Navajo Yei Rug Meaning

The closely related yeibechai rugs show navajo dancers in the act of portraying yeis in ceremonies.

Navajo yei rug meaning. Yéí or yéʼii spirit deity of the navajo nation the most benevolent of such beings are the diyin diné e or holy people who are associated with the forces of nature. Eastern navajo fair july 24 28 southwest fair rodeo august 2 4 gallup ceremonial august 2 11. The portrayal of navajo ceremonial art in rugs is generally attributed to hosteen klah a navajo medicine man and weaver born in 1867 and died in 1937. Typically the yeis are highly stylized figures with elongated bodies short straight legs and heads facing the viewer.

Visit steve getzwiller s nizhoni ranch gallery online store for the best selection of navajo rug weaving and blankets for sale as well as native american art of all kinds. Yéi there are a number of divinities in the navaho pantheon known as yéi which is translated god or genius what distinction exists between the yéi and other gods is not easy to. A dozen or more colors may be used. The navajo yeii or yei navajo.

And can also mean holy people who talk to the gods this rug shows dancers depicting gods in a yei bi chai ceremony. Yeibichai rugs depict the ceremony in which dancers attempt to call the spirits. Yei means god in navajo. 2019 fair event links.

Yei is the navajo name for a deity or a holy one. In navajo mythology the yei spirits mediated between the great spirit and humans the name yei derives from yeibicheii meaning the holy people. Navajo rugs and blankets navajo. Again we cannot be too sure of some of the meanings but many navajo grandmothers will tell you that the diamond is a symbol of the dinétah or navajo homeland with its four sacred corners that are marked by the four sacred mountains.

Yei yei be chei holy people the navajo way of life is based on an oral tradition in which stories lessons and values are passed down from generation to generation. As one expert expresses it classic navajo serapes at their. Yei are deity and the figures are tall and slender and bearing ceremonial embellishments. These elements were incorporated into old wearing blankets and continue in the modern day navajo rugs.

Shiprock yei and yeibichai achieved regional style status during the 1940 s. Genuine yei yei be chei navajo rugs for sal at nizhoni ranch gallery new items added on a regular basis. Yei pattern rugs feature images of the holy people drawn from ceremonial sand paintings but do not recreate an entire painting. The creation story of the navajo emergence as the people or dine is as sacred as the bible to the navajo.

Their postures are. Yei spirits were believed to control natural elements such. The yei symbol is a frequently used pattern in navajo rugs.