Raven Animal-Spirit of Navajo

animal-spirit · United States · North America

The raven (gáagii, often not distinguished from the crow) is a genuine figure in Navajo tradition, closely linked with Coyote. In the Diné Bahane', the raven served as a spy for the monster birds, warning Changing Woman's twin sons to keep away, and the obsolescent Ravenway ceremony was connected with Coyoteway. Crows and ravens also figure in Navajo beliefs about skinwalkers and the dead.

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