Flint Boys

Sketch of the face of Black God, the Navajo sky god who is depicted as a schematic sky map with a crescent moon on his forehead, the sun as his nose, and the line between them would represent the ecliptic astride where the Pleiades appear.

The Flint Boys is the name given to the Pleiades by the Navajo. According to Navajo myth, after the Earth was separated from the sky, Black God had a cluster of seven stars on his ankle.

Every time Black God stamped his foot, the Flint Boys would jump up to his knee, hip, shoulder and finally his forehead, where they remained.

This episode revealed to everybody that Black God was in charge of the sky. In fact, today, we still can see the Flint Boys, namely the Pleiades, high in the sky in autumn and winter.

Last modified March 27, 1997 by the Windows Team

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