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Coyote (Navajo: mąʼii) is an irresponsible and trouble-making character who is nevertheless one of the most important and revered characters in Navajo mythology. [1] Even though Tó Neinilii is the Navajo god of rain, Coyote also has powers over rain. [1] Coyote’s ceremonial name is Áłtsé hashké which means "first scolder". [1]
In Navajo culture, a skin-walker (Navajo: yee naaldlooshii) is a type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. The term is never used for healers. The yee naaldlooshii, translating to "by means of it, it goes on all fours," is one of several types of skin-walkers within Navajo beliefs.
The Choctaw people of Tennessee and Mississippi tell the story of Grandmother Spider stealing fire, then after animals refused it, bringing fire to humans. [17] [18] Susan Hazen-Hammond (1997, 1999) compiled numerous tales collected from various tribes. [19] In the Pacific there is a connection between Spider Grandmother and the Moon Goddess. [20]
In Zuni cosmology and those of neighboring tribes, each animal is believed to have inherent powers or qualities that may aid the owner. The Navajo, for example, treasured and bartered for figures of horses, sheep, cattle or goats to protect their herd from disease and to ensure fertility. [ 7 ]
Coyote is a mythological character common to many cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America, based on the coyote (Canis latrans) animal. This character is usually male and is generally anthropomorphic , although he may have some coyote-like physical features such as fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes, a tail and blunt claws.
List of Native American deities, sortable by name of tribe or name of deity. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources .
In North American mythologies, common themes include a close relation to nature and animals as well as belief in a Great Spirit that is conceived of in various ways. As anthropologists note, their great creation myths and sacred oral tradition in whole are comparable to the Christian Bible and scriptures of other major religions.
The third gender role of nádleehi (meaning "one who is transformed" or "one who changes"), beyond contemporary Anglo-American definition limits of gender, is part of the Navajo Nation society, a "two-spirit" cultural role. The renowned 19th-century Navajo artist Hosteen Klah (1849–1896) is an example. [32] [33] [34]