Native American Hopi Carved Morning Singer and Crow Mother Katsina Doll

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Morning Singer and Crow Mother Katsina Doll by Thomas Fredericks

Early Morning Singer Katsina (Talavai) represents early morning or dawn because he appears at dawn during the Bean Dance (Powamuya) and announces news. He sings songs to wake the village while passing out bean sprouts for the people to eat. Below the Morning Singer is Crow Mother. Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaka) is Mother of the Whipper Katsinam and considered by many Hopi to be the Mother of all Katsinam. She is Crow Bride (Angwushahai-i) on Third Mesa, probably because she comes dressed entirely in white. On the other Mesas she is Crow Mother. She appears during the Bean Dance (Powamuya) on all three Mesas. During the Powamuya, she supervises the initiation of the children into the Katsina society and carries the yucca whips with which they are struck by the Hu Katsinam. Later in the same ceremony, she leads other Katsinam into the village bearing in her arms a basket of corn kernels and bean sprouts to symbolically start the new growing season. This really wonderful carving by Thomas has a mask of the Havasupai's Uncle, a Cloud and a Corn Maiden on the base.