1885. ] Mythic Dry-Paintings of the Navajos. 937 
sides by the anthropomorphic rainbow. The body of the eastern 
god is white; that of the southern, blue; that of the western, yel- 
low ; that of the northern, black. l 
Here is an appropriate occasion to speak of Navajo symbol- 
ism in color. In all cases, as far as I could learn, the south is 
represented by blue, the west by yellow, the upper world by 
blue, the lower world by black and white in spots. Usually the 
east is represented by white and the north by black; but some- 
times these colors are interchanged and the north becomes white 
while the east is black. The reasons for this change are too 
lengthy to be discussed here. 
It is related in the myth which accounts for these mysteries, that 
this Navajo prophet, Dzz/’-yi-neyant, or Reared among the Moun- 
tains, was once led by the gods to a dwelling called the Lodge of 
Dew; it was built of dew-drops, and the door was made of many 
plants of different kinds. They entered and found four goddesses 
called Bitses-ninez or long bodies. The holy ones rose as the 
strangers entered, and they were very tall. The plumes on their 
heads almost touched the sky. They said to the prophet: “ In 
the rites that you will teach your people when you return to 
them, you will invoke us by drawing our pictures. We stand 
here, one in the east, one in the south, one in the west and one in 
the north; but when you draw the picture you must place us all 
in the east.” 
The third picture in the series (Plate xxxtt1) is supposed to be 
made in accordance with these instructions. To indicate their 
great height the figures are twice the length of any in the other 
pictures, except the rainbow figures, and each is clothed in four 
garments, one above another; for no one garment, they say, can 
be made long enough to cover such giant forms. The form im- 
mediately north of the center is done first, in white, and repre- 
sents the east; that next to it, on the south, comes second in 
order, is painted in blue and represents the south. The form next 
below the latter is in yellow and depicts the goddess who stood 
in the west of the house of dew-drops. The figure in the extreme 
north is drawn last of all, in black, and belongs to the north. As 
before stated, these bodies. are first made naked and afterwards 
clothed. The exposed chests, arms and thighs display the colors 
of which the entire bodies were originally composed. Some 
small animal called the g/oi is sacred to these goddesses. Two of 
