Author Description

Navaho Legends is one of the earliest collections of Navajo oral traditions in English, and still the best. Originally published in 1897, this sensitive translation by Washington Matthews (1843-1905) contains an extensive version of the Origin Legend plus two other tales. These richly detailed legends remain among the most complete sources of Navajo cultural, ritual, and ceremonial information. This edition is fully faithful to the original, containing Matthews's introduction, extensive notes, interlinear prayer translations, and musical notations, plus a note on modern orthography by Robert W. Young. Washington Matthews, army major and surgeon, was based in the Southwest. He was one of the earliest recorders of Navajo culture.