PART TWO

COYOTEWAY PERFORMED
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3

 

The Nine-Night Sequence

The nine-night Coyoteway ceremonial divides naturally into two four-night portions and a one-night summary. Each of the four-night portions is further divisible into an evening and a morning section. This enables us to discuss the ceremonial as five groups of ceremonies: Unraveling Ceremonies, Fire Ceremonies, Basket-Drum Ceremonies, Sandpainting Ceremonies, and the Ninth-Night Summary.

       During the nine-night sequence of the Coyoteway ceremonial many songs are chanted. All have been recorded on tape and are presented here in the form of a free English translation. Johnny Cooke usually dictated to me from the tapes, sentence by sentence, what he considered to be the best English translation. Sentence by sentence, in return, I suggested alternate formulations by utilizing the largest possible number of synonyms. In addition, Johnny Cooke frequently explained different contexts in which certain Navajo expressions are used. Whenever we were in doubt about a particular word or phrase, we took it to Luke Cook or to Man With Palomino Horse to have it explained. In the end, the task of editing and balancing the lines fell on me. While it would be foolish to insist that every word in these songs is translated with unambiguous precision, both Johnny Cooke and I are satisfied that we have done what honestly could be done with this difficult archaic material. For the specialist there will always be copies of tapes that we deposited at the Navajo Tribal Museum, Window Rock, at the Museum of Navaho Ceremonial Art, Santa Fe, at

 

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the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, and at the Smithsonian Institution.

       For presenting the entire ceremonial as an illustrated docu­mentary, it has seemed best to group the various ceremonies together with their repetitions from subsequent days. So, for instance, the Unraveling Ceremonies of the first four evenings are discussed as one unit, regardless of there having been Fire Ceremonies on the mornings between. Combining repetitions into a single discussion makes for easier reading and comprehension; however, it interrupts the actual recording sequence. In order to remedy this difficulty and to facilitate easy checking on the actual song and prayer sequence, a continuously numbered index is here provided. Numbers in parentheses indicate earlier occasions in the sequence where the same song has been chanted.

The Nine-Night Sequence of Coyoteway

       Evening and Night                           Morning and
Noon

1. Unraveling Ceremony                    Fire Ceremony

2. Unraveling Ceremony                    Fire Ceremony

3. Unraveling Ceremony                    Fire Ceremony

4. Unraveling Ceremony                    Fire Ceremony

           5. Basket-drum Ceremony          Sandpainting Ceremony,
                                                                  One-yé'ii

           6. Basket-drum Ceremony           Sandpainting Ceremony,
                                                                  One-yé'ii

           7. Basket-drum Ceremony           Sandpainting Ceremony,
                                                                  One-yé'ii

           8. Basket-drum Ceremony           Sandpainting Ceremony,
                                                                 Three-yé'ii

      9. Basket-drum Ceremony
     Summary





Index to Song and Prayer Sequence of Coyoteway

     First Evening

1. They were given      2. Now it has begun moving

3. With these he is well again     4. By these he was led

5. Hwii eiya eiya! The sound was heard

First Morning

6. By sternness, whatever your name is      7. I bring these to you

8. Formal Prayer      9. He has walked

10. This is the Fur      11. The Red Berry Shrubs

12. It is his Water      13. He who was given

14. The Red Berry Shrubs (cont.)      15. The Furs are put in the water

 
Second Evening

16. The stick stands upright      17. With these he is well again (3)

18. With these he walked     19. With these he ran

20. By these he was led (4)      21. The sound was heard (5)

Second Morning

22. I bring these to you (7)      23. Formal Prayer

24. He has walked (9)      25. This is the Hogan

26. On these he walked      27. The Medicine is being made

28. The Medicine is ready      29. The Medicine I ate

30. The furs are put in the water (15)

Third Evening

31. He brought it back      32. Now it has begun moving (2)

33. With these he is well again (3, 17)      34. With these he walked (18)

35. By these he was led (4, 20)      36. The sound was heard (5, 21)

Third Morning

37. I bring these to you (7, 22)      38. Formal Prayer

39. He has walked (9, 24)      40. With these he walked out again

41. He is walking in the water      42. With these it is coming out

43. With these it is dripping      44. With these it is falling

45. With these he is well      46. It is his water (variation of 12)

47. He who was given (variation of 13)      48. The furs are put in the water (15, 30)

Fourth Evening

49. The stick stands upright (16)      50. With these he is well again (3, 17, 33)

51. With these he walked (18, 34)      52. With these he ran (19)

53. By these he was led (4, 20, 35)      54. The sound was heard (5, 21, 36)

Fourth Morning

55. I bring these to you (7, 22, 37)      56. Formal Praver

57. He has walked (9, 24, 39)      58. With these he walked out again (40)

59. He is walking in the water (41)      60. With these it is coming out (42)

61. With these it is dripping (43)      62. With these it is falling (44)

63. With these he is well (45)      64. It is his water (46)

65. They have blown far away      66. He brought it back (31)

67. Now he is moving      68. Now he is walking

69. It is I, it is I walking      70. It is I. it is I made strong


Fifth Evening

71. This is the Fur (10)      72. This is the Hogan (variation of 25)

73. With their Blood in me I am immune      74. Down the Mountain, they roll it over him

75. He has come back and I am walking      76. I am not ashamed as I am walking

77. Hogan below from where he emerges      78. The Adulterous Coyote, he walks underground

79. The Adulterous Coyote, he calls everywhere      80. He makes the Medicine

81. I put it in your mouth       82. I put it in your mouth, he is eating it

83. The Hawks are going in pairs       84. The Pairs keep going behind ridges

85. He carried it away

Fifth Morning

86. From the Hogans I came down       87. From the hidden Hogan I came with herbs

88. Beneath the Two Rising, he ran

Sixth Evening

89. To the Hogan I came      90. It is I, it is I walking (69)

91. I caught up with him      92. He gives the Prayerstick to me

93. He came back with me      94. They are now sitting by me

Sixth Morning

95. From the Hogans I came down (86)      96. From the hidden Hogan I came with herbs (87)

97. Beneath the Two Rising, he ran (88)

Seventh Evening

98. This is the Hogan (72)      99. The One walking in the fields

100. From far away he comes out

Seventh Morning

101. From the Hogans I came down (86, 95)

102. From the hidden Hogan I came with herbs (87, 96)

103. Beneath the Two Rising, he ran (88, 97)

Eighth Evening

104. With my Mind I walk      105. I am looking for my mind

106. I have found my Mind      107. I am bringing back my Mind

108. I am reviving my Mind      109. Now my Mind is walking with me

110. Now my Mind is remade for me      111. Now my Mind returns with me

112. Now I am sitting with my Mind      113. With Black Bead as my feet, with this I walk

114. They are singing for me      115. It is raining on me

116. The blessing is given

Eighth Morning

117. Hwii eiya eiya, he calls me      118. White Bead Son is touching him

119. The White Bead Son I am      120. Beneath the Two Rising he is moving

121. All is Happiness, all is well      122. From the Hogans I came down (86, 95, 101)

123. From the hidden Hogan I came with herbs (87, 96, 102)

124. Beneath the Two Rising, he ran (88, 97, 103)

Ninth Night

125 through 161. All songs of fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth evenings are repeated.

 

 

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