Black God (Navajo mythology)
According to one version of the
Appearance
Black God has a
Genealogical mythology
Black God's father is Fire and his mother is Comet.[4]
Creation of the Stars
The creation story of the Navajo people is recounted as part of a
Milky Way creation story
In another story, Black God is set about the cosmic work of meticulously assembling constellations in an otherwise empty sky. One by one, he pulls each star from a pouch strung around his waist, sets it ablaze, and affixes it to the firmament. When Coyote sees this he becomes impatient. Snatching Black God's pouch away from him, Coyote scatters the remaining stars into the sky forming the Milky Way.[6] As Black God did not have the chance to light the stars Coyote scattered, this story explains why some stars are dimmer than others [4] In another version of the story, Black God made the Milky Way on purpose.[4]
Constellations
Like many ancient cultures, the Navajo people looked to the sky and saw a story in each constellation. These stellar fables functioned as an enduring "cultural text" which was said to "record [the] laws that… govern mankind for all time.” The Constellation of Pleiades and its placement on the mask of Black God is emblematic of the Navajo philosophy of ‘Sa’a naghai bk’e hozho’ which pertains to the Nightway ritual and its fundamental goal of the restoration of balance, beauty, health, and wholeness.[5]
Black God and the Pleiades
The constellation Pleiades was of particular importance to the Navajo people. Not only was the celestial body ingrained in their mythology, but it served a greater utilitarian purpose. Pleiades’ progress across the sky throughout the winter months renders it a sort of celestial ‘clock’ for gauging the number of hours until dawn.[4]
Ritual Significance
Despite his importance in the act of creation, Black God (or Haashch’eezhini) appears very seldom in Navajo ritual. The only sacrament involving Him is the Nightway (or
Rival Gods
There is a conflict between Black God, as the God of Fire, and Begochidi, the creator of birds and animals. This tension originates from the destruction that Black God's fire has wrought on Begochidi's creations.[3] Strangely enough, this rivalry persists despite Black God becoming the protector of said creations in another story. In the story of Deer Raiser, humans have begun to hunt in ways other than those that the gods had ordained. Seeing this, Black God hides game animals inside his home, Black Mountain, and surrounds it with poisonous plants to further ward against intruders.[3]
References
- ^ "Navajo Creation Story." Navajo Legends. Web. <http://www.navajolegends.org/navajo-creation-story/>.
- ^ a b c Washington, Matthews. The Night Chant, A Navaho Ceremony. New York: American Musiem, 1902. Print.
- ^ a b c Levy, Jerrold. In the Beginning: The Navajo Genesis. U of California, 1998. 79-93. Print.
- ^ a b c d e Schultz, Teresa. "Mask of Black God: The Pleiades in Navajo Cosmology."Journal of College Science Teaching 35.2 (2005): 30. EBSCOhost Education Source. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Griffen-Pierce, Trudy. "Black God: God of Fire, God of Starlight."Archaeoastronomy 12 (1996): 73. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2014.
- ^ Lynch, P.A. "Black God." Native American Mythology, Mythology A to Z. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2004. American Indian History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2012, from link.