Dine Cosmology

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Dine cosmology and how it is structured. It describes Dine as a homology and shows how Dine holds that all elements derive from a common source. The paper discusses the roles of baskets, hooghans and textiles and then shows how they represent universal structures, elements, colors, numbers, shapes and forms within Dine belief.

From the Paper:

"Without the strict binaries that characterize the cosmologies of other cultures, the Dine propose a more integrated vision of the universe. The breath of life permeates everything, and life is cyclical and eternal. Death means only a transition from one phase of life or one form of life to another. Upon death, the same basic elements of creation continue to characterize life and that individual. The number four is structural and represents not only the four elements of moisture, air, substance and heat but also the four cardinal directions and the movement of the sun throughout the year. Directionality and the compas points denote the sacred geography that characterizes the Navajoland and Dine cosmos. As a result, the hooghan is constructed with four main structural poles. Each pole corresponds to a direction with the entrance of the house always in the east. The poles create special sections within the hooghan that are also linked to sacred geography and directionality. A fifth pole flanks the doorway, demarcating the presence of the fifth element."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Dine (Navajo) Creation." First Americans. Retrieved June 29, 2007 from http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/kmartin/School/navajo44.htm
• Francisco, N. (1977). "The Hooghan." In The Sacred. Navajo Community College Press. Retrieved June 29, 2007 from http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/navajo/hooghan.php3
• Lapahie, H. (2001). "The Navajo Creation Story." Retrieved June 29, 2007 from http://www.lapahie.com/Creation.cfm
• "The Nature of Life in the Navajo World." Class Readings.
• "Navajo Cosmology and Worldview." Retrieved June 29, 2007 from http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/religion/navajo_worldview.html

More papers on Dine Cosmology:

• Essay # 36599 : "Jim Dine"
• Analytical Essay # 58381 : "Islamic Cosmology and Sufism"
• Essay # 37141 : "Examining the Character of Lilia In "When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine"."

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