Butterfly Boy Story

One day, K’aalógii Ashkii (Butterfly Boy) changed himself into a white butterfly to lure to Rain Boy’s wife and daughter from their home. He fluttered away four times and they ran to catch him. With his beauty, he led them far away to Chaco Canyon. When Rain Boy found his family gone, he rode on a bolt of lightning to find them. He challenged Butterfly Boy to a race from Chaco Canyon to Tsoodził (Mount Taylor) and back. Rain Boy won the race and struck Butterfly Boy with lightning from his axe. Butterfly Boy was killed with just one stroke, and from the crack in his skull flew all of the bright-winged butterflies of the world. Rain Boy told the butterflies they would no longer enter human minds with vanity and foolishness. However, people and other beings can still manipulate Butterfly songs and prayers to contaminate human minds. The Diné (Navajo) use ceremonies to bring people’s minds back to harmony and balance.