Sketch of a Navajo sand painting depicting the sky spirits.
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Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief deity of the Navajo Indians. He
created heaven, Earth, and the sky. Each of the four cardinal directions
was supported by a giant. Each direction was also associated with a
different color: white for the east, blue for the south,
yellow for the west, and black for the north.
Moreover, the Navajo Indians
believed that from each cardinal point originates a distinct wind which
brings the clouds, generated by the movement of the wings of a white swan
located in each corner.
Navajo use colorful and symmetrical painting in the sand as a representation
of the position of planets and stars. These sand paintings are used to attract a
particular healing power on a sick person or to suggest moral behavior.
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