BEFORE TELLING "THE AGE OF GODS "
The Storyteller's Prayer is a beautiful symbol of the purpose of the telling of these stories. Go to: Navaho - The Storyteller's Prayer

THE PEOPLE OF THE STONE HOUSES
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: Now a certain group of people had already built their houses of stone. They were known as the Blue Bird Clan People. The person at the head of this clan was a woman. She had in her keeping the rock with the 12 months and the seasons marked on it. This rock had been given to her; and by it she was able to know the seasons, the months and the days of the year. Having this rock gave her the knowledge of what is beyond the blue sky, what is under the earth, and what is in the air and the water.

THE ORIGINS OF WEAVING
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: There was a place in the underworld where two rivers crossed. It was called ni tqin'kae tsosi, fine fiber cotton (Indian hemp). There were two persons who brought the seed of that plant, they were spiders. They said that the people were to use the plant instead of skins for their clothing. So this seed was planted in the earth.

THE MONSTERS APPEAR
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: About this time the people learned that two strange babies were born of separate mothers. They grew more rapidly than any baby they had ever seen; for, they were giants. They were great, clumsy babies; their hair stuck out roughly, they were dirty and lazy and they acted like half wits. They were called de baya yid etso. When they were fully grown they began to eat human beings. In fact, wherever they found people they picked them up, carried them to their home, and ate them.

THE ARROW CEREMONY MEDICINE SONG
The Arrow Ceremony Medicine Song
In times past I lived long. Naye'nez ghani (the Elder Brother) made it.
In times past I lived long. Naye'nez ghani made it.
From the blue sky he sends the water which I put on the soles of your feet.
He made the pollen which is feared by all evils.
The most High Power Whose Ways Are Fearful, he made the medicine.

WHEN THE COYOTE MARRIED THE MAIDEN
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: After the first loom was made the people lived peacefully for about half a century. Then these strange creatures that were born began to eat the people. There is a little hill called tqnts'i'se ko just across the Mancos Canyon, which used to be a house. It was the home of 12 brothers. (On the top of this hill you can see a ruin.) The brothers were great hunters and hunted all over the mesas. They had one sister. The girl grew to be a beautiful maiden, and the holy men came from far and wide to ask her to marry them.

THE MAIDEN WHO BECAME A BEAR
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: When the brothers returned that night they entered the house. Not seeing the Coyote among them their sister went out to look for him; not finding him she asked her eldest brother what they had done with her husband. The eldest brother said: "We sent him back with the meat a long time ago. We thought that you would have the meat cooked for us by now." The woman looked straight at her brothers and told them that they had killed the Coyote.

THE GREAT GAMBLER
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: The giants and the monsters were still in the country when the people built their homes near Elk Mountain. Because of this they were not contented; they planned to travel to the place where they had emerged from the underworld and build their dwellings there. Now, as before, some of the people remained; but the chief and the main body moved on. They built Kin ty eli, Aztec, a great dwelling.

THE GREAT GAMBLER'S EIGHT GAMES
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: "Now," said the Gambler, seeing the two beautiful maidens that the young man had with him, "we shall bet our wives." He bet all his wives and servants against the two maidens. The young man bet the two maidens and the whole crowd that came with him. After the bets were made the young man said: "Very well. I am willing to lose; but you shall have to throw the sticks as high as the roof beams. You can not throw the sticks knee high, or shoulder high, or as high as a man can reach, but to the roof beams. The Gambler looked up and around and said: "All right, I will throw the sticks up to the roof beams." "Then," said the young man, "we must both look down on the ground, to be able to see the sticks as soon as they fall." The Gambler looked around and then said: "All right. That goes."

THE STORY OF THE MOCCASIN GAME
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: The Blue Bird Clan people and the people called mai desh kzish ni moved up the canyon and built a house which they called Ken tiel. The rest of the people went in different directions and built new homes. There was another place east of Ken tiel called Sis kit. Above them there is a place called Hada'na y be', the house made of banded rock. The people living there were visited by a giant. He was also the Sun's son.

THE COMING OF THE WHITE BEAD WOMAN
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: All during this time First Man and First Woman lived on the top of Dzil na'odili, also called Chol'i'i. This is the sacred mountain near Farmington, N. Alex. The circle on top of this mountain is a cloud Chol'i'i was completely hidden at first, then the bands or clouds rose and the mountain was seen. This is the sacred story which the old medicine men keep to themselves.

WHITE BEAD MAIDEN'S MARRIAGE WITH THE SUN
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: First Man said upon coming home one day: "Over to the east, at the foot of the mesa, there are two different kinds of grass. Their ripening seeds are plentiful." So First Woman and the girl went down to gather the seeds. But when they got there they began to think of the monsters who roamed about the country and became frightened. Looking about them carefully they hurriedly gathered only one kind of seed before they ran back to their home. When they reached their hogan the girl said: "Mother, I want. to go back and collect the seeds from the other grass." First Woman said: "No, daughter, you can not go there alone. Some monster might catch you." But the girl insisted. She promised to be careful and to look out for herself.

THE STORY OF THE TWIN BROTHERS
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: The Twin Boys were cared for like their mother the White Bead Woman had been, each had a cradle, and when they first laughed gifts were given to all who came to the home. Not much is told about them until the fifteenth day. By that time they were young men.

THE TWINS AND THE GIANT YEITSO
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: Yeitso, the Giant, lived at Tqo'sedo, Hot Springs, and the Twins went there and waited for him to come for water. They saw him coming over the hill from the south. The Elder Brother sang two sections of a chant then and other chants as the Giant came nearer.

THE TWINS AND THE GIANT ELK
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: The Twins spoke to the three in the home. "Yesterday our father told us that we must act together." They planted four prayer sticks and four hailstones in the hogan. The Younger Brother was to remain there and watch the medicine sticks each day, while the Elder Brother went out against the monsters. The Elder Brother said: "When you see one of the medicine sticks start to burn you will know that the enemy is getting the better of me. Take the medicine stick in your hand and draw the smoke from it into your mouth and blow the smoke onto the sticks and the hailstones, one by one. And then draw some more smoke from the burning stick and blow the smoke toward the four directions."

THE ELDER BROTHER AND THE GIANT BIRDS
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
In the Age of Gods: The next morning, after the Elder Brother had returned from killing the Giant Elk, he asked: "Mother, Grandmother, Where do the Giant Birds live?" They told him that they were to be found just north of La Plata Mountains, at a, place called Tse an' iska', A Tall Rock Standing. "It is a dangerous place," they said. "No one can go near there." The Elder Brother said: "In all the world there is no such thing as a dangerous place." So he made his plan.

THE FINAL EIGHT SHORT STORIES
Navaho Indian - The Age of Gods
THE STORY OF THE ROLLING ROCK - THE TWELVE ANTELOPE - HE WHO KICKS PEOPLE OFF CLIFFS - THE SLASHING REEDS - THE LAST GREAT GRIEF, THE SWALLOW PEOPLE OF MESA VERDE - THE ROCKS THAT CRUSH - THE EVIL EYES - THE FOUR LAST ILLS