The Navajo Chindi, Part l

The Navajo Native Americans of the southwest have strong religious beliefs. One of their beliefs is that an evil spirit known as Chindi or in their language ch’íidii leaves the dying person’s body with their last breath.

This spirit represents everything that was bad about this person so the Navajo have customs that insure they do not come in contact with it. They believe if this happens it can cause a “ghost sickness” or even death.

Among their death customs is the belief that the chindi lingers around a dead person’s possessions or corpse so they destroy or avoid these items.

After a person’s death their name is never spoken for it is feared if this evil spirit hears it’s name it will come and make the speaker ill.

Hogan

The traditional Navajo practice was to have a person die outdoors, to allow this spirit to disperse.

They felt strongly that if a person died in a home or Hogan, this building would be haunted by the chindi so in the past this structure was then abandoned.

The Navajo also believe that one can use the chindi spirit to harm others. Navajo witches or “followers of the corpse poison way” were believed to infect others with the chindi sickness.

They did this by taking a piece of the corpse and making it into a bead or powder. They then tricked the unsuspecting by having them ingest it.

It was also believed a Navajo medicine man could call upon the spirit world or chindi to inflect revenge on a person they held a grudge against.

Dust Devil

In the southwest when the wind blows it often picks up dust devils. When seen turning clockwise they are considered good but if they are seen turning counterclockwise they are possessed by a chindi and are considered bad.

Manifestations and Protection

The chindi are sometimes described as shape-shifters that act as a kind of evil avenging angel. It is said they can inhabit any living thing.

If a Navajo sees a coyote standing on its hind legs they know it is a chindi. It is stated any animal that is possessed by this spirit has “dead eyes.”

Another telling sign is the animal’s eyes will not reflect in a car’s headlights. These animals are then avoided.

It is stated if a chindi is set against a person their only defense is to say a prayer. Navajo’s create a medicine circle around them and sing or state a prayer out loud.

It is pointed out the most important thing is a person’s attitude.

If they have a “good heart” and respect all of Mother Earth’s creatures the negative energy of the chindi set against them will just bounce off and return to the person who tried to inflict them.

In Part ll of The Navajo Chindi a famous story about the Long Salt family is shared. A chindi was used to curse and exact revenge against them.

South Africa: The Ghost Wagon

Route from Ceres to Beaufort-West

This ghost legend is told in an area just northeast of Cape Town.

A ghost wagon is often seen chasing across the fields in the early morning hours--when all is silent. It is stated it travels at great speeds near routes in the Western Cape area.

One witness account about this strange phenomenon was shared in a book about South African Legends written over a century ago.

A Major Ellis was traveling from Ceres to Beauford-West. It was a beautiful morning, so the Major had opted to ride in the front with the coach driver.

They were making good progress when one of the coach wheels broke. The driver pulled the coach to the side of the road to inspect the damage.

As soon as the two men hopped down, they heard a wagon swiftly moving toward their location. Ellis expressed the fear that this wagon would collide with them.

But the coach driver--a man by the name Anthony de Beer--reassured him that the sound they heard wasn’t coming from the road.

As this racing wagon drew nearer, the sound became deafening. As it drew abreast of the two men’s location Anthony shouted, “Where the devil are you going?”

A loud voice answered, “To hell.” The two men then heard a horrible laugh. They caught a fleeting glimpse of the wagon driver’s face--he was deathly white, had cold dark piercing eyes and a bandana covered his mouth and nose.

Again they heard an evil laugh.

As the wagon passed a blast of cold air followed it. Once it was out of sight, Anthony mumbled, “never seen a spirit before.”

As Ellis and Anthony headed back toward the coach all was quiet again. They stopped in their tracks when they spotted two ashen men sitting near a roaring fire.

As they approached the fire-- these two men disappeared. When they approached where they had seen the fire, there was no trace of it.

