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(42.1) Linguistic Notes

1. cheełkénant'áń 'the leader of the Mountain Spirits'; cheełkédighiͅń 'the holy Mountain Spirits'. cheełké 'mountain spirits', synonymous with gáͅhé but usually confined to ritual contexts. nant'á 'chief, leader' [see linguistic note to Chiricahua text 25.1, §2]; dighiͅ 'he is holy' [see linguistic note to Chiricahua text 19.16, §1].

2. koͅoͅghéésh 'mirage'. Cf. gonighéésh 'mirage'. koͅoͅ- 'fire' [?]; -ghéésh ?.

3. datł'izhe bee'iłnágazi 'turquoise cross'. datł'izhe 'turquoise', cf. da-ni-...-tł'izh 'to be blue' [imp. neut. intr.]. bee- 'with it'. 'iłnágazi 'cross' probably 'ił- reciprocal; ná- 'across, around' [?]; and the prog. with place subject of -zí '[an arrow or stick] moves through the air' [act. intr.]. Also heard 'iłnóozi which is the 3rd person prog. of the same verb.

Ethnological Note 2
The conception is that the Mountain Spirits approach from all directions. The implication is that disease and everything wicked are therefore necessarily driven away. As referred to in ethnological note l to this text above, the Mountain Spirits are very numerous and inhabit many mountains. It is the practice of the Apache, however, to associate their ritual objects and supernaturals with colors and directions. Therefore, the Mountain Spirits of each cardinal direction are represented by a leader only and color is attributed to him. The association of color and direction in these songs is blue to the east, yellow to the south, white to the west, and black to the north. This color-direction association differs for different shamans and even for the different ceremonies of the same shaman. Most often, however, in Chiricahua rites, the association is black to the east, blue to the south, yellow to the west, and white to the north. Note that the Apache ceremonial circuit is always clockwise.

Ethnological Note 3
The homes of the supernaturals are very often described in terms of natural phenomena such as clouds, mirages, etc. A number of instances of this maybe noted in these songs. The natural phenomena are colored in accordance with the color-directional association noted in ethnological note 2 to this text above--thus, the home of the Black Mountain Spirit from the north is of the black mirage.

Ethnological Note 4
Each shaman is directed by his supernatural power to request certain ceremonial gifts of the patient before initiating the ceremony. These are considered to be a payment to the power without which the power will not lend its aid. The shaman is paid in addition. One of the ceremonial gifts which the particular shaman who sang these songs always requests is a piece of turquoise. His allusion to a turquoise cross is a reference to this. Both turquoise and the cross are much used in Chiricahua religious symbology.