please take a moment to check out our otherbooks and book sets by CLICKING HERE!We Charge EXACT SHIPPING plus $1.00 for single and multiple items... not $2, $3, $4 or moreper extra book like other sellers do.As with all of our products... please feel free to make an offer!MOUNTAIN CHANT with text and translation by Washington Matthews (1843-1905) contains accounts of The Mountain Chant.From the Introduction: The ceremony of dsilyídje qaçàl, or mountain chant--literally, chant towards (a place) within the mountains--is one of a large number practiced by the shamans, or medicine men, of the Navajo tribe. I have selected it as the first of those to be described, because I have witnessed it the most frequently, because it is the most interesting to the Caucasian spectator, and because it is the best known to the whites who visit and reside in and around the Navajo country. Its chief interest to the stranger lies in the various public performances of the last night. Like other great rites of the shamans, it has its secret ceremonies of many days' duration in the medicine lodge; but, unlike the others, it ends with a varied show in the open air, which all are invited to witness. Another ceremony which I have attended, and which the whites usually call the "Yay`bichy Dance" (Yèbitcai), has a final public exhibition which occupies the whole night, but it is unvaried. Few Europeans can be found who have remained awake later than midnight to watch it. Such is not the case with the rite now to be described. Here the white man is rarely the first to leave at dawn. The appropriateness of the name dsilyídje or tsilgitce--towards (a place) within the mountains--will be better understood from the myth than from any brief description. "Dxilyi`" way well allude to mountains in general or to the Carrizo Mountains in particular, to the place in the mountains (paragraphs 9 and 38) where the originator of these ceremonies (whom I often find it convenient to call "prophet") dwelt, or to the name of the prophet (par. 41), or to all these combined. Qaçàl signifies a sacred song or a collection of sacred songs. From the many English synonyms for song I have selected the word chant to translate qaçàl. In its usual signification hymnody may be its more exact equivalent, but it is a less convenient term than chant. The shaman, or medicine man, who is master of ceremonies, is known as qaçàli or chanter--el cantador, the Mexicans call him. In order to keep in mind his relationship to similar functionaries in other tribes I shall, from time to time, allude to him as the priest, the shaman, or the medicine man, following the example of other authors. To all ceremonies of a character similar to this the term qaçàl is applicable. It would seem from this that the Navajo regard the song as the chief part of the ceremony, but since the Americans, as a rule, regard all Indian ceremonies as merely dances and call them dances, I will, out of deference to a national prejudice, frequently refer to the ceremony as a dance. Sections include: 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, &C, (See SONGS OF SEQUENCE & SIXTH SONG OF THE HOLY YOUNG MEN BELOW) & OTHER SONGS AND EXTRACTS. This text also contains: ADDENDUM: THE SUPPRESSED SECTIONS FROM THE 1884 EDITION OF THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. Matthews printed the following censored portions of the preceding document privately in 1892, in a five page pamphlet "The Suppressed Part of 'The Mountain Chant: A Navajo Ceremony,'" Fort Wingate, New Mexico, Feb. 26. 1892. This section contains the information suppressed in the original. The author begs the pardon of his correspondents for having so long delayed the fulfillment of his promise.SONGS OF SEQUENCE. Order Indian name of set. English name of set. Number in each setI. Atsáleï Bigin Songs of the First Dancers 16II. Tsintsò Bigin Songs of the Great Stick, or Plumed Wand 12III. ¢epè Bigin Songs of the Mountain Sheep 12IV. I`¢nì` Bigin Songs of the Lightning 12V. Tsilkè-¢igìni Bigin Songs of the Holy Young Men 12VI. Tcikè-cac-nátlehi Bigin Songs of Young Women Who Become Bears 16VII. Dsilyi` Neyáni Bigin Songs of Reared Within the Mountains 8VIII. Tsáhagin Awl songs 8IX. Nahikàï-gin Whitening songs 8X. ¢asàni Bigin Songs of the Porcupines 7XI. Nanisè Bigin Songs of the Plants 8XII. Tsin¢ilçòï Bigin Songs of the Exploding Stick 26XIII. Yikàï-gin Daylight songs 16 Total 161223. SIXTH SONG OF THE HOLY YOUNG MEN. Aïena.Altsàcië ¢igìni oöhè. 1. Altsàcië ¢igìni, altsàcië ¢igìni, altsàcië ¢igìni