Navajo Spider Woman

Traditional stories and legends of elders were told to entertain and teach their children as well as grandchildren. Navajo spider woman legends were told by the Holy people. Navajo spider woman was said to first weave the universe and taught Navajo (Dine) for spreading the “Beauty Way” and creating beauty in their own life, teaching of balance within the body, mind and soul. Elders’ creation of stories, they were told about having 4 worlds. The Glittering World is where Dine or Navajo lives today. The 1st world is where only water, air and language existed and are pure black in color. The second world was renowned as the “Blue World”. It was composed of land mammals, air and water. The so called “Holy one” was given life to Navajo Spider Woman and Spider Man.
Thus, only their inner souls or spirits were made. Furthermore, their physical bodies were later made as to contain their spirits. In the 3rd world, Navajo Spider Woman was advised by the holy ones that she had the abilities of weaving a universe map and the geometrical patterns of the spirited ones in the night sky. At first, she didn’t know that these meant and wasn’t even instructed how it must be done, but curiosity arises and becomes her energy which drives force to weave her own creations.

One beautiful day, when she was out on the land, gathering food and exploring at the same time, Navajo Spider Woman came upon a young and small tree which was just starting to grow. With her right hand, she touched it and wrapped her fingers around 1 one its branches. Then, when her right hand was released, there’s a string attached to its branch and it was flowing out from the center of her palm. At first, she wasn’t quite sure about it. Hence, the string stayed attached to her hand even if she shook it already. She kept wrapping it on the branch, thinking it would detach. However, she realized there was only small space left on the branch of the tree.

After realizing it, she ran the bunch of strings to another branch and then realized, she is creating a pattern. She started manipulating and maneuvering these strings into different shapes. At that moment, she realized that her weaving was the one instructed to her by the holy ones. By then, using her left hand, she broke off the strings immediately and began thinking how she would use it. The rest of her day was entailed on wrapping and weaving numerous different shapes and patterns on other branches of the small tree.

For the long time, Navajo Spider Woman began weaving on their home and many people learned her new skills. Today, Navajo men are indeed the successful key makers of weaving tools and looms. With each tool created, a prayer and a song were offered and made to Spider Man, each time he creates tools and it truly gives a unique life and a sense of purpose for every person living in the place.