Katchinas: America's Oldest Folklore

ΚΑΕ KATCHINA of ROMANCE KATCHINAS

“MANY years ago the Katch-inas came to visit the Hopis at this time of the year, when the snows melted and the ground was ready for the spring planting. They come to us from their homes far up in the San Francisco Peaks, and brought many gifts."They were called 'The Returned Katchi nas' because they came back to us after the long winter. Ahulani, the Father Katchina, came first with the bean sprouts and the seeds for the planting. Then came the Soyol maidens with their baskets of blue and yellow corn for the planting. These gifts were given to the women. There were many other Katchinas; some with gifts for the children, and others with Pahoos, or prayer-sticks for the men.

"This was many years ago. My father's father told him of how the Katchinas came each year and of the feasting and dancing that followed their coming. I have never seen them nor have the other Hopis, but if we do right and honor the Katchinas, some day they may return to us."

The old Hopi had finished his dissertation. He settled back on his heels and drew his blanket closer about himself, as if to shut out all contact with the outer world. Thus he sat gazing out across the splendor of the Painted Desert, maybe dreaming of the time when the Katchinas might return.

The cultured Hopi Indians of northern Arizona cling to the faith of their fore-fathers and honor their forefathers' Gods. These Gods are referred to as Katchinas. Some of the lesser Gods are not Katchinas to the Hopis, but "Go-Betweens" who carry their prayers and messages to the Katchinas.

There are many clans in the Hopi nation, and each one has its own Katchinas. Most clans take their names from incidents pertaining to animal or plant life of the desert. Others, such as the Clan of the Rain-Cloud, take their names from the elements of nature. Children belong to their mother's clan. Thus if a child's mother belongs tothe Bean Clan and the father belongs to the Antelope Clan, the child will belong to the Bean Clan. It will be taught the songs and dances of the clan and honor the clan's Katchinas.

Homage is paid to the Katchinas in two different ways, by carving images in their likeness and by dancing the colorful ceremonial Katchina dances honoring them.

In the month of February the men of the Hopi nation carve from the roots of the cottonwood images to represent the Katchinas. These images are of different sizes. They are painted with bright colors and decorated with downy feathers. These are "made for the trade" as one Katchina-maker said to me. The artisan who makes the Katchina knows well which is represented. The Hopis can usually tell which it is from the head-dress, but the tourist seldom lingers long enough to learn the fascinating legend that is woven around the Katchina he has purchased. About the walls of the Hopi homes hang the other Katchinas, which are not for sale. These are the Katchinas of their clan and are looked upon with something akin to ancestral reverence. Usually they hang indoors, but one, the Katchina of the Hunt, always hangs outside, to protect the home. On one occasion I heard a polite inquiry from a stranger as to whether these Katchinas were for sale. This reply came from the host, "We would not sell our children, nor would we sell our clan Katchinas, for they, too, are part of our family."

America's Oldest Folklore

The dances honoring the Katchinas are of far greater significance than the carved figures. These dances come at various times. The Hopi calendar follows the seasons, much the same as our own calendar. The dances in turn take on the nature of the seasons. In the spring come the dances of planting, in the summer the dances for rain and good crops, in the fall the dances of har vest, and in autumn and winter the dances of pleasure.

The Katchinas, reverenced by the Hopis, may be divided into two groups, the Ancient and the Modern Katchinas. The Ancient Katchinas, or Wuwu-koti (meaning old mask) are never seen in ceremonies today. When the last surviving dancer of the tribe is dying, he gives his masks or head-dress to some friendly clan. They are hung away, and treated with reverence befitting their antiquity, but never again are they seen in the dance. Among the most important old masks are the Calako, or Giants, representing the Sun God. Bear Honan is an Ancient Katchina of Walpi.

The Katchinas which are seen in the dances today are the Modern Katchinas. They are so numerous they defy classification. Tribes coming to join the Hopis bring their Katchinas with them. In this way new ones are constantly added to the Hopi ritual. A Hopi visiting a Rio Grande or Zuni village may bring home a Katchina he sees and admires. He may adopt it as one of his clan Katchinas, and introduces it in a dance. Thus additions are constantly being made to the category of Hopi Katchinas. Recently a Hopi returned to his home mesa, from Zuni, and brought a Cat Katchina with him, which was given the name of Soyowa. A Cactus Katchina was recently adopted in a similar manner.

A most recent addition to the Hopi Pantheon, is the Cow Katchina. The dance honoring this Katchina is a pleasure dance. I had the pleasure of seeing the dance, and making sketches of it at the village of Moenkopi. Never have I seen anything in the nature of dance that could compare with the rare beauty of this dance.

We were seated on the ground in front of one of the adobe houses, which surround the plaza. Anxiously we were awaiting the dance, when our attention was called to a faint sound, like the mooing of cows. As we listened it grew louder, and finally into the plaza danced the Cow Katchinas. Some twenty or thirty of them. Their soft white buck-skin shirts, blowing in the breeze, were a strong contrast to the shining brown of their naked bodies. They were elaborately jeweled with rich silver and turquoise. About their necks they wore deep ruffs of cedar, and these supported fanciful masks, fashioned to imitate the head of a cow. Each dancer wore one of the exquisite white woven ceremonial sashes, embroidered in colors.

