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| Name ▲▼ | Origin ▲▼ | Description ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| God name "Tobadzistsini" | Navaho | A Minor war god |
| God name "Koyote or Coyote" | Navaho | At the time Coyote danced to make the corn grow, the story of the Great God Coyote commences. This is where Coyote first used his power given to him by the gods. At a Yeibache, ye'i·bicai, the people will dress up a poor man to look and act like Coyote. First Man told him to do many things. The other gods had the power, but they did not have the knowledge. First Man and First Woman were jealous of the others trying to grow corn and did not give them the knowledge to grow corn. They sent Coyote to go and make the corn grow. First Man and First Woman are themselves not to do such things, but they will have a hand in such things and send Coyote as their representative. Towards the end of the life of Coyote, he became almost mad with his power and it was taken from him because of this. Navaho |
| God name "Hastehogan" | Navaho / USA | Chief house god. Also a god of farming identified with the west and the sky at Sunset. Regarded as a benevolent deity who aids mankind and cures disease. Believed to live in a cave system near San Juan. He also has a malevolent aspect in which he can cast evil spells. His priest wears a blue mask, at the bottom of which is a horizontal yellow band representing evening light, with eight vertical black strokes representing Rain. It is decorated with eagle and owl feathers.... |
| Goddess name "Hastsebaad" | Navaho / USA | Chief of goddesses. She is involved in rites of exorcism and wields considerable influence. The six goddesses of the tribe all wear identical masks, and in ritual the part of the deity is played by a boy or small man wearing a mask which covers the entire head and neck, and who is almost naked but for an ornate scarf on the hips and a leather belt decorated with silver and with a fox pelt dangling behind. The skin is painted white.... |
| God name "Hastseyalti (talking elder)" | Navaho / USA | Chief of gods. Not regarded as a creator deity, but god of the dawn and the eastern sky. Also guardian of animals in the hunt and, possibly, of corn. Regarded as a benevolent deity who aids mankind and cures disease. He also has a malevolent aspect in which he can cast evil spells. His priest invokes him in a ceremonial dance wearing a white mask with a symbol consisting of a corn stalk with two ears. At the bottom is a horizontal yellow band representing evening light, with eight vertical black strokes representing Rain. Also Yebitsai.... |
| God name "Tobadzistsini" | Navaho | Child of water and son of Tsohanoai, the Sun god. Minor war god. Navaho |
| Deities name "Dsahadoldza (fringe mouth)" | Navaho / USA | Chthonic god of earth and water. A number of deities are known under this title. The priest impersonating the god has one side of his body painted red and the other side black. He wears a buckskin mask painted with a horizontal yellow band to represent the evening sky and eight vertical black stripes to represent Rain.... |
| God name "Yebaad" | Navaho | Female leader of the gods Navaho |
| Goddess name "Estsanatlehi (woman that changes)" | Navaho / USA | Fertility goddess. Probably regarded as the most powerful deity in the Navaho pantheon, she has powers of endless self-rejuvenation. According to tradition, she was created from a small turquoise image into which life was infused through a ritual of the great gods and she is the sister of the goddess YOLKAI ESTAN. She is also the consort of the Sun god TSOHANOAI and the mother of the war god NAYENEZGANI. She is said to live in the west and is benevolent in nature, sending the gentle Rains of summer and the warm thawing winds of spring.... |
| Goddess name "Yolkai Estan" | Navaho / USA | Fertility goddess. The sister of the principal fertility goddess, ESTSANATLEHI, she was engendered by the gods, who gave life to an image made from white shells.... |
| God name "Dsahadoldza" | Navaho | Fiery god of earth and water. Navaho |
| Deities name "Hastsezini" | Navaho / USA | God of fire. A black god who is reclusive and generally apart from other deities. He is the inventor of fire and of the fire drill and board. His priest dresses in black and wears a black mask with white-bordered eye and mouth holes. The ceremonial fire drill is made from cedarwood.... |
| God name "Ganaskidi" | Navaho | God of harvest, plenty and mists Navaho |
| God name "Ganaskidi (humpback)" | Navaho / USA | God of harvests, plenty and of mists. He is said to live at Depehahatil, a canyon with many ruined cliff dwellings north of San Juan. According to tradition he is the apotheosis of a bighorn sheep. His priest wears a blue mask with no hair fringe but with a spruce crown and collar. He has a black bag on his back, filled out with a twig frame, that appears as a deformity, and he carries a staff.... |
| God name "Tienoltsodi" | Navaho / USA | God of oceans and fresh water. He controls the waters which have fallen on earth, as distinct from those in the heavens, which are ruled by the Rain god TONENILI.... |
| God name "Hastseltsi" | Navaho / USA | God of racing. He organizes and oversees athletic races. The priest who impersonates him has to be a good runner and challenges others, using high-pitched squeaking calls. If the priest wins, the contender is whipped with a yucca scourge. If the contender wins, there is no penalty! A fastidious deity who avoids contact with any unclean objects. His ceremonial mask is a domino shape covering mouth and throat with white shells over the eyes and mouth.... |
| God name "To'nenile" | Navaho | God of Rain. Navaho |
| God name "Tsohanoai" | Navaho | God of the Sun. Navaho |
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