In
the Navajo community, witchcraft is viewed with the highest contempt and is a
very serious crime. But the most volatile and dangerous of these witches is the
yenaldlooshi, which when translated
means “with it, he goes on all fours” or “he that walks like an animal.” Also
known as the Mai-Coh or Limmikin, it is more commonly known by
outsiders as the Skinwalker. These people are witches that shapeshift into
animals using magic animal skins. These people are evil to the core, bent on
nothing more than destroying the lives of those around them.
The
Skinwalker, while most commonly male, may be of either gender (some are even
transvestites). As mentioned earlier, the Skinwalker is a type of shapeshifting
witch that uses enchanted animal hides to initiate a transformation into any
animal that they desire, but the most common animal forms taken by the
Skinwalker are those of a wolf, a coyote, a fox, a dog, a cougar, a bear, a
crow, or an owl. The shape taken by the witch depends on the sort of abilities
that it may need for a given period of time. The skins of the wolf, the coyote,
the dog, and the fox grant stamina, enhanced senses, and the ability to
traverse great distances at speed, while the bear gives great strength,
endurance, and formidable claws and teeth. The cougar’s hide bestows speed,
grace, and stealth, and the form of the crow and the owl gives keen vision,
sharp talons, and the ability to soar through the air without alerting anyone
to its presence. The Skinwalker may use its abilities to fight off or escape
pursuers, with the power of each animal giving it decisive advantages in a
life-or-death situation. It is said that the animal form of the Skinwalker is
larger and more powerful than any natural beast. To the Navajo, the Skinwalker
is regarded as having a preternatural degree of strength, speed, endurance,
agility, and animalistic cunning whilst in animal form, in addition to having
human intelligence. This creature is said to be able to run faster than a car,
and is able to jump mesa cliffs with little effort. In addition to being a dark
adept (that is, a practitioner of the dark arts), the Skinwalker may be
regarded as a sort of werebeast, one that is very similar to the European
Werewolf.
In
order to become a Skinwalker, the witch must commit an unthinkable crime:
murdering an immediate relative. This is a very serious taboo to the Navajo
people, and is a terrible crime regardless of one’s cultural heritage. As was
said earlier, the Skinwalker is evil to the core, most being homicidal and
violent. The creature cares for nobody other than itself, and the Skinwalker
most often kills out of greed, anger, envy, spite, or revenge. The creature
resorts to grave robbery to increase its own personal wealth, as well as to
collect much-needed ingredients for use in its own brand of black magic. Yet
another common method of becoming wealthy used by Navajo witches is the
unethical practice of fee-splitting. This is done when a Skinwalker causes a
victim to become ill, and a healer (usually a witch himself) heals the victim.
The healer is then paid, and the culprits then split the proceeds, each taking
half of his or her share.
It
is said that some particularly powerful Skinwalkers have the power to steal the
skin or the body of a victim. By merely locking eyes with the intended victim,
the Skinwalker can absorb that person into its body, effectively enabling the
creature to become that person at will. This may be somewhat like hypnosis, and
the stronger the victim’s will, the more difficult it is for the Skinwalker to
take possession of the victim’s body. In theory, the absorption attempt may be
able to be resisted, although only if the victim’s will is stronger than that
of the Skinwalker. When the Skinwalker takes over a victim’s body, it takes
complete control, making the victim say and do things that are completely
beyond their ability to control. And all the while, the victim remains fully
conscious and alert to the horrors being committed with their body, and all the
while being helpless to stop it. Exactly how this is done isn’t really known.
However,
the Skinwalker’s eyes may be the key to identifying the creature in its human
form. The Skinwalker will avoid bright lights when it can, not because it
causes the creature any harm, but because the eyes of a Skinwalker burn red
like coals in a fire. When the Skinwalker is in animal form, its eyes do not
glow at all. It is said that, in addition to being able to shapeshift, the
Skinwalker is also able to control the creatures of the night and to make them
do its bidding. Some Skinwalkers are necromancers, able to call up the spirits
of the dead and to possibly reanimate the corpses of the recently dead to
attack their enemies. The Navajo themselves absolutely refuse to touch a
corpse, for fear of accidentally summoning the shade of the deceased or making
oneself vulnerable to the Skinwalker’s dark magic.
