- Eagle observed and saw the spirits never fully opened the boxes in fear the contents would escape.
- Because of the hunger, they stole the boxes, waiting until nightfall to do so.
- Eagle let Coyote carry the boxes, only if he promised not to open them.
- Eagle was suspicious of Coyote for good reason. As soon as Coyote got a hold of the boxes he opened them
- Moon and Sun escaped, fleeing to the highest parts of the sly out of reach.
- Eagle was furious they would be at the mercy of the moon and sun.
CanineHybrid. "Animated Short: Coyote and Eagle steal the Sun and Moon." Video. Youtube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 30 March 2016.
- Moon created winter instead of year round summer.
- Created night and day in the world.
Explanatory
2. What does Hopi mythology history say about what kind of people they were?
Coyote and the Boxes
- Have a history of running back and following tradition even if they have strayed from the past.
- Coyote traveled long and far looking for food with no luck.
- Asked for the help of the Eagle in order to survive.
Heroes
- Very religiously oriented people who follow closely to practices and beliefs.
- Needed Coyotes nose and Eagles eyes to catch enough prey for both in the world of dark.
- Skeptically, Eagle agreed.
In Hopi culture and mythology, there were no specified heroes. The Kachina spirits, which were highly worshiped, were seen as the hero figures.
- Oppose slavish labor, leading them to live a simplistic lifestyle.
- Coyote grew angry because of the little luck.
- Coyote and Eagle eventually came upon a village of spirits who were gathered around 2 boxes.
- Shows the extravagance in their beliefs and imagination with the legends they have.
- Kind, peace wanting people based on myths, neighboring tribes, and documented history.
- Eagle watched as they opened the boxes, on for less light and one for more.
- Coyote wanted to steal these boxes, while Eagle only wanted to borrow them.
Death
A Journey to the skeleton house
- Chiefs son was curious of what became of the dead.
- Badger Old Man (Medicine Man) helped to ready the boy for a mock death by dressing the boy in a white kilt, and blacken his chin with toho, and a small Eagle feather tied to his forehead.
- The young boy ate the medicine and "died". The medicine made him go far away almost as if he was dead, so he could discover the afterlife.
- The skeleton clouds give the rain the Hopi dance and pray for.
- The dead live poorly in the dark, carrying burdens on their backs and heads.
- Boy say road westward to Skeleton house.
- Must stay on road to Skeleton house or punishment and delay will come.
- No one should ever desire to travel to the land of the dead too early.
- Came upon a man who showed him how to fly on his kilt to the Skeleton house.
- After the boy learned all this information, he traveled back to the land of the living to share of his findings.
- Before his arrival at the house, he came upon Skeleton Woman who instructs him of what happens to the wicked.
- Came to the village of Skeletons where are those residing were thin as bones.
- Ate the souls or odor of the food so they can be transformed into clouds to float in the air once light enough.
What to worship
- Highly developed and complex system of beliefs.
- Described as a "mytho-religious system of year long ceremonies, rituals, dances, songs, recitations, and prayers as complex, abstract, and esoteric as any in the world."
Recording of Legends
Gods of the Hopi
Kachinas
Supernatural spirits important to the Hopi people and their ceremonies.
- Tawa- Hopi sun god. First being in existence. Creator of all.
- Sotuknang- Nephew of Tawa and creator of the Universe under Tawa's direction.
- Koyangwuti- also known as Spider Woman- Creator of the humans. Lead humans from Underworld to Fourth World.
- Kokopelli- Best known Hopi Kachina spirit. Fertility spirit associated with robber fly. Represented as humped back man in music and art
- Eototo- Weather spirit and chief of Kachinas
- Angwusnasomtaka- Crow mother. Other leading figure of all Kachinas.
- Kokopelli- Fertility spirit
- Koshari- Sacred clown
- Mongwa- Owl spirit and enforcer of the law
- Angak’china- Long haired Kachina. Spirit of the rain and flowers
- Mana- Corn maiden. Spirit of agriculture
- Muyingwa- Kachina spirit responsible for germination
Kokopelli
- Kachina spirits are channeled by the Hopi tribes in sacred dances they do with all of their elaborate costumes and Rituals.
- Figurines to use in the rituals are delicately carved and decorated from cottonwood root.
Spider Woman
Angak’china
"Hopi Kachinas." Photograph. Silvertribe.com. SILVERTRIBE, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
"Kokopelli/Hopi Inlay Sticker." Digital Image.
Inlay Sticker Jockomo, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
Boulet, Susan. "Spider Woman." Painting.
