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' ((ナバホ語:"Story of the People")), the Navajo creation myth, describes the prehistoric emergence of the Navajo, and centers on the area known as the Dinétah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo. This story forms the basis for the traditional Navajo way of life. The basic outline of begins with the ' (Holy Wind) being created, the mists of lights which arose through the darkness to animate and bring purpose to the four ' (Holy People), supernatural and sacred in the different three lower worlds. All these things were spiritually created in the time before the Earth existed and the physical aspect of humans did not exist yet, but the spiritual did. The First or Dark World was small and centered on an island floating in the middle of four seas. The inhabitants of the first world were the four , the two Coyotes, the four rulers of the four seas, mist beings and various insect and bat people, the latter being the Air-Spirit People. The supernatural beings First Woman and First Man came into existence here and met for the first time after seeing each other's fire. The various beings started fighting with one another and departed by flying out an opening in the east. They journeyed to the Second or Blue World, ', which was inhabited by various blue-gray furred mammals and various birds, including blue swallows. The beings from the First World offended Swallow Chief, , and they were asked to leave. First Man created a wand of jet and other materials to allow the people to walk upon it up into the next world through an opening in the south. In the Third or Yellow World, ', there were two rivers that formed a cross and the Sacred Mountains but there was still no sun. More animal people lived here too. This time it was not discord among the people that drove them away but a great flood caused by when Coyote stole her two children. When the people arrived in the Fourth or White World, ', it was covered in water and there were monsters () living here. The Sacred Mountains were re-formed from soil taken from the original mountains in the Second World. First Man, First Woman, and the Holy People created the sun, moon, seasons, and stars. It was here that true death came into existence via Coyote tossing a stone into a lake and declaring that if it sank then the dead would go back to the previous world. The first human born in the Fourth World is who, in turn, gives birth to the Hero Twins called and . The twins have many adventures in which they helped to rid the world of various monsters. Multiple batches of modern humans were created a number of times in the Fourth World and the gave them ceremonies which are still practiced today. == The First World == Of a time long ago these things are said. The first world was small, and black as soot. In the middle of the four seas there was an island floating in the mist. On the island grew a pine tree. Dark ants dwelled there. Red ants dwelled there. Dragonflies dwelled there. Yellow beetles dwelled there. Hard beetles dwelled there. Stone-carrier beetles dwelled there. Black beetles dwelled there. Coyote-dung beetles dwelled there. Bats dwelled there. Whitefaced beetles dwelled there. Locusts dwelled there. White locusts dwelled there. These were the twelve groups of the , the Air-Spirit People, who lived in the First World.〔Zolbrod, Paul G. (1984), Diné Bahane', p. 36.〕 Around the floating island were four seas. Each sea was ruled by a being. In the sea to the East dwelled , Big Water Creature, The One Who Grabs Things in the Water. In the sea to the south lived , Blue Heron. In the sea to the west dwelled , Frog. In the ocean to the north dwelled , White Thunder. Above each sea appeared a cloud. There was a black cloud, a white cloud, a blue cloud, and a yellow cloud. The Black Cloud contained the Female spirit of Life. The White Cloud contained the Male spirit of Dawn. The Black Cloud and the White Cloud came together in the East, and the wind from the clouds blew. From the breath of wind, First Man, , was formed and with him the white corn, , perfect in shape, with kernels covering the whole ear. Crystal, symbol of the mind and clear seeing, was with him. The Blue Cloud and the Yellow Cloud came together in the West, and a wind from the clouds blew. From the breath of wind, First Woman, , was formed, and with her the yellow corn, perfect in shape, with kernels covering the whole ear. White shell, and turquoise, and yucca were there with her. First Man made a fire with his crystal. Its light was the mind's first awakening. First Woman made a fire with her turquoise. They saw each other's light in the distance. When the Blue Cloud and the Yellow Cloud rose high in the sky, First Woman saw the light of First Man's fire, and she went out to find it. Three times she was unsuccessful. The fourth time she found the home of First Man. "I wondered what this thing could be," she said. "I saw you walking and wondered why you did not come," First Man said. "Why do you not come with your fire, and we will live together." First Woman agreed to this. So instead of the man going to the woman, as is the custom now, the woman went to live with the man.〔Hastiin Tlo'tsi Hee, p. 3.〕 Another person, , Great Coyote, was formed in the water. He told First Man and First Woman that he had been hatched from an egg, and knew all that was under the water and all that was in the skies. First Man believed him. Then a second coyote, , First Angry, appeared. He said to the three, "You believe that you were the first persons. You are mistaken. I was living when you were formed." First Angry brought witchcraft into the world.〔 The Air-Spirit People became jealous of one another and began to fight. The rulers of the four seas, Blue Heron, Frog, White Thunder, and Big Water Creature could stand it no more, and told the beings of the island that they must all leave this world. Some climbed and some flew until they came to an opening in the sky. They crawled through it and into the Second World. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diné Bahaneʼ」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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