Except
for an animal skin, the Skinwalker prefers to go about naked, even in the dead
of winter. Because of the Skinwalker’s choice of shapeshifting into predatory
animals, wearing the skins of those particular animals is a major taboo, and is
deeply frowned upon by the Navajo community. Wearing the hide of a sheep or a
cow is acceptable, but if an individual should choose to wear the skin of a
predator, he is liable to be accused of being a Skinwalker. The Skinwalker is
also known for wearing the skulls of the animals it becomes in addition to
their skin, which is said to bring additional power to the witch. Sometimes,
the Skinwalker does not do evil of its own accord, but instead works under the
will of another. Occasionally, a truly vile person will hire the Skinwalker to
perpetrate some evil deed, for which the Skinwalker will be amply rewarded.
When it comes down to punishing the Skinwalker if it is caught in the act (a
rarity, indeed), Navajo law is very direct and straightforward when it comes to
witchcraft: when a person becomes a witch, they immediately forfeit their humanity
and their right to exist, and thus the Skinwalker can be killed without any
legal or moral consequences.
The
Skinwalker and most Navajo witches are usually active at night, when they are
less likely to be seen and they may conduct their profane rituals in secrecy.
These rituals are the Native American equivalent of the European Black Mass,
which undoubtedly involves bloodletting, sex, and desecration of religious
icons. Navajo witchcraft itself is known as the “Witchery Way,” in which the
magic revolves around the use of human corpses in various concoctions that are
designed to curse, harm, or even to kill an intended victim. The four basic
ways of Navajo witchcraft are “Witchery, Sorcery, Wizardry, and Frenzy.” These
ways have no connection to European witchcraft, but are merely additional
pieces of Navajo spirituality. According to these beliefs, people must live in
harmony with each other and the Earth. It also teaches that there are two types
of beings: the Earth People (humans) and the Holy People. These entities are
invisible spirit beings that have the ability to either help or harm people.
The Navajo also take a spiritual approach to sickness, disease, and personal
problems. These things are believed to be due to disorder within an
individual’s life, and they can be remedied with prayer, singing, various
herbs, help from a shaman, and traditional rituals. However, there is a dark
side to the religion. While the shaman uses his knowledge to heal and to help
his people, there are others (like the Skinwalker) who use witchcraft to direct
and control supernatural forces in order to cause harm, misfortune, sickness,
or death to others. But despite this, Navajo witchcraft is only another aspect
of the Navajo religion as a whole.
In
regards to magical practices, Skinwalkers are said to gather in small groups in
dark caves in order to initiate new members, plot their activities, kill people
from a distance with black magic, engage in necrophilia with female corpses,
and to commit cannibalism, incest, and grave robbery. Here, they perform their
dark ceremonial rites, which are blasphemous mockeries of traditional Navajo
religious ceremonies. Instead of sprinkling pollen (which is sacred to the
Navajo and is used for blessing), the Skinwalkers scatter dust made from the
powdered bones of infants in order to curse their victims. The Skinwalkers use
bows carved from human shinbones to attack their victims, while the arrows are
made of hardwood and tipped with flint (the arrowheads themselves may be
cursed). They also make traditional sand paintings using colored ash, upon
which the Skinwalkers will spit, urinate, and defecate, profaning and
desecrating the religious nature of these paintings, which are usually of their
intended victims. The leader of the Skinwalkers is usually an old man, perhaps
a very powerful and long-lived Skinwalker. A small feast may take place, during
which the participants eat coyotes and owls, as well as a type of ground-up
blue lizard. As stated earlier, the Skinwalker goes about naked, wearing only
beaded jewelry and ceremonial paint. All the while, they sit around in a circle
and walk or run on all fours, singing or howling like wolves.
