Diné Bahaneʼ

Diné Bahaneʼ (Navajo pronunciation: [tɪ̀né pɑ̀xɑ̀nèʔ], Navajo: "Story of the People"), is a Navajo creation story that describes the prehistoric emergence of the Navajo as a part of the Navajo religious beliefs. It centers on the area known as the Dinétah, the traditional homeland of the Navajo, and forms the basis of the traditional Navajo way of life and ceremony. Throughout the stories the importance of cardinal points and the number four are emphasized in multiple aspects.

The basic outline of Diné Bahaneʼ begins with the creation of the Niłchʼi Diyin (Navajo pronunciation: [nɪ̀ɬtʃʼɪ̀ tɪ̀jɪ̀n], ‘Holy Wind’) as the mists of lights which arose through the darkness to animate and bring purpose to the spirits of the four Diyin Dineʼé ([tɪ̀jɪ̀n tɪ̀nèʔé], ‘Holy People’) in the different three lower worlds. According to the story, this event happened before the Earth and the physical aspect of humans had come into being, when only the spiritual aspect of humans existed. The Holy People then began journeying through the different lowers worlds, learning important lessons in each one before moving on to the next. The fourth and final world is the world in which the Navajo live in now.