For the next several days Anthony fell into a deep depression. The Major tried to snap him out of his malaise, but nothing seemed to work.

Anthony knew the legend about the ghost wagon. The Major did not.

The legend states if the ghost wagon races toward you but no one calls out it will crash into you and everyone is doomed. But if one person shouts out to the cart--as Anthony did--he will save everyone’s life except his own.

A week later Anthony’s body was found dead at the bottom of a cliff next to his coach and horses.

Irish Headless Horseman: The Dullahan

A friend of my family told me this story when I was a pre-teen, thinking back I was probably too young to hear it—for I had several vivid nightmares afterward.

He asked me what picture I got in my mind when I thought of fairies. I think I told him “Tinker Bell” or Cinderella’s “Fairy Godmother.” He told me, “Well this story is about a fairy but not that kind.”

I remember this grabbed my attention. This is the story he told me:

In Ireland, hundreds of years ago, there was a king by the name of Tighermas. Tighermas believed in a pagan god by the name of Crom Dubh. His belief in this God led him to sacrifice humans every year—by decapitating them—to appease or keep Crom Dubh happy.

This practice continued until the Christians gained a stronghold in Ireland at which point human sacrifice was no longer allowed. Resenting this, it is said Crom Dubh took on a human form so he would not be forgotten. To this day he is considered the most terrifying of all the Irish Unseelie fairies.

Confused about the use of the term “fairy,” I asked why a fairy was scary.

So the friend stopped and explained patiently, this fairy was a supernatural spirit and a malicious and evil one at that.

He is known as Gan Ceann. (In old Gaelic Ceann means head, and Gan means without.) But most people call him the dullahan—the dark man.

He is a fearsome spirit who rides a massive black horse—he is only seen at night—but it is best not to see him—but I am getting ahead of myself. He is headless * but he keeps his head near, he either carries it under his arm or thrusts it high in his outstretched hand as he rides his horse.

His head is rotted and moldy in appearance, it has dark eyes that dart back and forth constantly and it’s mouth sneers from ear to ear. The horse the dullahan rides is heard thundering down the road leaving a trace of burnt grass behind—most will not look at this horse—but the few who have and survived say fiery flames shoot from its nostrils.

Keep in mind there are not many people who have seen the dullahan for everyone is warned not to look upon this dark man as he passes by—for it is believed if they do it ensures a person’s demise.

This horseman is clothed in dark robes and carries a whip made from a human’s spine, it is said he barely utters a word except for a name. This is another reason why he is dreaded for the person, this dark spirit names as he stops is doomed for he claims their soul.

The friend paused here and I asked, “You mean he kills them.”

Yes, he steals their soul—and the person drops dead. There is no warning except for the pounding of his horses’ hooves on the road as he approaches—and when he stops he calls out their name—family members or friends who try to help this person find that the dullahan splashes blood on them or whips out their left eye which marks them as one of his next victims. 

“So there is no defense against him?”

There is one, and it was discovered by accident. A man from Galway walking to a friend’s house late one night heard the sound of a horse’s hooves pounding behind him. He turned to see the spirit and his black steed charging ever closer. He shouted and made a run for it—but as most know a mere mortal man cannot get away from this dark fairy. And this man had looked upon him…

The dullahan gained on him and the poor man knew this was the end but in the next moment his coin pouch worked its way open and one gold coin fell to the ground. All of a sudden there was a loud roar and a rushing of air above him as he turned to look he found the dullahan was gone.

“So the coin saved him?”

It was made of gold—and that was what saved him. It seems the dullahan has an irrational fear of gold—even a small amount will frighten him off. So each October during the Irish New Year, Samhain, which brings the beginning of the Celtic winter, every Irishman, carries gold and looks out—or actually looks away to avoid the dullahan.

* It is said that this tale, The Dullahan, most likely inspired Washington Irving to write The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  For his parents were Scots and Scotland just like Ireland has versions of The Dullahan—the headless horseman.