|
|
Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute
player (often with a huge phallus and antenna-like protrusions on his head),
who has been venerated by many Native American cultures in the Southwestern
United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both
childbirth and agriculture. He is also a trickster god and represents the
spirit of music.
Because of his influence over human sexuality, Kokopelli is often depicted
with an inhumanly large phallus. Among the Ho-Chunk, this penis is detachable,
and he sometimes leaves it in a river in order to have sex with girls who
bathe there. Among the Hopi, Kokopelli carries unborn children on his back
and distributes them to women (for this reason, young girls are often deathly
afraid of him). He often takes part in rituals relating to marriage, and
Kokopelli himself is sometimes depicted with a consort, a woman called
Kokopelmana by the Hohokam and Hopi.
Kokopelli also presides over the reproduction of game animals, and for
this reason, he is often depicted with animal companions such as rams and
deer. Other common creatures associated with him include sun-bathing animals
such as snakes, or water-loving animals like lizards and insects. Because
of this, some scholars believe that Kokopelli's flute is actually a blowgun
(or started out as one), but this is a minority opinion.
In his domain over agriculture, Kokopelli's fluteplaying chases away the
Winter and brings about Spring. Many tribes, such as the Zuni, also associate
Kokopelli with the rains. He frequently appears with Paiyatamu, another
flautist, in depictions of maize-grinding ceremonies. Some tribes say he
carries seeds and babies on his back. （http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokopelli）
|
