The first three worlds were neither good nor healthful. They moved all the
time and made the people dizzy. Upon ascending into this world the Navajo
found only darkness and they said "We must have light."
In the Ute Mountain lived two women, Ahsonnutli, the turquoise
hermaphrodite, and Yolaikaiason, the white-shell woman. These two women
were sent for by the Navajo, who told them they wished light. The Navajo
had already partially separated light into its several colors. Next to the
floor was white indicating dawn, upon the white blue was spread for
morning, and on the blue yellow for sunset, and next was black
representing night. They had prayed long and continuously over these, but
their prayers had availed nothing. The two women on arriving told the
people to have patience and their prayers would eventually be answered.
Night had a familiar, who was always at his ear. This person said, "Send
for the youth at the great falls." Night sent as his messenger a shooting
star. The youth soon appeared and said, "Ahsonnutli, the ahstjeohltoi
(hermaphrodite), has white beads in her right breast and turquoise in her
left. We will tell her to lay them on darkness and see what she can do
with her prayers." This she did.(6) The youth from the great falls said to
Ahsonnutli, "You have carried the white-shell beads and turquoise a long
time; you should know what to say." Then with a crystal dipped in pollen
she marked eyes and mouth on the turquoise and on the white-shell beads,
and forming a circle around these with the crystal she produced a slight
light from the white-shell bead and a greater light from the turquoise,
but the light was insufficient.
Twelve men lived at each of the cardinal points. The forty-eight men were
sent for. After their arrival Ahsonnutli sang a song, the men sitting
opposite to her; yet even with their presence the song failed to secure
the needed light. Two eagle plumes were placed upon each cheek of the
turquoise and two on the cheeks of the white-shell beads and one at each
of the cardinal points. The twelve men of the east placed twelve
turquoises at the east of the faces. The twelve men of the south placed
twelve white-shell beads at the south. The twelve men of the west placed
twelve turquoises at the west. Those of the north placed twelve
white-shell beads at that point. Then with the crystal dipped in corn
pollen they made a circle embracing the whole. The wish still remained
unrealized. Then Ahsonnutli held the crystal over the turquoise face,
whereupon it lighted into a blaze. The people retreated far back on
account of the great heat, which continued increasing. The men from the
four points found the heat so intense that they arose, but they could
hardly stand, as the heavens were so close to them. They looked up and saw
two rainbows, one across the other from east to west, and from north to
south. The heads and feet of the rainbows almost touched the men's heads.
The men tried to raise the great light, but each time they failed. Finally
a man and woman appeared, whence they knew not. The man's name was
Atseatsine and the woman's name was Atseatsan. They were asked "How can
this sun be got up." They replied, "We know; we heard the people down here
trying to raise it, and this is why we came." "Chanteen" (sun's rays),
exclaimed the man, "I have the chanteen; I have a crystal from which I can
light the chanteen, and I have the rainbow; with these three I can raise
the sun." The people said, "Go ahead and raise it." When he had elevated
the sun a short distance it tipped a little and burned vegetation and
scorched the people, for it was still too near. Then the people said to
Atseatsine and Atseatsan, "Raise the sun higher," and they continued to
elevate it, and yet it continued to burn everything. They were then called
upon to "lift it higher still, as high as possible," but after at certain
height was reached their power failed; it would go no farther.
The couple then made four poles, two of turquoise and two of white-shell
beads, and each was put under the sun, and with these poles the twelve men
at each of the cardinal points raised it. They could not get it high
enough to prevent the people and grass from burning. The people then said,
"Let us stretch the world;" so the twelve men at each point expanded the
world. The sun continued to rise as the world expanded, and began to shine
with less heat, but when it reached the meridian the heat became great and
the people suffered much. They crawled everywhere to find shade. Then the
voice of Darkness went four times around the world telling the men at the
cardinal points to go on expanding the world. "I want all this trouble
stopped," said Darkness; "the people are suffering and all is burning; you
must continue stretching." And the men blew and stretched, and after a
time they saw the sun rise beautifully, and when the sun again reached the
meridian it was only tropical. It was then just right, and as far as the
eye could reach the earth was encircled first with the white dawn of day,
then with the blue of early morning, and all things were perfect. And
Ahsonnutli commanded the twelve men to go to the east, south, west, and
north, to hold up the heavens (Yiyanitsinni, the holders up of the
heavens), which office they are supposed to perform to this day.