When the character, Mąʼii, was introduced in Rebecca Roanhorse’s Trail of Lightning, I was instantly intrigued. As someone who takes great interest in folklore, I had already known that Coyote spirits were considered to be great tricksters in Indigenous cultures. However, with the way that Roanhorse writes Mąʼii, the spirit seemed much more helpful than deceitful—that is, until the end of the novel. Because of this, I was interested in looking further at the role of Coyotes in Navajo stories as well as their symbolism in the modern day.
In an article titled Coyote in Navajo Religion and Cosmology that was published in The Canadian Journal of Native Studies VII, author Guy H. Cooper describes coyotes as “a key figure in Navajo mythology” (Cooper 181). In the Navajo creation myth, the coyote is responsible for floods, the creation of death, scattering stars in the sky, and “generally poking his nose into everyone’s business” (182). This is not dis-similar to Roanhorse’s depiction of the coyote. In fact, Roanhorse’s fictional universe is created due to a massive ecological flood wiping out most of society. Her coyote character visits Maggie Hoskie to provide information regarding the location of the ‘fire drill’, completely unprompted. In addition to this, it is revealed at the end of the novel that Mąʼii is the one who is responsible for controlling all of the monsters, even the one that killed Maggie’s grandmother. These monsters, who are supernatural and typically ‘undead’ beings fall in-line with Navajo myth as coyotes have an “association with evil and witchcraft” (183). However, coyotes are also seen as helpful spirits. They are credited with giving humans the ability to create fire as well as killing off harmful creatures (FractalEnlightenment.com). Therefore, it is not entirely unlikely that Maggie would have accepted aid from Mąʼii.
In the modern era, many Navajo individuals believe coyotes to be omens of bad luck. According to FractalEnlightenment.com, “If coyote crosses your path, you must not continue your journey as he is considered a symbol of unfortunate events to befall you in future” (FractalEnlightenment.com). This adds a whole new level of nuance to Roanhorse’s novel. Readers who are familiar with Navajo coyote mythology would be able to recognize the character, Mąʼii, as a foreshadowing element to the later decision that Maggie must make with Neizghání between killing Kai or being killed. The coyote offers information and a side quest, but there is always a catch. To compare this to something from an Eastern culture, the role of coyotes in Navajo myth reminds me of fox spirits in Japan. These spirits, called Kitsune, are supernatural beings that are always looking to strike a bargain. They will take advantage of prideful samurai, outsmart greedy businessmen, and abuse Buddhist monks. As Kitsune grows older, they grow more wise, and they are always looking to trick someone into striking a deal with them. Japan even has its own version of rock-paper-scissors involving Kitsune, titled kitsune-ken, where the village chief beats the gun, the gun beats the fox, and the fox beats the chief (MetMuseum.org). The closest thing that I could find to an Indigenous version of this game online is one called Cow-Dog-Tuk Tuk, but even the research behind that is spotty.
Providing context to literature can be extremely important and helpful, at times. It can add a cultural perspective to our readings, and allow us to synthesize information in a completely different way. Had individuals been educated on Indigenous folklore and animal symbolisms, Rebecca Roanhorse’s Train of Lightning could house new meanings.
Works Cited
Cooper, Guy H. “Coyote in Navajo Religion and Cosmology.” The Canadian Journal of Native
Studies VII, 2 (1987): 181-193. https://academics.lmu.edu/media/lmuacademics/cures/urbanecolab/module12/Coyote%20Mythology%20M12.L1.pdf
Ravenheart, Jules. “More than Just a Trickster: The Many Faces of the Coyote.” Fractal
Enlightenment, 18 Jan. 2018, https://fractalenlightenment.com/40732/culture/just-trickster-many-faces-coyote.
“Young Women Playing Kitsune-Ken (Fox Game).” Metmuseum.org,
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