In Navajo folklore, the coyote is considered the most mischievous, yet pleasant animals. It is said that the animal is cunning and deceptive, working off of tricks to fool those he comes in contact with. Legend says that the animal cannot be killed as he is not only considered a god, but also because he is far too powerful. The tale of the origin of the Navajos is one that is deeply rooted in mythology all on its own. Although it is not history in the literal sense, it is history from the Navajo perspective on where they came from. The stories of their ancestry are often told as oral history. It is believed their origin began in the First World. Here, the world is enveloped in darkness. With that, the Dine moved forward through different stages into the present world in which they now live.
In the dark world, the moisture, mist, and the darkness were prominent. And in the mists, the four directional points (north, south, east, west) became associated with it. After the four points, the connections to the four main colors (black, white, yellow, blue) became present. Spiritual beings and insect-like people resided in this world as well. The Ant People were the first being to live in this world. The spiritual beings that also lived in the world of darkness included the Water Spirit or Water Monster, Fish People, and Underwater People. As time went on, additional Holy Beings lived in the realm of the first world. Although they were created by the mist, they still carried human attributes. It was here that the First Man, First Woman, First Boy, First Girl, Black God, Talking God, Hogan God, and Coyote emerged. As the story goes, a universal language connected them, allowing them to communicate. But soon disagreements arose and the beings were told to leave through an exit to the east, taking all their issues with them. From here, they moved on to the Blue World where they met with blue jays, bluebirds, and blue herons along with other animals such as mountain lions, wolves, foxes, badgers, and bobcats. Like the First World though, conflict soon took a foothold and once again, the beings were asked to leave, this time going south, bringing their issues with them. As the beings moved into the Yellow World, they soon met other animals such as snakes, squirrels, mice, deer, turkeys, and spider people. But as with the previous worlds, their troubles arose once more leading to problems and frequent bickering. With that, the First Man and the First Woman were separated and placed on separate sides of the river. The women, however, were not as skilled at hunting as the men. Starving and begging to return, the women returned to the men within four years. The reuniting of the two genders sparked Coyote's mischievous nature and as a result, he stole the Water Spirit's baby. Water Spirit became infuriated and created a big flood. The people escaped after their friend, the Locust, led them out of a giant reed, one by one. As they emerged from the waters, the people found themselves in the present world. Various stories put the people at either the mountains of Colorado or near Durango.