Kokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with a huge phallus and feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who has been venerated by some 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.

Among the Hopi, Kokopelli carries unborn children on his back and distributes them to women (for this reason, young girls often fear 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). Alternatively, the "flute" may actually be a pipe for smoking tobacco in a sacred ceremony, or some other device entirely.

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.

In recent years, the emasculated 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, and keychains. A bicycle trail between Grand Junction, Colorado, and Moab, Utah, is now known as the Kokopelli Trail.

Kokopelli es una deidad de la fertilidad, usualmente representada como un flautista jorobado (a menudo con un enorme falo y plumas, o protuberancias en su cabeza parecidas a antenas), quien ha sido venerado por algunas culturas nativo americanas en el suroeste de los Estados Unidos. Como la mayor parte de las deidades de la fertilidad, Kokopelli preside sobre el nacimiento de ni�os y la agricultura. El es tambi�n un dios embaucador y representa el esp�ritu de la m�sica.

Entre los Hopi, Kokopelli lleva a ni�os no nacidos en su espalda, y los distribuye a las mujeres (por esta raz�n, las chicas j�venes a menudo le temen). El a menudo toma parte en rituales relacionados con el matrimonio, y Kokopelli mismo es a veces representado con una consorte, una mujer llamada Kokopelmana por los Hohokam y los Hopi.

Kokopelli tambi�n preside sobre la reproducci�n de los animales de caza, y por esta raz�n es a menudo representado con compa�eros animales, tales como carneros y venados. Otras criaturas comunes asociadas con el incluyen animales que se ba�an al sol, tales como serpientes, o animales que aman el agua como las lagartijas e insectos. Por esto, algunos eruditos creen que la flauta de Kokopelli es realmente una escopeta explosiva (o comenz� siendo una). Alternativamente, la �flauta� podr�a realmente ser una pipa para fumara tabaco en una ceremonia sagrada, o alg�n otro dispositivo enteramente.

En su dominio sobre la agricultura, la m�sica de flauta de Kokopelli espanta el invierno y trae consigo la primavera. Muchas tribus, tales como los Zuni, tambi�n asocian a Kokopelli con las lluvias. El aparece frecuentemente con Aaiyatamu, otro flautista, en representaciones de ceremonias de moler ma�z. Algunas tribus dicen que lleva semillas y beb�s en su espalda.

En a�os recientes, la versi�n castrada de Kokopelli ha sido adoptada como un s�mbolo m�s amplio del suroeste de los Estados Unidos en su totalidad. Sus im�genes adornan incontables art�culos, tales como camisetas, gorras y llaveros. Una senda para bicicletas entre Grand Junction, Colorado y Moab, Utah es ahora conocido como la senda Kokopelli.

Return to 2012