So I was trying to find out the scoop on this song or Native American chant.Yeha-Noha (Wishes of Happiness and Prosperity), by Sacred Spirit (wiki says German).
Album: Chants and Dances of the Native Americans
Sung by Navajo elder Kee Chee Jake from Chinle, Arizona.
Primal stuff.
Listen to the entire album at
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Wiki says Yeha-Noha is in reference to a Navajo Shoe Game song which was part of an origin myth or something.
Poorly written, so I'm unsure about that.
Other references say it is part of the Enemy Way Chant, which is a healing song sung to cleanse and heal Navajos.
Maybe it's a combination of all of that.
LINKS and INFO:
Sacred Spirit at wiki
Yeha-Noha at wiki
The song is a remixed version of a portion of the Navajo Shoe Game song (a part of the origin myth describing a game played among the day and night animals in which the animals who discovered in which shoe a yucca ball was hidden would win a permanent state of daylight or night.) The song describes the Giant's (Yé'iitsoh) lament at the owl's attempt to cheat by stealing the ball. The audible portions of the song say:
shaa ninánóh'aah (you give it back to me)
Yé'iitsoh jinínáá léi' (... The Giant says again & again...)
ninánóh'aah (...give it back)
YouTube with history
This chant is part of the Enemy Way Chant or as called in the Navajo language: Ndaa'. It is a healing song sung to cleanse and heal Navajos, often warriors who have come in contact with ghosts, and it is meant to be sung *ONLY* by a Medicine Man of the Navajo Nation.
COMMENT
This song is about coyote and a giant (Yei So) at a shoe game, and the giant has the abillity to cheat. But some where along the way the giant loses the ability to cheat and starts to cry and want to try a again. its part of the navajo origin storys.
Navajo_people at wiki
Possible causes of ailments could be the result of violating taboos. Contact with lightning-struck objects, exposure to taboo animals such as snakes, and contact with the dead are some of reasons for healing. Protection ceremonies, especially the Blessing Way Ceremony, are used for Navajos that leave the boundaries of the four sacred mountains, and is used extensively for Navajo warriors or soldiers going to war. Upon re-entry, there is an Enemy Way Ceremony, or Nidáá', performed on the person, to get rid of the evil things in his/her body, and to restore balance in his/her life. This is also important for Navajo warriors/soldiers returning from battle. Warriors or soldiers often suffer spiritual or psychological damage from participating in warfare, and the Enemy Way Ceremony helps restore harmony to the person, mentally and emotionally.
BEST LINK and INFO:
Wolves ~ Yeha Noha by Sacred Spirit and Enigma
Video
Beautiful footage of wolves set to the Native American chant,"Yeha Noha" ~ Wishes of Happiness and Prosperity ~
Lyrics:
ah-uh nayah oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day can-non non noha (noha)
ah-uh nayah oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day yeha-noha (noha)
ah-uh nayay tor-shna nena-nay-yayah
nena-nay-yay yeha-noha (noha)
ah-uh nayay tor-shna nena-nay-yayah
yeha-noha (noha)
nee-yoh-wah nee-yoh
nee-yoh-wah nee-yoh
ah-uh nayah oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day can-non non noha (noha)
ah-uh nayah oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day oh-wa oh-wa
shon-day yeha-noha (noha)
ah-uh nayay tor-shna nena-nay-yayah
nena-nay-yay yeha-noha (noha)
ah-uh nayay tor-shna nena-nay-yayah
yeha-noha (noha)
The words above are lyrics to the international hit Yeha-Noha (Wishes Of Happiness And Prosperity). This chant is part of the Enemy Way Chant or called in the Navajo language 'Ndaa'. It is a healing song sung to cleanse and heal Navajos, often warriors who have come in contact with ghosts. Navajo veterans of the United States Armed Forces use this ceremony to purify themselves after returning from the service. The chant is sung to cleanse and heal warriors, often to a family member or loved one and is to simply wish them happiness and prosperity.
The title itself is interesting. The 'h' in Yeha is actually pronounced with an 'n' so instead of saying Yeha-Noha, it is pronounced as if saying "Yena-Noha."
This song is only supposed to be sung by a medicine man of the Navajo Nation. Kee Chee Jake is a singer of traditional Navajo songs and his voice is also heard on track 2 of Sacred Spirit with the song: Tor-Cheney-Nahana (Winter Ceremony). His vocals are featured again in "Sacred Spirit II, More Chants And Dances Of The Native Americans", on track 6: Yane-Heja-Hee.
Yane-Heja-Hee is also another winter ceremony song. Other Kee Chee Jake vocals are heard on "Navajo Songs From Canyon De Chelly," and "Brule One Nation: A Tribal Gathering Of Voices."
Reminds me of:
Return to Innocence
8 comments:
I read that you are unsure about it being a Navajo Shoe Game song. It is actually!
Sacred Spirits came out saying the chants were authentic traditional Native American chants. Oh please! When I first hear Yeha-Noha, they took our Shoe Game song and twisted sacred chants to what you hear on the song!
I think the reason why they did that is because it was to prevent the actual chant from being sung! Only Navajos going to a traditional Shoe Game song will hear the actual chant to this song!
Don't get me wrong! I LOVE the song, but I wish the record labed and The Fearsome Brave (Claus Zundel) would have admitted the chant was not original, but was remixed for the song.. Instead they came out saying it was authentic and traditional chant..
Yeha-Noha (Wishes Of Happiness And Prosperity)????
REALLY???
The title should have read:
Yeha-Noha (Shoe Game Song)
Ha! Ha! Everyone was dupped!!!!
It's a Shoe Game Song I've been hearing for all my life on the Navajo Reservation!!!!
Do you have some information about Tor-Cheney-Nahana (Winter Ceremony)? I've found some information that it was related with animals, which they imitate, but I'm not sure because it was several years ago.
I write it there, because maybe it helps someone to find exact lyrics.
Chorus of tor-cheney-nahana:
he ya na ya yan ha ya ne
he ya ne ya ne he
yan de he ya ne i e
yan de he ya ne i e
he ya na ya yan ha ya ne
he ya ne ya ne he
o gu ne ta dan da
o gu ne ta dan da
It is very interesting that in Lakota there is something similar:
Tan yan yahee ya
(lo-ending for male; yea-ending for female) = Welcome, I am glad to see you.
- See more at: http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8577#sthash.jAc2GRok.dpuf
Greetings from Brazil. Thank You for the information.
Greetings from Brazil. Thank You for the information.
I just heard this song last night on a 78 put out on Canyon Records by NAT AY, side 3 of 8, titled 'Squaw Dance.' It sounded haughtingly famialiar...but a little bit different, even though I haven't heard it in this lifetime.(the title gives away the fact that it was changed up a bit so as not to bottle up the healing spirit- I dream of hearing the shoe game song for real, if even from afar. If you google NAT AY doing this song, it comes up a real funny joke, jumbled rantings-articles about money you have to figure out your way past to get to the good stuff) I listened to it, stomping around on the off-beat for four hours, only stopping to move the needle back. Now I remember what it is about, and why I can relate. Thank you so much!ryukusu, your lyrics help; but, I still can't sing it right. Probably cause I'm not Navajo. Wow, it is such an amazing song!
I love this song but was a bit disappointed that it was a shoe game song about the night animals vs the day animals. I think when I first heard it it spoke to me about happiness, prosperity as was suggested. But you know, I like the fact that it’s a traditional song and has been sung for hundreds of years. I still appreciate the song and it’s beautiful in both ways.
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