Dramatic Elements in American Indian Ceremonials 13 



story, and above all of mystery. In this respect, the savage per- 

 haps differs from the more sophisticated Greek almost as much as 

 do the respective times chosen for their great festivals of this 

 sort. The Greek developed tragedy was presented in all the 

 clarity of day; the Navajo acted legend occurs at night with all 

 the possibilities of mystery and magic which darkness affords. 

 The Navajo is still a savage with the full quota of wild savage 

 love of color, of riotous music, and above everything else of ac- 

 tion. He must see, hear, and feel the story. That is the main 

 thing. He is not yet ready for calm philosophizing. To him the 

 universe is and he would see and see again hoiu it came to be so, 

 not why. Hence it may be of interest to parallel sections of the 

 legend with the acted representations. Artistotle's unity of action 

 is an unheard of, an unrealizable dictum in the Navajo unity of 

 man principle of dramatic composition. It is the various epi- 

 sodes in the supernatural experiences of their great medicine 

 prophet Dsilyi' Neyani that they come to see upon the last night of 

 " The Mountain Chant." There is but little coherence, much 

 less unity, existing between the many strange legendary exhibi- 

 tions, a veritable string of almost unrelated events. But " the 

 play's the thing." 



At nightfall the theater is constructed — ceremonially, it must be 

 remembered, for religion is back of all this celebration, a religion 

 almost top-heavy with symbolism and magic. In the center of 

 the open space there has been previously heaped a great pile of 

 dry juniper and cedar wood. Along the circumference of this 

 great circle the men and boys construct the mystic enclosure with 

 heaps of branches, while, to a rattle accompaniment, the old 

 chanter sings the essential song. This completed, the place of 

 exhibition becomes sacred ground which can be entered only 

 through an opening facing the east. Through this sole gateway 

 the audience file with their temporary camping outfits and establish 

 themselves next to the branch enclosure. This is the human 

 audience. Outside the fence is the supernatural audience — the 

 spirits of bears, for instance, and various other ancestral gods. 

 No human being dares encroach upon this privileged space. 



When the spectators are settled and it is well dark, the band of 



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