While neither a priest nor ceremonial dancer, the Mudhead Clown is a part of many social gatherings, performing as curers, directors, warriors, messengers, sages, and tricksters. "Hopi Kachinas." Taking the universe into deep consideration, letting it be, and then letting it go, is far superior to clinging to a belief and becoming stuck in a particular view. According to Native American beliefs, the nature of a Heyoka is complicated. During Kachina ceremonies, each child receives their own doll. 3134 Mercer Lane, San Diego, CA 92122, Blackface! Hopi Koshari or Koshare clown Kachina doll, wood, signed on bottom and dated 1989, Native American art, 5 3/4 figurine. It is believed that these things give him power. The Thunderbird's own link to the original Great Mystery suggests that the role of the sacred clown was seen as one of the highest in Plains society - like wandering fools in Europe, they were thought to be touched by the Divine power itself. Christ was a sacred clown, mocking the orthodoxy. It is a generic term, as there are a number of these figures in the ritual practice of the Pueblo people. But sacred clowns take clowning to a whole other level. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 1969. The Pueblo Kachina Cult: A Historical Reconstruction. To involve the audience in his antics, he likes to imitate their behavior and include them in amusing skits. 2020 Kachina House. Hopi carvers alter these, removing their religious meaning, to meet the demand for decorative commercial objects sought by non-Hopi.[7]. The presence of clowns in the morality play makes people more receptive to the messages of proper social convention and encourages a crucial human trait: a keen sense of humor. "Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls." Another account says that the Hopis came to take the kachinas for granted, losing all respect and reverence for them, so the kachinas returned to the underworld. Koshari is a sacred clown who is commonly seen at Katsina ceremonies and he is a powerful figure in the community. Many times the actions of the clowns are meant to portray a lesson on behavior apparent in a tribal member. However, before they left, the kachinas taught some of their ceremonies to a few faithful young men and showed them how to make the masks and costumes. Upon their birth, the children of this union resembled their father, appearing with faces and bodies disorted by various mud-covered protuberances. However, the clowns power means that the people revere and fear him. Dockstader, Frederick. Clown Kachina Another example is the clown of the Northwest Coast Indians, which is the raven. He has the important job of being a protector ofculturalbehavior customs. Your email address will not be published. In Tibetan Buddhism its referred to as Crazy Wisdom, which the Guru adopts in order to shock their students out of fixed cultural and psychological patterns. It doesnt correspond to human categories of right and wrong. Face paint by Fionna John.