Sketch of a Navajo sand painting depicting the sky spirits.

Ahsonnutli

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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