oöhè. 2. Kaç Tsilkè-¢igìni, bakàgië ¢igìni, 3. Dsil ¢ilhyíli eë, bakàgië ¢igìni, 4. Tsintsoï ¢ilhyíli e bakàgië ¢igìni, 5. Tsí¢a bialìli, bíja ye¢igíngo, bakàgië ¢igìni, oöhè. Altsàcië ¢igìni oöhè. 6. Altsàcië ¢igìni, altsàcië ¢igìni, altsàcië ¢igìni oöhè. 7. Kaç Tcikè-¢igìni, bakàgië ¢igìni, 8. Dsil çolíji eë, bakàgië ¢igìni, 9. Tsintsoï çolíji, bakàgië ¢igìni, 10. Tsí¢a bialìli, bíja ye¢igíngo, bakàgië ¢igìni, oöhè. 225. Free Translation There's a god on each side. Now the Holy Young Man Is the god on top of the black mountain, With his black notched stick, The implement of his dance, his magic wand. There's a god on each side. Now the Holy Young Woman Is the god on top of the blue mountain, With her blue notched stick, The implement of her dance, her magic wand. This book is a reprint of the article found in U.S. Bureau of American Ethnology, Fifth Annual Report, 1883-84 and is comb bound. It contains 94 pages printed on one side.Please look at our other products for complimentary titles also concerning Native Americans and the Navaho (Navajo) specifically, such as Navajo Myths Prayers and Songs also by Washington Matthews. This book is comb-bound and new.SHIPPING:Please use Shipping Calculator to determine actual charges. This price is the actual shipping price (which can be verified by going to www.usps.com and checking thier shipping calculator)plus $1.00 to cover our material expenses since we only use new materials. (Box $0.60, Bubblewrap $0.25, Paper/ink/label $0.15) (Actual costs)INTERNATIONAL buyDERS MAY OPT FOR THE PRIORITY MAIL FLAT-RATE ENVELOPE (for 4 or less books) for $14.95 ($12.95 if shipping to CANADA or MEXICO) These envelopes offer the least amount of protection from travel damage so, if used, we cannot guarantee the condition of your book(s) on arrival.Please leave us a 5-star rating for Shipping & Handling Charges.We place all books into polypropylene book bags, then wrap them in bubblewrap. I ship in sturdy boxes and use styrofoam peanuts to further protect books from external damage.PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR eCRATER MAILING ADDRESS ON FILE IS CURRENT AND CORRESPONDS TO YOUR PAYPAL/CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT.PAYMENT:Iaccept PayPal . Allitems ship same day as payment (if made before 4 PM EST.) or next business day. Our Shipping email lets you know exactly when whe mail your package and it will contain a tracking number where you can verify the time on the USPS website. So our shipping time is always under 24 hours! Please leave us a 5-star rating for Shipping Time.Please do not judge us by the U.S. Postal Service and/or your country's Postal Systems delivery ability. I cannot control how fast an item get to you once it leaves my hands.COMMUNICATIONS:Once you purchase this item, you will receive no less than 5 emails from us... perhaps more. they are:Invoice from eCRATER Invoice from us directly Receipt of Payment email - Verifies we received your payment. Shipping email - Verifies your package was shipped, in what manner and includes a tracking number so you can monitor it's journey to your door. Follow up email - We contact you after the USPS websitestates that you have recieved your package to make sure everything is alright.Additional emails may include a shipping update (exactly where in the US is your package) or if there has been a shipping error (USPS misdirects boxes) or overpayment.Please leave us a 5-star rating for Communication.All emails go to your eCRATER registered email account. If they bounce, we send them through the eCRATER mail system. We are not responsible for your messages not getting to you due to full mailboxes or your computer's software filtering them out or you forgot to change your primary email address with eCRATER. RETURN POLICY:MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - If you get a book(s) that is not as described I'll return your money, minus shipping, so long as I receive the book(s) back in the condition in which it went out. TERMS & CONDITIONS:By looking and purchasing this item, you agree:To Email me any questions prior to looking.We reserve the right to refuse a winning buy from a buyer with numerous negative feedback.We reserve the right to cancel product if buy retractions occur during last24 hours of product.Payment must be received within 12 days of product close or product will be terminated. Item will be relisted.Positive Feedback will be left upon Receipt of Payment from you.Save on shipping by combining winning buys from our other products!