hopi color-direction symbolism - as.wvu.eduscmcc/colordirections.pdf · hopi color-direction...
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Hopi Color-Direction Symbolism Colors yel low blue / green red white black /
purple al l colors Symbolic or Pract ical Signif icance
Directions
NW Kwini 'wi Summer Sunset
SW Te'vyûña
Winter Sunset
SE Ta'tyûka
Winter Sunrise
NE Ho'poko Summer Sunrise
Above O'mi
Below At'kyami
Rituals fol low counter-clockw ise direct ional c ircui t / Common moti f in r i tual objects / Rain comes from SW
Clouds yel low cloud blue c loud red cloud white cloud black storm cloud
al l k inds of c louds
Sources of ra in / Depicted in r i tual objects
Trees Douglas Fir White Fir Red Wil low Aspen - - - - - - Build ing mater ia l / Used in r i tual
Ponotuwi Huzru ing
Wuht i ' s House
Gap near San
Francisco Peaks
Kwatipkya Sun 's House
Kwitcala ( the Gap) - - - - - -
Used as Sun Watching markers Offer ings deposited at Shrines at Ponotuwi and Kwatipkya
Places Kishyu'ba Spr ing near
B lack Mounta in
San Francisco
Peaks
We'nima Lake in But tes
SW of Zuni Mount Taylor - - - - - -
Sources of water in rain clouds, snow , or springs / Homes of kachinas
Birds Oriole (Sun maiden) Bluebird Macaw Magpie Blackbird Canyon Wren
Skins & Feathers used in r i tual Symbol ize l ightness / Macaw and Oriole associated w ith Sun
Maize yel low corn blue corn red corn white corn purple corn sw eet corn Corn ears & meal used in r i tual Pr incipal food Pure colored ears = pure strains
Beans yel low beans blue beans red beans white beans black beans spotted beans
Planted in Pow amu r i tual Keresan use bean meal in r i tual Important food “same as meat”
Butterf l ies yel low butterf ly
blue butterf ly red butterf ly white
butterf ly black
butterf ly al l colors of butterf l ies
“Pollen eaters” associated w ith fert i l i ty / Many butterf l ies signify rain and abundant crops
Flowers Mariposa Li ly
Larkspur (b lueb ird
f low er)
Painted Cupmansi
(g i r l 's f low er)
Primrose (but te r f l y
f lower) Sunflow er al l k inds of
f low ers
Petals ground to make colored “pol len” for r i tual / Associated w ith fert i l i ty / Mansi used as oral contracept ive
Kachina pets
(w ater pets)
Frog (w ater -eag le)
Duck (scoops the
water) Snipe
(w ater -b i rd) a smal l f rog
zra 'na pakisha
(water hawk) Tadpole Associated w ith w ater / In Zuni myth, chi ldren became w ater animals w hich became Kachinas
War god pets
Mountain Lion Bear Wildcat Wolf Eagle Badger Carnivores / Associated w ith
hunt ing and w arfare
Somai'koli pets Deer Mountain
Sheep Antelope Elk Jack Rabbit Cottontai l Important food sources