The Blessing Way

Hillerman sets The Blessing Way primarily on the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Navajo spirituality and ritual practices play a central role in the mystery plot, and characters reference specific myths throughout the narrative to explain one another’s behaviors. The main myth alluded to is the Origin Myth, which details the creation of the physical world, the people, and their deities. The myth describes the creation of three lower spiritual worlds, in which the Holy People, Coyotes, First Man and First Woman, and other creatures emerge. First Man and First Woman beget the Navajo people, also known as The Diné or simply The People. These beings move up through the worlds together until they reach the Fourth World and form the mountains, sun, moon, and stars of the traditional Navajo lands. Here The People gain embodiment and mortality. Stories of the Fourth World describe the Navajo way of life, from hunting and hogan construction to relations between men and women (Gladd, Joel. “Navajo Dine Bahane.” Anthology of Earlier American Literature, 2019). The Origin Myth and other Navajo stories emphasize the importance of harmony among people, and between people and their environment.