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
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the Museum of Northern
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
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
12. It is his Water 13. He who was given
14. The Red
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
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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