Navajo Spirits
Post by Kristy McCaffrey
The Navajo, from the southwestern region
of the United States, believe a chindi is the ghost of an individual who
has died. It is the part of that person that was imbalanced, or unreconciled,
with the Universe. The Navajo believe that it’s best for death to occur
outdoors, since this was the best way to disperse the chindi. If a
person died within a homestead, or hogan, it was abandoned after the death; the
chindi would likely be trapped inside the dwelling.
A skinwalker, or yee naaldlooshii,
is a medicine man who has chosen to use his powers for evil. Navajo don’t like
to speak of them for fear of retribution, believing them to move among their
people undetected. Skinwalkers have the ability to transform into animals or
other people. They often take the form of coyote, owl, fox, wolf or crow.
Some Navajo taboos:
-Do not mention a dead person’s name or
the ghost may come and haunt you.
-Do not say chindi (evil spirit)
or one will come to you.
-Do not let a strange dog follow close
behind or you may turn into a wolf man. The dog might be a skinwalker.
Works Cited
Navajo Central. <http://www.navajocentral.org/navajotaboos/taboos_ghosts.html>.
Navajo Legends. <http://www.navajolegends.org/navajo-skinwalker-legend/>.
Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindi>.
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In Kristy McCaffrey’s new historical
western romance, INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS, Ethan Barstow and Kate Kinsella
enter the land of the Navajo, haunted by spirits and a desire neither of them
expects.
Stop by Kristy’s website to enter her
contest. Share your favorite book or books and be eligible to win a $25 Amazon
gift card. Winner announced on Christmas Day.
Website: http://kristymccaffrey.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/McCaffreyKristy
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The Book
Ethan Barstow has come to Arizona
Territory to search for his younger brother, Charley. It’s been five years
since a woman came between them and it’s high time they buried the hatchet. He
soon learns that his brother has broken more than one heart in town, has
mysteriously and abruptly disappeared, and that an indignant fiancée is hot on
his trail.
Kate Kinsella pursues Charley Barstow
when he skips out of town without a second thought. Not only has he left Agnes
McPherson alone and pregnant, but everyone still believes that he and Kate are
engaged, a sham from the beginning. An ill-timed encounter with a group of
ruffians has her suddenly in the company of Ethan Barstow, Charley’s brother
and a man of questionable repute. As they move deeper into the shadows of the
Arizona desert, family tensions and past tragedies threaten to destroy a
relationship neither of them expects.
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Enjoy an Excerpt
Kate wondered how far she’d get on foot
before the man standing a few feet away caught her and did God-knew-what.
Ethan Barstow.
Of all her bad luck. She had never met
the man, but Charley’s recollections of his brother filled her head. Liar.
Swindler. Killer.
“You must be Charley’s fiancée,” he said,
watching her closely, his gaze dark.
Swell. He knew who she was. She nodded,
deciding now wasn’t the time to share the truth about her and Charley's
relationship. Instinct told her she needed to ditch Mister Barstow, but losing
the donkey was a bit of a problem. Maybe she could find the animal herself on
foot. But what if the three buffoons who’d stolen her horse were still out
there?
“I arrived in Flagstaff three days ago
looking for Charley,” Ethan said. “I was told he’d left town unexpectedly so
I’ve been trailing him. I take it you don’t know where he is, either?”
She cleared her throat. “No, I don’t.”
“Is there some reason why he wouldn’t
tell you where he was going?”
Well, it’s not me, but Agnes he didn’t
tell. It was far too
complicated to explain, least of all to this man, so she uttered, “We’ve had a
bit of a misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, Charley and I’ve had a bit of a
misunderstanding as well,” Ethan said quietly, almost to himself.
Kate plastered the biggest smile she
could onto her face. “I think I’ll just go look for that donkey myself. I
really don’t want to be a bother to you.”
She moved past the man who was a dead
ringer for Charley, possessing the same angular cheek bones and long nose, the
same dark hair, the same lean build as her fiancé. Her fiancé! What a
ridiculous mess that was. There had been a time, far back in the beginning of
her acquaintance with Charley, when she’d found him attractive and fun. It had
been short-lived, especially once Agnes entered the picture. Now, she was
face-to-face with a man much like Charley, but while his eyes had been green
and his demeanor inviting, Ethan’s eyes were blue, almost gray, like a lake
frozen over.
There were other differences, as well,
and none of them flattered Ethan. He was a man who had killed other men, and
Kate knew she would never find anything appealing in that.
“Hang on a minute,” he said. His hand
wrapped around her forearm to stop her—a large, warm hand. “I don’t suppose you
have any idea who I am since Charley and I haven’t spoken in over five years,
but I came to Flagstaff to hopefully put the past in the past. I came to see if
Charley and I could bury our differences. The least I can do is to help you
find him, especially since we’ll be kin one day.”
She made the mistake of looking into his
eyes. Up close, she could see flecks of gold buried within the blue, and a few
wrinkles in the skin around the edges of his eyes. It must be her imagination that
he seemed the slightest bit more friendly. Charley had charm and it would seem
Ethan did as well, although Kate sensed it wasn’t without shadows.
A killer of men would undoubtedly have
many shadows to keep him company.
She couldn’t think of how to reply. The last thing she wanted was company, and
least of all Ethan’s company. She’d find her damned fiancé herself.
“Yes, it would make sense to look
together.” So much for thinking fast on her feet. Her brother, Owen, had always
said she was a little slow off the mark. It would seem he was right.
“You can ride Brandy,” Ethan said as he
released her arm.
He moved to his other horse and began
untying the bags of supplies he’d brought with him. He moved the largest
satchel to his horse and tied several knots swiftly to anchor it in place. Kate
chewed her lip. She could just make a run for it. The only after-effect of her
fall from the donkey was a splitting headache—her legs were perfectly fine. But
Ethan would probably chase her down. And then, he’d wonder what was wrong with
her. And then, maybe he’d just shoot her in the back if he decided she wasn’t
worth the trouble.
The image horrified her. Perhaps she
should at least be civil to the man, to ward off her immediate murder. An
opportunity for escape would surely present itself.
She had a plan. This was good. Her plan
was to make small talk with Charley’s brother, then run for her life when she
got the chance.
Copyright © 2013 K. McCaffrey LLC
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Meet the Author
Kristy McCaffrey has been writing since
she was very young, but it wasn’t until she was a stay-at-home mom that she
considered becoming published. Born and raised in Arizona, she writes Old West
romances to capture the landscapes that were such a big part of her childhood.
Her first novel, The Wren, was a CAPA winner for Best New Author
Traditional. The Sparrow was the 2012 Winter Rose Winner in the
Published Historical Division. She lives in the Arizona desert with her
husband, where they frequently remove (rescue) rattlesnakes from their
property. Her four teenaged children are in varying stages of flying the nest,
so her two chocolate labs—Ranger and Lily—are the recipients of her maternal
instincts these days.
I love this post, Kristy! Thank you so much for sharing, and for visiting the blog. Congratulations on your new release!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting blog. I really enjoyed your article. Your new release looks like a great story and I love the fantastic cover, too.
ReplyDeleteI wish you every success.