Tradition: Navajo Mythology, American Myhtology
Alternative Names: Tsé’nagahi, Traveling Stone, Tieholtsodi
Category: Object
The Myth
Tsé’nagahi, the Traveling Stone, was one of the Anaye, or Alien Gods, primordial monsters that arose from unnatural sexual practices and grew to ravage and persecute the Navajo people. It dwelled at Betchil gai, the Shining Rock, or near a lake where Tsé’espai pointed upward. Tsé’nagahi was an enormous living stone that hunted people by hurling itself at them. When it spotted someone in the distance, it would roll after them, overtaking those who stood still and crushing them beneath its immense body.
The hero Nayenezgani prepared carefully before confronting the monster. As he approached its lair, he planted black knives in the ground, followed by blue knives, yellow knives, and serrated blades at progressively closer intervals. When Tsé’nagahi saw him, it immediately launched itself at the hero as though hurled by a giant hand. The knives sliced fragments from its rocky body, creating deposits of coloured mineral pigments. Its bones became white rock, its flesh blue pigment, its hair black pigment, and its mouth and blood red pigment. Its intestines became yellow ocher, while the moisture from its sweat, mucus, tears, and urine gave rise to the wet patches that seep from rocks.
Nayenezgani struck the monster with a lightning arrow, forcing it to flee. The hero pursued it across Navajo territory, repeatedly cutting pieces from its body and leaving deposits of coloured stone behind. The chase eventually reached the San Juan River, where Tsé’nagahi plunged underwater. Nayenezgani attacked it three times more, and by the fourth encounter the creature shone like fire beneath the water. No longer resembling the monstrous stone it had once been, it begged the hero for mercy, promising never again to harm the Navajo people. Instead, it vowed to remain in the rivers, keep mountain springs open, and provide fresh water. Nayenezgani agreed to spare it, warning that he would return to kill it if it ever broke its promise. Tsé’nagahi kept its word and became Tieholtsodi, the Water Monster, described as a soft-furred otter with horns like a buffalo. Once a terrifying enemy, it became a benevolent being and a friend to all.
Sources
“Tsé’nagahi.” A Book of Creatures, October 23, 2020. https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/10/23/tsenagahi/