Discover in this article the Hopi Mythology and its most relevant stories. We show you the origins, gods, culture and most popular legends.
who are the Hopi?
The Hopi mythology is based on the myths and legends of the original Hopis or also known as “people with peaceful purposes”, who are a group of natives being one of the few aborigines whose culture prevails today. They are located in the central plateau of the United States in the federal reservation of Navajo Pueblo, Arizona.
The Hopi Book
In 1960, the writer Frank Waters wrote a work called “The Book of the Hopis”, which consists of a compilation of one of the most complex mythologies, since the mythology of the Hopis is not based on beliefs.
It is important to note that Hopi mythology is closely related to the concept of ethics and morality, which implies respect for all living beings and nature. Their mantra is based on the fact that life is sacred, be it animals, vegetation, water, land, trees, among others.
Hopi Religion
Over the centuries, mystery is a key word in the Hopi culture, with this we mean that it is somewhat complex to internalize since, unlike other religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, they have a systematized and organized documentation through the Bible, the Koran, among others. The Hopi ideology has been transmitted orally, but in each of their villages they have their own particular version.
Anthropologist Harlod points out that the Hopi are very reluctant to talk about issues related to secret rituals or religious traditions.
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The Hopi language declined during the 20th century, which is a Uto-Aztecan language where they are monolingual, although most speak English. It is also said that by 1990, approximately 5,000 people were fluent in the language.
Gods of Hopi Mythology
Mythology are those stories coming from some culture or region; although the Hopi mythology does not have a very established religion, in the end they are believers of both life and mythological gods.
Their supreme god is the representation of the Sun, Taiowa, creator of the first world who according to the legend created Sotuknang and this created the Spider Woman, goddess that originated the universe. There is also the god of death, Masauwu, who gave way to the fourth world. Among the divinities located in the main temple are the coyote or god of deceit, the twins of war or Kachinas and finally the god of corn.
Kokopelli
Known as the god of fertility in Hopi mythology, this mischievous god, healer and very charismatic is one of the sacred figures for this group. He was also a flute player and according to the myths it is said that the sound of his flute symbolizes the change of season winter-spring.
Kachina Beings
The Hopi mythology in each of its rites uses an entity called Kachina, which is not a god but neither a human being. For the Hopi these entities are planets or stars that accompany them in each transition of the worlds. These are respected beings that come every year to guide human beings bringing blessings.
Hopi Cosmology
Their worldview presents influences from other religions when they have proven to be pragmatic for them, whether it be “making it rain”. It should be noted that Hopi mythology is very light because they were involved with Europeans in the sixteenth century, hence the influence of Christianity. In spite of their acceptance of outsiders, they had their misgivings with the Spaniards or as they nicknamed them “white man”, it took two long centuries for their rapprochement after being considered savages without culture by the Spaniards.
The existence of the Hopis is centered in the creation and conservation of the world constituted by a mythical-religious procedure that takes a whole year of songs, dances, prayers, enigmatic and abstract ceremonies with the purpose of safeguarding the harmony of the universe.
According to Hopi mythology, the world has evolved according to the erroneous creations of man, focusing that humanity should travel through seven worlds. Each of these worlds have been separated by terrible catastrophes, the first world burned in flames, the second one froze, the third one sank into the depths of the water. At present we are in the fourth world where, according to the prophecies, it will come to an end.
Greek Mythology: Origins, Legends, Events +18 LegendsFirst world: Tokpela
Composed by the creation of the universe and man, hypo mythology points out that this world was Tokpela or infinite space where only its creator Taiwoa was and an empty space without beginning or end, without time or life. The only being on earth only had life in his mind conceiving Sótuknang.
“I have created you, the first force and the first instrument in the form of a person to carry out my plan of life in infinite space. I am your uncle. You are my nephew. Now go and lay out these universes in the right order so that they work together in harmony according to my plan.
From there Sótuknang performed the assigned tasks thus forming the nine universal realms; one for himself, one for his creator and the remaining seven for the life to come. Taiowa requested the implementation of water to the seven universes thus leaving them half solid and half water.
Finally Sótuknang visited the first world Tokpela and realized that he needed someone to stay on earth, therefore he created Kókyangwúti or spider woman, upon awakening he said to her:
“LOOK around you, here is the earth I have created, it has form and substance, direction and time, a beginning and an end. But there is no life on it yet. That is why I have created you, I have given you the power to help me create life. You have been blessed with wisdom, knowledge and love to bring to all beings you create. That is why you ARE here.”
