Illustration: YÉb-chai Dancers - Navaho YÉb-chai Dancers - Navaho From Copyright Photograph 1906 by E.S. Curtis The Navaho marriage ceremony is always held at the home of the girl. When a young man wishes to marry the maid of his choice, he makes his desire known to his parents, when the father[pg 126] The girl's mother fills a wedding basket with corn-meal mush, which figures prominently in the ceremony. About nine o'clock in the evening the wedding party assembles. Anyone may attend, and usually a goodly number is present. The young man and his bride take seats on the western side of the hogÁn, facing the doorway. On their right the male spectators sit in rows; on their left, the women. The girl's mother, however, does not enter, for a mother-in-law, even in the making, must not look upon her newly acquired son, nor he upon her, then or thereafter. To do so would occasion blindness, and general ill luck to either one or both parties. The basket of mush and two wicker bottles of water are brought in and placed before the couple, the bearer being careful to see that the side of the basket on which the top coil terminates is toward the east. The girl's father then steps forward, and from his pouch of tÁdĭtĭn, or sacred pollen, sifts several pinches on the basket of mush. Beginning at the end of the coil on the eastern rim, he sifts straight across and back, then follows the rim with the pollen around to the south side, sifts across and back, and then drops a little in the centre. That done, the bride pours a small quantity of water from the wicker bottle upon the young man's hands. He washes and pours a little upon hers. Then from the side of the basket toward the east he dips out a little mush[pg 127] When the ceremony is concluded, a supper is provided for all. General conversation and levity while away the hours, the talk consisting principally, however, of sage advice from relatives to both husband and wife as to how they should conduct themselves in future. At dawn the party disperses, the young man taking his bride with him. Illustration: Mescal Harvest - Apache Mescal Harvest - Apache From Copyright Photograph 1906 by E.S. Curtis |