34 THE MOUNTAINS 



was used to form some new mountains, 

 for memorial markings of "Navajo- 

 Land" ; and around one of these memorial 

 mountains, the central one, the Navajos 

 began their existence as a tribe. 



Naturally, therefore, the mountains in 

 "Navajo-Land" play an important part 

 in the tribal life; and, as naturally, they 

 are regarded as peculiarly sacred. There 

 are "mountain hymns" which, in a solemn 

 ritual service, are chanted, with the eyes 

 either closed or fixed in an ecstatic stare. 

 A thrilling scene even to-day it is, when, 

 after an all-night ceremony, the entire 

 assembly, at the first sign of morning, be- 

 gins to chant with weird intonation a 

 hymn to the sacred mountains. 



To these Navajo Indians the singing 

 of these mountain hymns is more than a 

 ritualistic form, for they deem it an exer- 

 cise spiritually potent as to character and 

 destiny. To show this, I will quote a 

 short passage from the tribal history: 

 "When a man sings of the mountain, then, 



