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In the American Southwest, in the Hopi and Zuni mythology of New Mexico and Arizona, kachinas are spirits. Be they spirits of fire or rain, serpents, or be they comical, impish, kindly or malevolent, they constitute a sort of inventory of the visible and invisible world.
Six months out of the year, during ritual celebrations, masked and costumed dancers incarnate these spirits. Vividly painted wooden kachina dolls depict these dancers, and are often offered to children at the end of the festivities to familiarize them with the spirit world. |