The
Navajo themselves fear the Skinwalker so much that they are very hesitant to
speak with outsiders about these creatures, and absolutely refuse to speak
about it at night. One might suppose that this is a variation of the phrase
“Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.” The Navajo fear any consequences or
attacks from the Skinwalker in retaliation for allowing outsiders to meddle in
their affairs. In regards as to how the Skinwalker actually chooses to attack
its victims, the methods are both numerous and terrible. It may choose to bite
and claw the victim to death in its animal form, but the Skinwalker is usually
far more subtle. At times, the Skinwalker will try to break into a home in
order to frighten, harm, or kill the inhabitants. Each Navajo home (called a hogan) has a small opening in the
thatched roof to provide ventilation. The Skinwalker takes advantage of this by
making use of a deadly dust, known as corpse powder, made from dried and
powdered human remains. The corpse powder may be sprinkled through these holes,
causing grave sickness and eventual death to those dwelling within. If this powder
is blown into a victim’s face, it causes the tongue to turn black and to begin
swelling, followed by convulsions, paralysis, and the eventual death of the
victim. It is said that the corpses of children, especially twins, are the best
source for this powder.
The
Skinwalker may make strange sounds, like banging on the walls, knocking on the
windows, and scraping noises on the roof. These noises are all signs that the
Skinwalker is out and about, trying to gain the attention of its victim.
Rarely, an animalistic, beastlike figure may be seen standing outside of a
window, looking inside with glowing red or yellow eyes and a fanged snarl on
its face. This ferocious creature (possibly the Skinwalker’s man-beast form)
will attack vehicles in hopes of causing a serious or even fatal accident. The
Skinwalker is described as being extremely fast, agile, and impossible to
catch. Attempting to shoot or otherwise kill the Skinwalker is usually
unsuccessful, and the Skinwalker itself may even seek revenge for the attempt
on its life.
According
to Navajo legend, the Skinwalker has the power to read human thoughts, allowing
it to use the victim’s own fears and secrets against them. The Skinwalker has
the ability to control the minds of its victims, forcing them to comply with
whatever the Skinwalker may have in mind. The Skinwalker is also able to mimic
any human or animal sounds it chooses, perhaps using the voice of a loved one
to lure a potential victim out of his or her home. It may also use this ability
to distract homeowner so that it may steal property (like livestock) or to
escape. The Skinwalker is adept in the use of black magic, using charms,
chants, and spells to induce supernatural fear into its chosen victims, so that
it may manipulate them into doing the Skinwalker’s bidding. It may use this
ability to induce fear to curse its victims or even to kill them. It is
possible that the Skinwalker’s very presence induces supernatural fear into
both people and animals. The Skinwalker has a wide variety of weapons at its
disposal, in addition to the human shinbone bows and arrows mentioned earlier.
One of the most potent of these is a tiny bone pellet, which is fired from a
blowgun into a victim’s body. These pellets imbed themselves into the skin
without leaving so much as a mark, and afterwards causes sickness, social
misfortune, and eventual death. Bone dust, once again made from ground-up
infant bones, induces bodily paralysis and eventual heart failure. Another
spell that the Skinwalker uses to kill is done by acquiring some of its
victim’s hair, wrapping it around a potshard, and placing it into a tarantula’s
hole. Live rattlesnakes may be released into the victim’s dwelling or his bed,
causing him to grow sick and die from the rattlesnake’s bite. The Skinwalker also
loves to cause trouble between the world of the living and the realm of the
dead. The Skinwalker digs up a corpse, severs a finger or another small body
part, and hides it inside the home of the intended victim. The ghost of the
deceased will rise from the grave in search of its missing body part, and will
then haunt whoever possesses it. The home’s owners will be both confused and
terrified as to why this is happening to them.
