Drawings of kachina dolls, Plate 11 from an 1894 anthropology book Dolls of the Tusayan Indians by Jesse Walter Fewkes.
In the belief of the Pueblo Indians of southwestern United States, the kachina is the masked spirit of nature, or the spirit of the ancestors of the Hopi , Zuni and other Pueblo peoples. The Kachina is asked to act as a mediator between the gods and the people and cause rain to fall on the earth. Kachinas are primarily known as colorful carved dolls.
List of Hopi Kachinas[]
Within the kachina spiritual tradition, there are hundreds of kachina, and each falls into different category according to their purpose:
Ogres[]
The ogre kachinas include:
- Giant Ogre (Chaveyo)
- Natask (Black Ogre)
- Ogre Woman
- Ogre Soyok’mana
Guards or Warriors (Tuwalakum)[]
The guard or warrior kachinas include:
- Crow Man (Angwus)
- Broadface (Wuyak-kuita)
- Wupamo (Also a Chief kachina)
- Hilili (Also a Whipper kanchina)
- Warrior Maiden (He-e-e or He-wuhti)
Runner (Wawash)[]
The Runner kachinas include:
- Fox
- Road Runner (Hospoa)
- Rattle Runner (Aya)
- Red Kilt Runner (Palavitkuna)
- Squash (Patung)
- Chili Pepper (Tsil)
- Sikya Heheya
Chief (Mongwi)[]
The Chief kachinas include:
- Wupamo (also a Guard)
- Mastop
- Aholi
- Red Tail Hawk (Palakwayo)
Female (Momoyam)[]
The female kachinas include:
- Butterfly Maiden (Palhik)
- Corn Maiden (Corn Mana)
- White Corn maiden (Angak china Mana or Kocha Mana)
- Kachina Maiden (Hoho Mana), a Zuni kachina
- Warrior Maiden (He-e-e or He-wuhti)
- Cloud Maiden
Animal (Popkot)[]
The Animal kachinas include:
- Antelope (Chop/Sowi-ing)
- Fox Dancer
- Great Horned Owl (Mongwu)
- White Bear (Hon)
- Turkey (Koyona)
- Deer Dancer (Sowi-ingwa)
- Badger
- Cow (Wakas)
- Buffalo
- Owl
Other Kachinas[]
- Clowns
- Crow Mother
- Hemis
- Masau
- Scorpion (Puchkofmoktaka)
- Cricket (Susöpa)
- Sun Kachina (Tawa)
List of Zuni Kachinas[]
Religious ceremonies are central to the Zuni agrarian society. They revolve around the winter and summer solstices, incorporate the importance of weather, especially rain, and ensure successful crops. According to Tanner, "Father Sky and Mother Earth are venerated, as are the welcome kachinas who bring many blessings."
- Chakwaina
- Kyanakwe
- Shalako
- Patung
- Toho
| Hopi mythology | |
|---|---|
| Main Gods | God of the Spring (Aholi) • Spirit of Plants (Angak China Mana) • Spirit of Weather (Eototo) • War Spirit (Hototo) • Spirit of Food (Karwan) • God of Fertility (Kokopelli) • Spirit of Food (Mana) • Spirit of Bees (Momo) • Spirit of Discipline (Nataska) • God of Creation (Sotuknang) • God of Creation (Taiowa) • Sun god (Tawa) |
| Main Goddesses | Goddess of Creation (Huruing Wuhti) • Spider Goddess of Creation (Kokyangwuti) • Butterfly Maiden (Palhik Mana) |
| Ogres | Giant Ogre (Chaveyo) • Black Ogre (Nataska) • Ogre Woman (Soyok Wuhti) • Ogre (Soyok’mana) |
| Guards (Tuwalakum) | Crow Man (Angwus) • Broadface (Wuyak-kuita) • Wupamo (Also a Chief kachina)• Hilili (Also a Whipper kanchina)• Warrior Maiden (He-e-e or He-wuhti) |
| Runners (Wawash) | Fox • Road Runner (Hospoa) • Rattle Runner (Aya) • Red Kilt Runner (Palavitkuna) • Squash (Patung) • Chili Pepper (Tsil) • Sikya Heheya |
| Chiefs (Mongwi) | Wupamo (also a Guard) • Mastop • Aholi • Red Tail Hawk (Palakwayo) |
| Females (Momoyam) | Butterfly Maiden (Palhik Mana) • Corn Maiden (Kachin Mana) • White Corn maiden (Angak Chin Mana or Kocha Mana) • Warrior Maiden (He-e-e or He-wuhti) • Cloud Maiden (Shalako Mana) • Grandmother (Hahai-i Wuhti) |
| Animals (Popkot) | Antelope (Chop/Sowi-ing) • Fox Dancer (Letaiyo) • Great Horned Owl (Mongwu) • White Bear (Hon) • Turkey (Koyona) • Deer Dancer (Sowi-ingwa) • Badger (Honan) • Cow (Wakas) • Buffalo (Mosairu) • White Buffalo (Köcha Mosairu) |
| Laughter | Kwikwilyaqa • Hopi Clowns (Koshari) |
| Other Kachinas | Crow Mother (Angwus-hahai-ie) • Hemis • Masau • Scorpion (Puchkofmoktaka) • Cricket (Susöpa) • Spotted Corn (Avachhoya) • Eagle (Kwahu) • Lizard (Manangya) |