Coyote (Máʼii)

Told in winter

Coyote stories hold a special place in Diné tradition, and many Diné people teach that they should be told only in winter. This entry summarises Coyote's role in published accounts of the origin story; readers who follow the seasonal practice may prefer to read it in winter.

Troublemaker in the lower worlds

In Matthews's and later tellings, Coyote is present from the lower worlds onward, curious, impatient, and unable to leave things alone. His most serious act is stealing the child of Tééhooltsódii, the Water Monster; in response the Water Monster floods the world, and the people must climb upward to escape. The theft is eventually discovered and the child returned.

The scattered stars

In widely published tellings, when the stars are being carefully placed in the sky to make patterns that would teach the people, Coyote grows impatient, seizes what remains, and flings it across the sky, which is why so many stars lie scattered without order. Zolbrod calls Coyote "First Scolder".

Death

In some tellings Coyote decides that death should be permanent, throwing a stone (or hide) into the water with the reasoning that if people did not die, the world would be too crowded. Tellings differ, and this site does not present one as definitive.

Neither good nor evil

Coyote is a Holy Person, and his actions have consequences that shape the world. Diné tradition treats him as a figure to learn from, including by his mistakes, and Coyote stories carry lessons about conduct.