Vigo County Historical Society

Kachinas play integral part in Hopi ceremony

In the land of the Hopi, which is a reservation in the northeaster part of Arizona, the word Kachina has a three-fold meaning.

The Hopi people believe that a large group of spirits called Kachinas inhabit the San Francisco Peaks, a group of mountains near Flagstaff. In the first half of each year these spirits (not gods) descend into the villages on the mesas to dance, perform rituals, bring gifts and most of all, to bring rain to this dry area of our country. The very existence of the Hopi villages depends on rain, and the Kachinas have control of its presence or absence.

The second use of the word Kachina refers to the men of the villages who impersonate these spirits. Since spirits do not have bodies and form, the men bring them into reality by dressing in colorful costumes and masks to represent the different Kachina spirits. The appearance of the various spirits may vary from village to village and from year to year. In all, well over 250 spirits are represented. The men perform in dances and ceremonies, sometimes in the underground kivas and sometimes in the center of the village. In the village, even tourists can view the many forms of celebration.

The third use of the word Kachina refers to the dolls which originally were given as gifts to the women and girls of the village during the yearly celebration. The dolls are carved from the root of the cottonwood tree and are finished with bright-colored paint. Bits of feathers, beads and shells are added for decoration. After the celebration, the dolls are hung in the homes as tokens of good fortune.

The Kachina dolls are not toys, but it is not considered wrong for the children to play with them. Their main use in the Hopi culture is to help the children learn the many traditional customs of the centuries-old lifestyle.

The first ethnographers to visit the Hopi villages were intrigued by the dolls and wanted to buy them. The Hopi resisted until so much pressure forced them to sell. Later, the dolls were sold because of economic gain. There are yet many carvers who will not sign the dolls to be sold for fear of having bad luck as a result. They are convinced that would offend the Kachina spirits.

The dolls in the picture are named Koyemsi, or mudheads. They serve several purposes, but the most important is to enliven the serious ceremonies by adding some fun with their many antics.

Their task may sometimes take a more serious turn, such as when they accompany the ogre Kachinas to the village before the beginning of the celebrations. At this time, they warn the children of punishment that bad behavior might bring upon them. The girls are instructed to grind cornmeal and the boys to catch mice.

The mudheads return later to check and if the results are not satisfactory, they threaten the children. The children, however, always are rescued from severe punishment by caring relatives after they promise to do better in the future.

The mudheads probably are the most plentiful of the Kachina dancers and their costumes may vary. They all are basically the same with round heads and protrusions.

Although the Hopi never have inhabited our part of the country, it is an interesting culture to study. They have a very traditional pattern of life which has endured for a long time.

The dolls pictured here are part of the collection presented to the museum of Fannie Blumberg.