Tawa
North American Realm, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
Mongwa
Kabotie, Fred. "Tawa Mural."Painting.
26 June 2016. Web. 30 March 2016.
Mongwa, The Great Horned Owl. Photograph. Bonhams. Bonhams, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Eototo
Kachina Dolls
Angak'china Mana Kachina Doll. Photograph. Galerie Flak. Galeria Flak, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
- Hopi language remained unwritten until recent years.
- Oral tales have been passed from generation to generation.
- This system has provided the main body to sustain Hopi tales.
- Also represented
through Hopi art such
as pottery, paintings,
and rugs.
Hopi Storytelling
- Stories were told collectively by any elder who knew them from childhood. There were no primary, known story tellers in Hopi mythology
- Tuwutsmoki- translates to "story bag".
- In Hopi language, this is known as someone who collects and remembers stories from rich oral traditions to tell to later generations.
- Stories begin by using the word “Aliksa’i" which means, "delicious, good, delightful"
- If story is historically based, they will say, “I’ hapi pas qa yaw’i, pas antsa", meaning "This is not hearsay, this is really true.
- Used Kachina dolls to represent the
spirits in relation to story.
Example of the depiction of a section of a story in Hopi created pottery. Shows the arrival at the First Mesa.
"Hopi Pottery." Photograph. Restoration.
RESTORATION, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
Hopituh-Shi-nu-mu
Essential Questions
Creation
1. How does this culture's mythology influence modern culture?
2. What does Hopi mythology history say about what kind of people they were?
- Endless space with only creator- Tawa.
- World had no time, no shape, and no life.
Are we there yet?
- Tawa created Sotuknang to create 9 universes.
- Sotuknang gathered matter from endless space to create solid worlds.
- Northeastern area in the state of Arizona.
- Near the "4 Corners" (Arizona Colorado, Utah, New Mexico).
- East of the Grand Canyon.
- Neighbor tribes- Navajo, Zuni, Apache, Havasupai, and Paiute.
- Live in villages on top of 3 mesas.
- Little to no rain on mesa tops.
- Spider Woman took earth and mixed it with saliva to make 2 beings.
- Sang creation song to bring them to life.
- Instructed 1 to solidify the earth and the other to send out sounds and energy. They reside at the poles of the earth.
- Gathered water from endless space to place on world ands create land and sea.
- Gathered air to make winds and breezes.
- Spider Woman made all living things on earth from plants and trees to animals and birds.
- Then made human beings from yellow, red, white, and black earth.
- Sotuknang gave them 4 languages, and left their soft spot in heads so they could hear their Creator.
- Only instruction was to respect Creator and live in harmony with him.
"American Indians in Arizona. Digital Image.
Native Language of the Americas.
Native Language of the Americas Non Profit Organization, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
- Lived in harmony for many years and multiplied.
- Eventually divided and went against Creator.
- Creator destroyed world, only saving a few who were still loyal to him.
- Loyalists resided in huge ant mound, living with the Ants, while the world was destroyed with fire.
Time Period of Hopis
- The world again and again was destroyed, sometimes with ice, sometimes with water. Each time the loyalists lived with the Ants and were given a second opportunity.
Lifestyle
- Reliably traced as far back as 900-1100.
- 1350-1540 marked as main ancestral period for Hopis.
- Hopi culture firmly in place by 1500
- Hopi reservation and people are still around today living in the same place for over 1,000 years now.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Lived in masonry buildings in villages.
- Built out of native stone.
- Kivas surrounded central plaza.
- Most buildings half way below the ground for cooling purposes.
- Farmers who surrounded their life with religion.
Village of Walpi
"The Village of Walpi." Photograph.
RESTORATION, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
- Sotuknang went to world that would hold life and created Spider Woman and gave her the power to make life.
Change over time
1. How does this culture's mythology influence modern culture?
- Hopi Arts and Crafts Show/Festival hosted every year during June and July in Museum in Northern Arizona.
"Kokopelli Inn." Tots and Travel. TotsandTravel.com, n.d. Web. 30 March 2016.
- Traditional Hopi beliefs and practices influenced by Christianity.
- Not as many complete "Creator" believers.
- More involved with modern world traditions and government.
- Still do some old ceremonies that are key to Hopi culture such as the Snake Dance.
- Younger generation is going with more modern religion, while older Hopi see the wrong in this way and hope the old time religion will prevail.
- Annual Hopi Arts and Cultural festival hosted every September in Hopi owned Heritage Square in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Hopi Mythology
Samantha Smith- 2A
- Kokopelli Inn. Sedona, Arizona.