Hummingbirds hold a special place in Navajo culture and spirituality. These tiny, swift-flying birds are seen as bringers of luck, joy, and blessings. Their agility and speed are admired, and they are associated with values like thrift, vigilance, love, and beauty. Hummingbirds appear in Navajo oral traditions, rituals, art, and ceremonies. While not all Navajo people share the exact same beliefs, there are some common themes and symbolism associated with hummingbirds in Navajo worldview.
Significance in Navajo Origin Stories
Hummingbirds appear in some key Navajo origin stories and myths. In the Navajo Emergence Story, which describes how the Navajo people came into this world, hummingbirds are depicted as messengers that scouted the earth before the people emerged. They flew up through the reeds and brought back signs that this new world was suitable for living. So hummingbirds are seen as trailblazers or pathfinders in the Navajo genesis narrative.
In other tales, Hummingbird is portrayed as a cunning and clever figure. In one legend, Hummingbird outsmarts Coyote, who has been tricking people. By using his speed and wit, Hummingbird manages to steal meat back from Coyote and deliver it to the people. This emphasizes how hummingbirds came to symbolize intelligence and luck.
Connection to Beauty and Joy
With their iridescent plumage and graceful hovering flight, hummingbirds naturally evoke a sense of natural beauty. Their presence brings joy. In the Navajo language, the name for hummingbird literally translates to “joy bird” or “happiness bird.”
The hummingbird’s delicate nature, sweet nectar sustenance, and fluttering wings are reminiscent of flowers and butterfly wings to Navajo sensibilities. These characteristics tie the hummingbird to themes of beauty, happiness, warmth, and community.
Hummingbirds’ association with flowers also symbolizes the value of making the most of opportunities when they arise. Much like hummingbirds must act quickly to draw nectar from blossoms, Navajos are encouraged to make the most of good fortune and blessings when they appear.
Association with Love
One of the strongest symbolic meanings for hummingbirds in Navajo culture is their association with love and relationships. This stems from the somewhat unusual courtship behavior of hummingbirds.
Male hummingbirds perform elaborate courtship displays to impress females. They fly in loops, dart back and forth, hover in front of the female, and make noise with their wings and beaks. If the female is impressed, she will allow the male to mate with her.
To Navajos, this shows an important lesson about patience, persistence and compassion in relationships. The male hummingbird must be tireless and dedicated to his courtship dance if he wishes to find a mate. Even though the female often rebuffs him initially, he continues displaying in hopes of winning her affection. This demonstrates that effort and determination are required to build strong bonds.
Wedding Symbolism
Because of this courtship behavior, hummingbirds have become one of the most popular wedding symbols in Navajo culture. Hummingbird motifs are commonly integrated into Navajo wedding ceremonies.
The bride and groom are encouraged to emulate the patience, tenderness and determination of hummingbirds building their bond. Just as male and female hummingbirds ultimately come together in unity, the couple is reminded to bind their lives together with care and commitment.
Jewelry and Art Motifs
Hummingbirds are one of the most prevalent motifs seen on Navajo wedding jewelry, especially for the bride. Bracelets, necklaces, and rings depicting hummingbirds are given to symbolize the love between a couple.
Likewise, hummingbird imagery appears frequently in Navajo paintings, carvings, pottery and crafts as emblems of compassion, kindness, and devotion.
The Blessingway Ceremony
One of the most important Navajo ceremonies is called the Blessingway. Its purpose is to reinforce community wellness, protection, and healing. Hummingbirds feature prominently in this ritual.
The Blessingway is based around a myth in which Hummingbird guides the first man and woman into the present world. By following Hummingbird through a rainstorm, they endure hardship and arrive safely to a new home. Like Hummingbird, the couple is instructed to be vigilant, brave, and clever in finding their way.
This ceremony lasts for days, with chants, songs, and sand paintings that honor Hummingbird and invoke its attributes as a guide. The hummingbird is portrayed as a guardian and wayfinder. Its strength despite its small size is emphasized as a metaphor for inner resilience.
By honoring the hummingbird, participants in the Blessingway Ceremony draw on its characteristics to come safely through trials into a bright future. Hummingbird imagery provides comfort, inspiration, and reassurance. The bird’s endurance through the storm embodies the perseverance needed to carry on.
Symbol of Good Luck and Prosperity
Across many tales and traditions, the hummingbird is seen as a sign of good fortune. Its clipped wings and diminutive size forced it to work harder than other birds, making it a model of thriftiness and diligence. Many Navajos believe that a hummingbird sighting indicates luck or a positive change is on the way.
They are also seen as harbingers of prosperity because they pollinate plants and flowers while collecting nectar. Their efficiency and hard work brings about new life and abundance. Some Navajos hang hollowed gourds with holes for hummingbirds to nest in around their homes to promote blessings, wealth, and health.
Use in Medicine and Healing Practices
Besides its symbolic importance, the hummingbird also has practical uses in traditional Navajo medicine. Navajo healers and herbalists use parts of hummingbirds in some ceremonial practices and natural remedies.
The wings, feathers, and organs of hummingbirds are said to contain potent energy that can be harnessed. They are used in healing amulets and powders that are believed to transfer vigor, mental acuity, and resilience.
By burning dried hummingbird wings and feathers and spreading the ashes around sacred space, medicine men would bless and purify an area. The swift flight and dexterity of hummingbirds manifests through their remains to sweep away negativity.
Hummingbird feathers are also worn or carried to lend sharp senses and cunning intelligence when making deals and judgments. Medicine men may tie wings near their ears to enhance their ability to listen to the natural world. In this way, hummingbirds aid communication and perception.
Conclusion
For the Navajo people, hummingbirds are multi-dimensional symbols that embody values like luck, love, joy, beauty, and fortitude. They appear throughout Navajo cosmology and traditional stories as guides, pathfinders, and helpers. Their tenacity and speed make them role models, and their association with flowers and community tie them to themes of relationships and kindness.
The prominence of the hummingbird in ceremonies, art, and medicine reflects its cultural significance. While not ever Navajo person may attach meaning to hummingbirds, they hold a special place in Navajo heritage and worldview. From folklore to wedding rings, these delicate birds have become symbols of all that Navajos hope to cultivate in their lives—beauty, prosperity, swiftness, vigor, devotion, and good fortune.