Creation
The spider woman decided to listen to her creator and with the flows of her mouth she formed two beings covering them with creative wisdom and sang them the song of creation. When these two beings woke up, she said to them:
“You are Poqanghoyay you are here to maintain the order of this world when life exists in it. Now go around this world and lay your hands on the earth so that it becomes totally solid. That is your task.”
“You are Palongawhoyay you are here to maintain order in this world when life will exist in it. Now this will be your task: go through the world and bathe it in sound so that sound can be heard throughout the earth. When at last the sound can be heard you too will be known as “Echo,” for the sounds come from the Creator.”
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Together, the twins created great mountains and made sound throughout the world; upon completion both brothers were sent to the north and south pole in order to maintain the harmony of their rotation.
In the same way the spider woman created with the earth all kinds of living natural beings to help decorate the earth, she also took the colors red, white, yellow and black to mix with her saliva to create the first men in the likeness of Sótuknang and then create the wúti, women created in her likeness to be companions for the four men. The first world was happy, pure and fruitful.
The destruction of the first world began with the arrival of Lavaíhoya, the Talker, who through his level of persuasion convinced them that there were different beliefs, thus initiating conflicts due to differences of creed and sex. Taiowa and Sótuknang reached an agreement to destroy this world and save the humans who deserved it by sheltering them in the village of the ants.
Their end came when Taiowa ordered Sótuknang to rain fire on the world, opening volcanoes, where fire erupted in great quantities destroying everything in its path.
Second world: Topka
With the arrival of the second world, the inhabitants left the Ant Village to the surface to disperse and begin to evolve, building homes with their own hands, creating paths and planting food.
Everything was going well until greed began, the inhabitants began to exchange supplements among themselves, they had everything they needed but coveted more regardless of the price they had to pay. Until they reached the point of disputes that reached the level of wars.
Again Sótuknang ordered the twins to return from the poles to shelter the humans who still had salvation, when Poqánghoya and Palongauhoya returned the world stopped orbiting and the seas and mountains collapsed until they drowned and became solid ice.
Third World: Kuskurza
When everything was made of ice, Sótuknang asked the twins to return to the poles and let the earth turn again, causing the ice to melt, starting the creation of mountains, seas and living beings of nature, and then return to the humans to return to the surface.
Humans began to unfold and reproduce. In this world that unlike the first one -simple and in coexistence with nature-, the second one -initiated the handicraft labor and houses, instead the third one initiated the development of the population reaching gigantic quantities forming countries.
This generated the concern of many because they began to use the factor of natural reproduction -sex- in a perverse and malicious way. Besides creating the pátuwvota -shield of tanned skin- building flying weapons with the purpose of destroying nations and then returning to their territories. This caused many nations to do the same, creating war and chaos.
In this case, Sótuknang turned to Spider-Woman and asked her to protect the humans while he ended the world by sinking it in the waters. At the end of the catastrophe the humans were at the top of the highest mountain where they had to create canoes.
Fourth world: Tuwaqachi
This is the actual world according to Hopi mythology which is said to be the most complete, but still not the most perfect, it has height and abyss, cold and heat, water and drought, fertile and barren land.
Each group made their own way until they met Masaw who was the protector of the third world until he was banished for his vain behavior turning him into a spirit of death and of the underworld.
This world consists of migrations, the fourth world called Tuwaqachi or complete world where the Plan of Creation is carried out. A healer named Soloho announces that the prophecy dictates according to the book “the prophecies of the earth” (1993) that the world will culminate on the day of the great purification.
They also point out that the end of the fourth world will be with the arrival of the third world war, provoked by the first peoples to have received the light -India, China, Egypt, Israel, Africa-. The entire population of the United States will be destroyed by atomic bombs where the only ones that will prevail will be the Hopi lands that will serve as refuges, all this is part of the Hopi prophecy.
Message from the Hopi
Some people may consider this total madness or just a group of natives who have their own story about the creation of the world and its destruction. Although Hopi mythology gives a great message of forgiveness and acceptance. Human beings must internalize with themselves and be in peace of mind to help preserve the gifts of nature and the universe along with man’s faith and the richness of life.
