- Zuni mythology
The Zuni mythology is the mythology of the
Zuni tribe, aPueblo people located in the southwest of theUnited States . They have many gods called Kachinas.These include:
Achiyalatopa is a monster with knives forfeather s.Ahayuta andAihayuta are two pairs of heroic twin-brothers.Amitolane is arainbow spirit.Apoyan Tachu andAwitelin Tsita are the Sun Father and Earth Mother and the parents of all life onEarth .Awonawilona is the creator god. He made thecloud s andocean , which was covered with greenalgae that hardened, split and becameAwitelin Tsita andApoyan Tachu .Kokopelli is a god that appears in many southwestern tribes belief stories. He was a humpbacked flutist. He was arain god for the Zuni and was also known asOlolowishkya . He frequently appeared withPaiyatamu , another flutist, inmaize grinding ceremonies.Ma'l Oyattsik'i is the Salt Mother. Annualbarefoot pilgrimages have been made for centuries on the trail to her home, theZuni Salt Lake .Uhepono is a hairy giant that lived in theunderworld ; it has huge eyes and human limbs.Yanauluha is aculture hero , who broughtagriculture ,medicine and all the customs of the Zuni people.Creation
The first humans came from four caves in the
underworld . TheEarth was a dangerous place, covered with water and monsters. The children of thesun took pity on humankind and hardened earth with lightning, then turned many animals into stone, leaving only the modern ones.Zuni mythology in popular culture
*The Zuni religion plays a prominent role in the 1973 novel "Dance Hall of the Dead", by the American writer
Tony Hillerman .
*The Zuni people and their katchinas ("life-givers," essentially gods) figure into the plot ofPoul Anderson 's 1999 novel "Operation Luna ." The characters seek the help ofKokopelli and "The Twin War Gods" for advice and help against evil spirits sabotaging attempts at space travel.
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