"In the month of February the men of the Hopi nation carve from the roots of the cottonwood, images to represent the Katchinas. These images are of different sizes. They are painted with bright colors and decorated with downy feathers. These are 'made for the trade.' . . ."

In their arms they carried gifts for their friends. These gifts were: rolls of colored piki (Hopi bread), loaves of white bread, sacks of dried peaches, and melons fresh from the melon-patch. They placed their gifts upon the ground and started the dance.

The dancers followed in a long line behind the leader chanting in low rhythmical voices to the drum accompaniment. The rattles in their hands took up the rhythm of the chant, and soon their feet moved in perfect unison forward and backward, around and around. The dancers carried canes which they used to imitate the forelegs of a cow. At a signal from the leader they circled the plaza twice, then dispersed with hilarity to present their gifts.

One dancer carrying two apparently wellfilled sacks, stopped directly in front of me. He was looking up on the house tops to locate the friend to whom he wished to toss the sacks. This gave me an opportunity to make a rough sketch, which later developed into a water-color picture, the Cow Katchina.

So impressed were we with the beauty of this dance that we lingered to see it repeated. Like most of the Hopi dances, it is repeated at intervals throughout the entire day, from sun up to sun down.

I considered it a privilege to have seen this dance, and I agree with America's great dancer, Ted Shawn, who said, "There is no place in the world, where one can see men dance with such perfection, as in the Hopi villages of the Painted Desert, for here they put a life time into the perfection of their art."

In the spring of the year about the Eastertime, come the Hummingbird Katchinas in their colorful dance, presenting gifts to the children. The blue-green shades of the Humming Bird predominate in their costumes. The head-dress is globulous in shape, with a bundle of feathers on top which represents the swift flight of the Humming Bird. A long beak attached to the mask, represents the beak of a Humming Bird. The ruffs about their necks are of feathers, and about their ankles are bound the sacred cedar twigs.

The Katchinas come dancing into the square, carrying in their arms gifts for the children. They place them upon the ground and follow their leader through the intricate steps of their dance. Among the spectators are many eager-eyed children waiting anxiously, and wondering if the Katchinas are looking upon them with favor.

At the end of the dance, the gifts are given. The boys receive bows and arrows. They value them highly, as it is an indication that they will become skillful hunters. The girls receive carved Katchina figures. Each little Hopi girl receives four Katchina figures. When she is one year old she receives a Mother Katchina, which will protect her through life, as a guardain angel which will protect her through life, as a guardian angel which makes her strong of body, and gives her the ability to work rapidly. At the age of three she is given the Katchina that teaches her to dance with grace. The Katchina she receives when she is four is the Katchina of the Cow-Girl Romance. This Katchina insures her a successful romance.

There is a traditional legend about the Cow-Girl Katchina. She was a Hopi maid from Oraibi, who married a man from the northeast on the Painted Desert. She went with him to live among his people, who made her the beautiful white woven garments. Each year in February, on her way to the San Francisco Peaks, she passes through Oraibi, at the time of the Bean Dance. She comes in the early morning and sings the songs of the far east as she passes through the village. At sunrise she reaches the kiva, where she sings a blessing on the romance of the Hopi maidens. The priests bring to her gifts from the kiva, then, singing her song of departure, she leaves, promising to return the following year.

Today the buffalo is extinct form the Hopi's hunting ground, but not from the grateful memory of the Indians. It was the very useful friend of their Ancestors. From its hides they made their clothing and moccasins. From its sinews they made their bow-strings, and the meat of the buffalo provided food for them.

Even to this day, the men of the buffalo clan dance the buffalo dance in honor of the friend of their fore-fathers. They don their boots and loin cloths of white buck-skin, with silver and red trappings. They wear a head dress fashioned from the head of the buffalo. Carrying their bows and arrows, they perform a dance that follows the movement of the buffalo in a dramatic manner. This dance occurs in late summer and is a fore-runner of the hunting season.

The Hopi children are treated with great kindness and understanding. For this reason, seldom do they need to be reprimanded. In case they do need it, they have a Katchina for this purpose, which the children fear much as children fear the goblins. This Katchina comes to the mesa, and dances through the village with long yucca whips. With these he punishes the children who have done wrong. Sometimes he carries a sack upon his back, and threatens to carry them away, if they do not promise to be good. This Katchina comes to the Hopis from the Zuni origin.

The famous Snake Dance, which is recognized as the greatest of all tribal dances, is preceded by a dance of unusual charm, the Antelope Dance. This graceful dance is danced by the men of the Antelope Clan. It is founded on an old Hopi legend. Many years ago, a priest of the Antelope clan was bitten by a rattle snake. The medicine men of the clan despaired of his life. Hearing of this, the friendly chief of the Snake clan interceded, and saved the life of the Antelope priest. Ever since, in grateful appreciation, the Antelope Priests dance, preceding the Snake Dance, in honor of the Snake clan as well as their own clan.

This legend of the Corn Maidens comes from the mesa of Walpi, and is told by an old medicine man of the tribe.

"Many years ago, two Hopi girls who were friends from childhood, were chosen to become Corn Maidens. One was to be the Blue Corn Maiden, and one the Yellow Corn Maiden. The Blue Corn Maiden possessed bad magic so, since they both loved the same Hopi boy, she decided to do away with her rival. One morning as usual they went to the spring at the foot of the mesa to fill their waterContinued on Page 39