A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

After a storm destroys many remaining adversaries, Wind tells the hero that Old Age survives in the Depe’ntsa mountains. His mother declines to locate her, so Wind gives the direction. He finds an elderly woman approaching with a staff, bent back, white hair and a deeply lined face. Addressing her as grandmother, he announces that he has come to kill her.

She answers that without her, boys would not become fathers and old people would not make room for young ones. Aging therefore serves the very increase of people that motivates his campaign. He accepts this argument and leaves without a trophy. This encounter begins a sequence of spared beings, ending when he recognizes that those he now meets address him as kin. Torlino’s separately printed Version A gives that final recognition a journey to the limits of earth, water, sky and mountains.

Elderly woman with staffAging linked with generational renewalSpared through argument
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Origins & earliest records

Matthews published Navaho Legends in 1897. His introduction identifies Hatali Nez as the principal Origin Legend witness, Torlino as Version A and Jake the silversmith as Version B; supplementary matter is distinguished in notes. He used readable rather than strictly literal English and reports winter storytelling restrictions. This published narrative is not a complete ceremonial transcription or every Diné version.

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Records & interpretation

Origin Legend paragraphs 360–361 and 367; closing comparison in note 157. Matthews’s published narration retains the distinction between the principal version and individually credited alternatives.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Navaho Legends: Origin Legend

    Washington Matthews, collector and translator; principal narrative from Hatali Nez · 1897

    Origin Legend paragraphs 360–361 and 367; closing comparison in note 157. Complete selected encounter and conclusion.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary textMatthews 1897: Origin Legend paragraphs 360–361 and 367; closing comparison in note 157Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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