The
Skinwalker is notoriously hard to kill, and defeating one requires the
assistance of a powerful shaman, who knows spells and rituals that can turn the
Skinwalker’s evil back upon itself. These medicine men charge an exorbitant fee
for their services, but most victims are more than willing to pay after being
unduly harassed by the Skinwalker. As for more mundane means, attempting to
shoot or otherwise kill one of these creatures is usually unsuccessful, as the
Skinwalker can use its magic to make guns jam, and can even stop the bullets in
mid-air. Even if the bullets do hit the Skinwalker, they may not have any
effect whatsoever. However, if the creature actually is wounded by chance and
manages to escape, a similar wound will appear on the Skinwalker’s human form.
In the Werewolf folklore of Europe, this phenomenon is known as sympathetic wounding. This leaves the
creature clearly marked and makes it vulnerable to discovery, and will be dealt
with according to tradition. If one knows who the Skinwalker truly is, he must
say “(name of the accused), you are a Skinwalker.” The witch will fall sick and
die within three days time. Similarly, if a Skinwalker is captured and the news
is broadcast, the witch will die within a year.
The
only way to kill a Skinwalker, according to Navajo legend, is to shoot the
creature with bullets that have been dipped into white ash (although some
legends say that silver will work as well). The bullets themselves must be hollowpoints, which are filled with white ash and then sealed with melted wax. Even then, the Skinwalker must be
shot through the neck while the witch is in animal form. The bullet will strike
the Skinwalker’s real head, and any shot that is aimed elsewhere will pass
harmlessly through the body. It is said that, if wounded, the Skinwalker will
bleed a yellow liquid instead of blood. However, there is a way to defeat the Skinwalker
without actually killing the creature, although if the attempt is successful,
it will surely prompt the witch’s revenge. The Skinwalker is able to speak
while in animal form, but it will not willingly do so because it may cause the
witch to permanently lose his powers. If one could trick the creature into
speaking while in animal form, it will reassume its human form and will be
unable to shapeshift ever again.
It
is said that sometimes the Skinwalker is invisible to human eyes, but it will
leave tracks that are larger than those of any natural beast. It is very bad
luck to cross over a Skinwalker’s tracks if the creature is in front of them –
one must step over them. As well as the creature’s eyes, the Skinwalker can be
distinguished from a real animal in that its tail hangs down and moves
constantly, while their ears move up and down constantly as well. The
Skinwalker’s eyes, as well as glowing when the creature is in human form and
vice-versa in animal form, are seen as mere slits in their masks. Against the
Skinwalker’s poison, the gall of an eagle, a bear, or a mountain lion are the
best remedies. Sweats will help rid oneself of the fear of Skinwalkers.
Sources
Arnold, Neil. Monster! The A-Z of Zooform Phenomena. Great Britain: CFZ Press. Copyright ©2007 by CFZ Press.
Brown, Nathan Robert. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Werewolves. New York: Penguin Group, Inc (USA). Copyright ©2009 by Nathan Robert Brown.
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Copyright ©2005 by Visionary Living, Inc.
Hall, Jamie. Half Human, Half Animal: Tales of Werewolves and Related Creatures. Bloomington, Indiana: 1st Books Library. Copyright ©2003 by Jamie Hall.
Kluckhohn, Clyde. Navajo Witchcraft. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press Books. Copyright ©1944 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Kriss, Marika. Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Skinwalkers (For the Millions Series). Los Angeles, California: Sherbourne Press, Inc. Copyright ©1972 by Marika Kriss.
O’Brien, Christopher. Stalking the Tricksters: Shapeshifters, Skinwalkers, Dark Adepts, and 2012. Kempton, Illinois: Adventures Unlimited Press. Copyright ©2009 by Christopher O’Brien.
Kelleher, Colm and George Knapp. "Skinwalkers - What Are They?" Rense.com. August 9, 2007. Accessed on February 25, 2017. <http://www.rense.com/general77/skin.htm>
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