Changing Woman (mythology)
Changing Woman, known as Asdzaa Nádleehé in Navajo, is a revered goddess within Navajo mythology, representing the cyclical nature of life and the seasons. She embodies the stages of life, being born in spring, maturing in summer, aging in fall, and dying in winter, only to be reborn again in spring. Changing Woman plays a central role in various Navajo ceremonies, including those celebrating childbirth, coming of age, marriages, and home blessings. Integral to these ceremonies are songs that serve as prayers to the Holy People, aimed at safeguarding families, crops, and health.
According to the Navajo creation story, Changing Woman was born from a sacred ceremony involving First Man and was nurtured by him. She eventually gave birth to twin sons, who are celebrated for ridding the world of monsters. Changing Woman also created humanity from pieces of her own skin and established maize as a staple food source. Notably, her influence is evident in the Kinaaldá ceremony, a significant rite of passage for young Navajo girls, where they emulate Changing Woman and undergo various rituals that signify their transition into womanhood. This ceremony reflects the deep cultural values and spiritual beliefs of the Navajo people, connecting them to their goddess and their heritage.
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Changing Woman (mythology)
According to legend, Changing Woman is a highly respected goddess of the Navajo, or Dine, people. She represents the stages of life as well as the seasons. Changing Woman, Asdzaa Nádleehé in the Navajo language, is always changing, but never dies. In spring, Changing Woman is born. She matures in the summer and grows old in fall. She dies in winter, but is reborn in the spring as a young woman. All Navajo ceremonies contain a song dedicated to her. Ceremonies dedicated to Changing Woman are performed to celebrate childbirth, coming of age for girls, weddings, and to bless a new home. In the Navajo culture, each song is a prayer to the Holy People who watch over them. Songs are sung in ceremonies to protect their families, homes, the sick, crops or herds. A Blessingway song is included in every ceremony that provides the people with a blessing for a long and happy life. Such prayer is very much a part of the Navajo culture.
Background
Experts believe the Navajos arrived in the Southwest part of the country about eight hundred years ago. They most likely came to North America via a land bridge between Asia and modern-day Alaska in the Bering Strait and eventually made their way south. The Navajo people prefer to refer to themselves as Dine, which means “The People” in their language. According to the 2020 US Census, the Navajos were the largest group of Native Americans in the United States with a population of 399,567. They mostly live in the areas of southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico. The Navajo Reservation is also the largest in the United States, amassing 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometers).
Overview
According to Navajo myth, Changing Woman came into being when First Man held up his medicine bundle toward the sacred mountain, Gobernador Knob, at dawn. Changing Woman was born and was found by Talking God. He brought her to First Man who raised her. She grew from an infant to puberty in four days and was given the name Changing Woman.
A ceremony was held to celebrate Changing Woman’s puberty. It was attended by the Navajo Holy people as officiated by Talking God. After the ceremony, Changing Woman was walking outside when she was approached by a stranger. The stranger told her to prepare herself for his return. His appearance was so dazzlingly brought that she was forced to turn away. When she looked back, he was gone. After the stranger returned and vanished two more times, First Man told Changing Woman to prepare a bed outside with her head pointed east.
As she slept, she was visited by a young man who revealed himself to be Johonaa'éf, a Holy Person who represents the sun’s inner form. Johonaa'éf also told Changing Woman that he was the stranger who had appeared to her. The next day, as Changing Woman was bathing, Johonaa'éf appeared again and his bright rays combined with the dripping water impregnated Changing Woman. She bore twins, Monster Slayer (Naayéé' neizgháni) and Child of Water (To bajish chini), who also grew to adulthood in the span of twelve days. The twins were responsible for ridding the earth of monsters.
Changing Woman went to live in a house floating on western waters and the Sun visited her each evening. It is said that one day, she grew lonely and decided to create men and women from pieces of her own skin. These eight people, four men and four women, would be the ancestors of the Navajo. Changing Woman also created maize, an important food for the Navajo.
There is a significant role for Changing Woman in the Navajo Kinaaldá, which is a ceremony that celebrates a young girl changing into a woman. The ceremony, which lasts five days and four nights, takes place days after the girl’s first menstrual period. The girl impersonates Changing Woman and performs tasks important to Navajo women. The majority of the ceremony takes place in the hogan of the girl’s family. The girl is dressed in the garb that Changing Woman wore in the myth—a special sash and jewelry of turquoise and white shell. Once she is dressed, the older females give her a massage, which is called molding the girl. This practice softens her and makes it easier for her to be changed by those around her.
In another part of the Kinaaldá, the girl runs toward the east twice a day on the first day and three times a day for the next three days. This ritual is taken from the legend in which Changing Woman was ordered to run toward the dawn for as long as she could and then return. After this, the girl must grind the corn for a huge cake, called an alkaan, which is eaten on the ceremony’s final day. One part of the ceremony involves the girl and the assisting women making a large corn cake, which is baked overnight in a pit. The women cannot sleep during the baking, and the next day the girl hands out pieces of the cake. The cake represents Mother Earth and the girl as Changing Woman who can change earth into food. The ceremony is conducted over four days to represent the four seasons and the four sacred mountains of the Four Corners region of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. The very last night of the ceremony is filled with rituals important to forge a good future for the girl. The people who come to celebrate sing prayers all night until the sun rises.
Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph and Caduto, Michael J. “Four Worlds: The Dine Story of Creation.” Native American Stories, www.lessonsofourland.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/PreK‗Lesson-1‗Four-Worlds-Story-of-Creation.pdf . Accessed 28 Apr. 2023.
“Changing Woman: A Navajo Legend.” First People, www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Changing‗Woman-Navajo.html. Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.
Meza, Vivian. “How a Navajo Girl Comes of Age in Traditional Kinaalda Ceremony.” AZ Central, 31 May 2019, www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2019/05/31/how-navajo-girl-comes-age-traditional-kinaalda-ceremony/1300291001/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.
Wright, Sara. “The Story of Changing Woman.” Magoism.net, 26 June 2019, www.magoism.net/2019/06/prose-the-story-of-changing-woman-myth-and-commentary-by-sara-wright/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.
Zolbrod, Paul. “What a Navajo Myth Can Explain—Changing Woman’s Triumph.” Associated Press, 6 Jan. 2019, apnews.com/article/ef40056888ed4d8397730c802944b854. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.