Kokopelli (/ˌkoʊkoʊˈpɛliː/^[1]) is afertility deity, usually depicted as ahumpbackedflute player (often withfeathers orantenna-like protrusions on his head), who isvenerated by someNative American cultures in theSouthwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over bothchildbirth andagriculture. He is also atrickster god and represents the spirit ofmusic.

Among theHopi, Kokopelli carries unborn children on his back and distributes them to women; for this reason, young girls often fear him. He often takes part inrituals relating tomarriage, and Kokopelli himself is sometimes depicted with aconsort, a woman calledKokopelmimi by theHopi.^[2] It is said^{[according to whom?]} that Kokopelli can be seen on the full and waning moon, much like the "man" or the "rabbit" on the moon.^[3]

Kokopelli also presides over the reproduction ofgame animals, and for this reason, he is often depicted with animal companions such asrams anddeer. Other common creatures associated with him include sun-bathing animals such assnakes, or water-loving animals such aslizards andinsects.

In his domain over agriculture, Kokopelli's flute-playing chases away thewinter and brings aboutspring. Many tribes, such as theZuni, also associate Kokopelli with therains.^[4] He frequently appears with Paiyatamu, another flutist, in depictions ofmaize-grinding ceremonies. Some tribes say he carries seeds and babies on his back.^[4][5]

In recent years, theemasculated (i.e. non-ithyphallic) version of Kokopelli has been adopted as a broader symbol of the Southwestern United States as a whole. His image adorns countless items such as t-shirts, ball caps, key-chains, and patio decor.^[6] He is also noticeable on the wall by the swimming pool on the home ofWalter White (Bryan Cranston) in several episodes ofBreaking Bad. Abicycle trail betweenGrand Junction, Colorado, andMoab, Utah, is now known as theKokopelli Trail.

Kokopelli has been revered since at least the time of theHohokam,Yuman, andAncestral Puebloan peoples. The first known images of him appear onHohokampottery dated to sometime between 750 and 850 AD.

Kokopelli may have originally been a representation ofAztec traders, known aspochtecas, who may have traveled to this region from northernMesoamerica. These traders brought their goods in sacks slung across their backs and this sack may have evolved into Kokopelli's familiar hump; some tribes consider Kokopelli to have been a trader. These men may also have used flutes to announce themselves as friendly as they approached a settlement. This origin is still in doubt, however, since the first known images of Kokopelli predate the major era of Mesoamerican-Ancestral Pueblo peoples trade by several hundred years, as well as theAztec Empire and itspochtecas.^[7]

Many believe that Kokopelli was more than a trader, and more significantly, an important conveyor of information and trinkets from afar. As a storyteller par excellence, Kokopelli had the gift of languages, with a formidable repertoire of body-language storytelling skills to complement his many talents. Kokopelli's usual noisy announcement upon arrival secured both the identity, and therefore the safety, of his unique presence into a community. Often accompanied by an apprentice in his travels and trade, Kokopelli was important in linking distant and diverse communities together. In the South American Andes, the 'Ekeko' character functioned in much the same way. Upon arrival, his banging and clanging of his wares dangling all about his person signaled to all that a night of entertainment and trade of his goods and talismans was at hand.

Even today, occasional outside visitors may be called or referred to as 'Kokopelli' when they bring news, stories, and trinkets from the outside world to share with the little pueblos or villages.^{[citation needed]}

Another theory is that Kokopelli is actually ananthropomorphic insect. Many of the earliest depictions of Kokopelli make him very insect-like in appearance. The name "Kokopelli" may be a combination of "Koko", another Hopi and Zuni deity, and "pelli", the Hopi and Zuni word for therobber fly,^[4] an insect with a prominentproboscis and a prominently rounded back. A more recentetymology is that Kokopelli means literally "kachina hump". Because the Hopi were the tribe from whom the Spanish explorers first learned of the god, their name is the one most commonly used.

Kokopelli is one of the most easily recognized figures found in thepetroglyphs andpictographs of the Southwest.^[5] The earliest known petroglyph of the figure dates to about 1000 AD.^[5] The Spanishmissionaries in the area convinced the Hopi craftsmen to usually omit the phallus from their representations of the figure. As with most kachinas, the Hopi Kokopelli was often represented by a human dancer.

A similar humpbacked figure is found in artifacts of theMississippian culture of the United States southeast.^[8] Between approximately 1200 to 1400 AD, water vessels were crafted in the shape of a humpbacked woman. These forms may represent a cultural heroine or founding ancestor, and may also reflect concepts related to the life-giving blessings of water and fertility.

• Kokopele
• Kokopeli
• Kokopilli
• Kokopilau
• Neopkwai'i (Pueblo)
• Ololowishkya (Zuni)
• La Kokopel

• Anasazi flute
• Blythe Intaglios
• Cañon Pintado
• Rock art
• Kokopelli (album)

Notes

Bibliography

• Slifer, Dennis, and Duffield, James (1994).Kokopelli: Flute Player Images in Rock Art. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Ancient City Press.
• Young, John V. (1990).Kokopelli: Casanova of the Cliff Dwellers: The Hunchbacked Flute Player. Palmer Lake, Colorado: Filter Press.ISBN 0-86541-026-7.
• Schuler, Linda Lay.She, who remembers.

• Malotki, Ekkehart.Kokopelli: The Making of an Icon. (Univ. of Nebraska Pr., 2000).ISBN 0-8032-3213-6 (hardcover),ISBN 0-8032-8295-8 (paper).
• Martineau, LaVan,The Rocks Begin to Speak, KC Publications, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2003
• McLeod, DavidMy Hand Tatoo, American Educator, (Jan-Feb, 1992): Right Hand
• Michael Castro,The Kokopilau Cycle" Homage to the Hopi, poetry, The Blue Cloud Quarterly, Marvin, South Dakota, 1975
• Patteson, Alex,A Field Guide to Rock Art Symbols of the Greater Southwest, Johnson Books, Boulder, Colorado, 1992
• Schaafsma, Polly,Rock Art in New Mexico, Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1992
• Slifer, Dennis,Kokopelli: The Magic, Mirth, and Mischief of an Ancient Symbol, Gibbs M. Smith Inc, 2007.ISBN 1423601742.
• Slifer, Dennis,The Serpent and the Sacred Fire; Fertility Images in Southwest Rock Art, Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2000
• Slifer, Dennis,Signs of Life: Rock art in the Upper Rio Grande, Ancient City Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1998
• Wellmann, Klaus F. (1970). "Kokopelli of Indian Paleology".JAMA.212 (10):1678–82.doi:10.1001/jama.1970.03170230080009.PMID 4911855.

•   Media related toKokopelli at Wikimedia Commons