all things were perfect. And Ahsonnutli commanded the twelve men to go to the east, south, west and north, to hold up the heavens, which office they are supposed to perform to this day."

In "An Ethnologic Dictionary of the Navaho Language," published by The Franciscan Fathers in 1910, appears the following in regard to the religion, legends, etc., of the Navahos:

"The elaborate system of religious worship among the Navaho lets them appear as a very religious people. Their anthropomorphous deities are numerous and strikingly democratic, each excelling in his peculiar sphere of independent activity and power. They are described as kind, hospitable, and industrious; on the other hand as fraudulent, treacherous, unmerciful, and, in general, subject to passion and human weaknesses. Their lives, to a great extent, are reflected in the social condition of the Navaho as, for instance, in the subordination to local headmen, in the manner of farming, hunting, ceremony, etc., all of which find an explanation in previous occurrences in the lives of the holy ones. This is especially true of the ceremonies or chants, most of which have been established by the diyíni, or Holy ones, for removing evil.

"The existence of evil is attributed to the wrath of the dinăéé, or Peoples, such as the Animals, Winds, Lightnings, etc. Much evil, disease, and bodily injury is due also to secret agents of evil, in consequence of which the belief in witchcraft, spells, dreams and shooting of evil is widely spread. Accordingly, too, of the

two forms of worship, one against evil, the other for blessing, the former is presumably in greater demand, but is subordinate to, and always accompanied by, the latter.

"The idea of a creator of all things is unknown to the Navaho, as also that of heaven or hell. The belief in a life hereafter, exists, however, and is a life of happiness with the peoples of the lower worlds among whom the deceased are numbered. The deceased, in turn, may injure the living.

"The average Navaho is loath to study the intricate fabric of his religion and knows little of it beyond ceremonial performance. The singer or shaman, usually a man of excellent memory, is entrusted with whatever pertains to subjects of worship, though probably no single one is versed in all of its branches. Moreover, the knowledge of the legend which attaches to every chant is not a material requisite for properly conducting a ceremony, though the legend furnishes the clue for corrections.

"The following synopsis, taken from unpublished legends in our possession, presents the most salient features of Navaho worship, together with other subjects of a religious character:

"THE LOWER WORLDS.

"The legends speak of twelve lower worlds, the homes of various Peoples. These worlds were small in size and are referred to as chambers, which are numbered as the people pass through and stand on the several vaults. Their speech in the several worlds is recorded also

from one to twelve, the roofs or vaults of the twelve worlds being the speeches, and the twelfth speech being the one we now occupy.

"Furthermore, these twelve worlds are subdivided into three divisions of four, the first four being referred to as the dark world, the subsequent four as the red world, and the upper four as the blue world. Some of the chant legends begin with events in one of these three groups of worlds. In this manner some speak of five, others of eight worlds, etc.

THE PEOPLES OF THE DARK WORLD. "The above mentioned worlds are not spoken of as having been created, but as already existing. The first world is inhabited by the Ant People, who are subordinate to chiefs or spokesmen in the east, south, west and north. In the second world they find the Locust Man and Woman. The third world, being uninhabited, all of these peoples travel to the fourth world, where the following persons are found: First Man; First Woman; the First Made; Second Made; First Boy; First Girl, and the First Angry, or Coyote. First Man and his eight companions are the first witches, and the cause of sickness and fatal diseases. He who originated with the earth, is applied to First Man. The name corresponds with the sacred name of the kit-fox.

THE PEOPLES OF THE RED WORLD. "The Peoples of the four preceding worlds ascend to the fifth world, where they are joined by the Grub Man and Woman. The sixth world

is uninhabited. The seventh world they found inhabited by the Cat People. They also met the Spider Man and Woman. The Cat People were evil shooters, (witches), who filled the bodies of their neighbors with evil shooting. First Man removes this power from them, and makes it his own property.

"The eighth world is the home of the Salt Man and Salt Woman, and also of the Firegod. (In the legend of witchcraft the latter is introduced with First Man and his companions in the fourth world.) The Ant People, of whom mention was made first, also find another colony of Ant People with whom they immediately associate. The Snake People are also introduced here, together with the Yucca People, and Cactus People, the Big Fly, a beautiful bird (Owl), and the Kit-fox. First Man erects the first hogan here, the type for the present hogan. He then displays all the material for the future sacred mountains, for the dawn, the sky-blue, the twilight and darkness, the future winds, rains, lightnings, and so on. To each and every one he presents some of his evil power, so that all are possessed of witchcraft. But he also designates various herbs as a remedy for all evils, poisons and diseases, which he has distributed, and designates the prayersticks and sacrifices necessary to remove them. All of the above mentioned peoples, therefore, require a sacrifice.

THE PEOPLE OF THE BLUE WORLD. "When First Man and his now numerous companions entered the ninth world, they found

it in possession of the very small Yellow Ants, who were in communication with the small Black Ants of the tenth world. By fraudulent means First Man and the Salt Man deprive them of their various juices or grease, their only possession and sustenance.

THE ELEVENTH WORLD.

"The place of emergence in the eleventh world is called Whitish Earth. The peoples of this world are very numerous, counting among their numbers a group of Cat People, the Bear and Deer Families, Foxes, Badgers, Skunks, Birds, Fishes, and finally Water Monsters. The people of the land are subordinate to the Big Wolf chiefs in the east and west, while the Wildcat chiefs are spokesmen in the northern and southern villages. These direct their subordinates in farming and the chase. The domestic labors and functions are assigned to the female portion, and all spare time is devoted to various sports, as the bouncing stick game, dice, hoop and pole, football, etc.

"This happy and innocent life undergoes a change when First Man introduces generation, which until then had been unknown to these peoples. An altercation between the chief of the east, Big Wolf and his wife, over the neglect of her duties, is the cause of the separation of all men from the women. Accordingly, at the place where the waters flow in various directions, the men cross to the opposite shore in boats.

"The men now set about their duties of farming and hunting. The domestic duties of cook