Native American Hopi Carved Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll by Kevin Pochoema

The Black Ogre (Nata-aska), and the White Ogre (Wiharu), are disciplinarians who appear around the time of the Powamuya ceremony. Each carries a saw (sometimes a knife) as well as a bow and arrows for hunting or, in this case, yucca whips for discipline. The males' outstanding feature is their long, flapping jaws, which they can clack quite loudly. The purpose of these Katsinam is to reinforce the Hopi way of life to the children of the Pueblo. These Ogres accompany Soyoko on her trip to collect food from the children for the Katsinam. As a means of discipline children are told the Ogres can swallow them whole, unless they are good. The fierce and threatening behavior of these Katsinam strikes fear into the children, but they are eventually saved from imminent danger by the people of their Pueblo. Anglos would call these Katsinam Boogeymen. This is an older piece by Kevin and we are grateful to have it in the shop.