The Second World – A Navajo Legend

Due to the conflicts in the First World, First Man, First Woman, the Great Coyote-Who-Was-Formed-in-the-Water, and the Coyote called First Angry, along with all the others, ascended from the World of Darkness and Dampness to the Second or Blue World. Upon their arrival, they discovered that many beings already inhabited this realm: blue birds, blue hawks, blue jays, blue herons, and all creatures adorned with blue feathers. The powerful swallow people also resided there, and their presence made the Second World inhospitable for those who had emerged from the First World.

Conflict and strife ensued, marked by fighting and killing. In the midst of this turmoil, the First Four discovered a passage in the World of Blue Haze. Seizing the opportunity, they guided the people through this opening, leading them upward into the Third or Yellow World.

This retelling honors the living tradition of the Navajo people, to whom this story belongs.

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