Yeii

The yeii (Navajo "yé'ii", meaning something along the lines of spirit, god, or demon) is a Navajo spirit. They are associated with the forces of nature; the most powerful of such beings are the Diyin Diné'e or Holy People

Yé'ii'bichaii, or "maternal grandfather of the yeii", is another name of Talking God, who often speaks on behalf of the other Holy People (he, along with Growling God, Black God, and Water Sprinkler, were the first four Holy People encountered by the Navajo). He is invoked (along with eight other male yeii) in the "Night Chant," sometimes simply called "Yé'ii'bichaii," a multiple-night ceremony in which masked dancers personify the gods.

A rainbow yé'ii, sometimes considered an aspect of the rain-god Water Sprinkler, is drawn around every sandpainting; his body curls around the south, west, and north sides to protect the painting from outside influences, and to protect the user from the power of the god depicted in the painting. He does not need to cover the east, because no evil can come from the east in Navajo thought.

references/ external links

*A Guide to Navajo Sandpaintings by Mark Bahti with Eugene Baatsoslanii Joe, ISBN 978-1-887896-05-4