Canyon de Chelley
This was our first stop in Canyon de Chelley - the famous Spider Rock. Naturally, there is a Navajo legend regarding this unusual rock spire. Here is someone's description that I found on the internet. The "Dine" noted are the ancient Indians inhabiting this area prior to the arrival of the Navajo.
"Spider Rock is the home of Spider Woman and here is how that came to be. When the Dine came into this fourth world from the previous third world, monsters were here and killed many people. Spider Woman used her supernatural powers to send Monster-Slayer and Child-Born-Of-Water in a search for their father, Sun-God, who showed them how to destroy the monsters. Monster-Slayer also has a role in the story of Tse'Bit'Ai, which means "rock with wings." The Anglo word is Shiprock.
Spider Woman is now highly honored as a deity among the Dine, and she chose the top of Spider Rock as her home. She has two important roles in the Navajo stories; one as the teacher of weaving. Her husband, Spider Man, made the first loom, using sky and earth cords for the cross poles, sun rays for the warp sticks, rock crystal and sheet lightning for the heralds, and a sun halo for the batten. The comb was made of a white shell. Spider woman's other function in Dine society is to enforce obedience in children. They are told that if they do not behave Spider Woman will carry them away to be eaten. The top of Spider Rock is supposed to be white because of the bones of children." [ausbcomp.com]
The outcrop may be 230 million years old and is made of various layers of sandstone. Its height is over 800 feet. Apparantly it has been climbed. A story told by Jack Graham is that a couple of people climbed it not too many years ago. They were thrown out of the Park by the authorities, and during their drive away they were involved in a car accident and died. Hearing that, we all decided the top of this rock was not an ideal photo op location.
No comments:
Post a Comment