The Navajo Creation Story as Depicted Through Art

1. Diné Creation Story
NAVAJO CREATION STORY PORTRAYED THROUGH THEIR ART
BY: KARINA CHAVES

2. The First World (Black World)
 In the Navajo creation story, the first world was pitch
black. There were four seas and in the middle an island
with a single pine tree existed. Insects were present in
the first world.
 The four seas were ruled by supernatural beings. Above
each sea there were clouds. There was a black cloud, a
white cloud, a blue cloud and a yellow cloud.
 The female spirit of life lived in the black cloud while the
male spirit of dawn lived in the white. When the blue
and yellow clouds came together, the First Woman,
while the black and white came together to form the
First Man.
 The Great Coyote was formed in the Black World. The

3. First World: Navajo Sand painting
(painting of sand painting)
The four clouds
representing the four
directions and four
sacred mountains,
forming the first man
and first woman.

4. First World: Navajo Sand painting –
First Man and First Woman

5. The Second World (Blue World)
 The four beings, First Man, First Woman, the Great
Coyote and Second Coyote or First Angry, climbed up
from the Black World in to the Second World, Blue World.
 There were many types of birds in the Blue World. The
Swallow people, said to be a powerful people, lived in
blue houses in the Blue World.
 The four beings lived with the Swallow people for some
time but were asked to leave after wanting to sleep with
the Swallow Chief’s wife.
 Then the four beings, the Air-Spirit people wandered
around looking for a way into the next world. The Wind
called them and they followed him where they found a
hole in the sky.

6. Second World: Modern Navajo
Painting – representing the Blue
World

7. Second World: Modern Navajo
Painting – Blue World Emergence

8. The Third World (Yellow World)
 In the Yellow World there were 6 mountains and holy people lived
on the mountains. The holy people were immortal: Talking God,
Water Sprinkler, House God, Fire God, Turquoise Boy and Shell Girl.
 The holy people turned First Man and First Woman from spirits to
humans and told them to live together as husband and wife. They
had children and the holy people educated their children
 Spider Man and Spider Woman were also present in the Yellow
World. They taught the descendants of the Navajo how to weave.

9. Third World: Navajo Painting of the
Yellow World

10. Third World: Navajo Basket with
Spider Woman Cross & Pendant
with Spider Woman

11. The Fourth World (White World)
 The people emerged into the Fourth World through the
slit in the sky. In the White world they were on an island
in the middle of a lake surrounded by mountains.
 Water Sprinkler had four stones with him. He threw one
to the east. When it hit the cliff wall, it broke a hole
through it, and water began to flow out of the lake. He
threw a stone to the south. He threw one to the west.
And to the north he threw one. Each stone created a
hole in the cliff, and the water of the lake became
lower. After awhile they were able to leave the island.
 It was then that First Man and First Woman built their
home, the first Hogan.

12. Fourth World: Navajo Sand painting
showing the whole creation story