THE MOUNTAIN CHANT: A NAVAJO CEREMONY. 
By Dr. WASHINGTON MATTHEWS, U. S. A. 
INTRODUCTION. 
1. The ceremouy of dsilyidje qacal, or mountain chant — literally, chant 
towards (a place) within the mountains —is one of a large number prac- 
ticed by the shamans, or medicine men, of the Navajo tribe. I have 
selected it as the first of those to be described, because I have wit- 
nessed it the most frequeutly, because it is the most interesting to the 
Caucasian spectator, and because it is the best known to the whites who 
visit and reside in and around the Navajo country. Its chief interest to 
the stranger lies in the various public performances of the last night. 
Like other great rites of the shamans, it has its secret ceremonies of 
many days’ duration in the medicine lodge; but, unlike the others, it 
ends with a varied show in the open air, which all are invited to witness. 
Another ceremony which I have attended, and which the whites usually 
call the “ Yaybichy Dance” (Yébiteai), has a final public exhibition 
which occupies the whole night, but it is unvaried. Few Europeans 
can be found who have remained awake later than midnight to watch 
it. Such is not the case with the rite now to be described. Here the 
white man is rarely the first to leave at dawn. 
2. The appropriateness of the name dsilyidje or tsilgitee — towards (a 
place) within the mountains — will be better understood from the myth 
than from any brief description. ‘‘ Dsilyi‘” may well allude to mountains 
in general or to the Carrizo Mountains in particular, to the place in the 
mountains (paragraphs 9 and 38) where the origfnator of these cere- 
monies (whom I often find it convenient to call “ prophet”) dwelt, or to 
the name of the prophet (par. 41), or to all these combined. Qacal signifies 
a sacred song or a collection of sacred songs. From the many English 
synonyms for song I have selected the word chaut to translate qacal. 
ln its usual signification hymnody may be its more exact equivalent, 
but it isa less convenient term than chant. The shaman, or medicine 
man, who is master of ceremonies, is known as qagali or chanter—el 
cantador, the Mexicans callhim. In order to keep in mind his relation- 
ship to similar functionaries in other tribes I shall, from time to time, 
allude to him as the priest, the shaman, or the medicine man, following 
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