book chapter
Blessingway
University of Arizona Press • Tucson • Published In 1970 • Pages:
By: Wyman, Leland Clifton.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
Wyman was entrusted with editing the unpublished manuscripts and field notes of Father Berard Haile on the Blessingway myths and songs. Father Haile lived and worked as a missionary among the Navajo for 54 years beginning in 1900. He recorded three versions of the Blessingway myths from three informants, Slim Curly from Crystal, New Mexico; Frank Mitchell, from Chinle Arizona; and River Junction Curly, also from Chinle, Arizona. This document only contains the introduction to the interlinear translated texts. The Blessingway is the backbone, precursor, and sine qua non of all Navajo ceremonials, and one could argue, by extension, the Navajo way of life. It is concerned with peace, harmony, and all good things. Unlike most 'chantways' the Blessingway is not a curing ceremony, although it provides them with most of their components. It is the rite that controls all others, insuring their effectiveness. Among its many purposes are to obtain blessings for one's possessions, life cycle events, and, in general, long life and happiness. Wyman discusses the various components of the Blessingway including major mythic motifs, dry paintings, cosmology, and medicine bundles.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Visual arts
- Mythology
- Spirits and gods
- Theological systems
- Organized ceremonial
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Navajo
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2004
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- North America
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Southwest and Basin
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- book chapter
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2003
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- not specified
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1930-1932
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Arizona and New Mexico, United States
- NotesAdditional notes
- [by] Leland C. Wyman. With three versions of the myth recorded and translated from the Navajo by Berard Haile
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 635-637)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 66028786
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Navajo Indians