Native American Hopi Carved Butterfly Maiden and Hummingbird Sculpture

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Butterfly Maiden and Hummingbird Sculpture by Kaylyn Nevayaktewa

Palhik Mana is a Butterfly Maiden, not a Katsina, but a woman dancer. Though at the dances the Butterfly Maiden is not masked or hooded, she usually appears this way when carved as a doll. She generally appears in August, as that is when the butterflies appear. The Butterfly Dance, a traditional social dance of the Hopi, is held in August after the gathering of the harvest and presentation of the Snake Dance. It is a thanksgiving dance for the harvest, chiefly for the corn crop, and features dancing by young Hopi maidens. This wonderful sculpture also features a Hummingbird. The Hummingbird (Tootsa) intervenes on behalf of the Hopi people to convince the gods to bring rain. During traditional ceremonies, the Tootsa bobs and calls like a bird while moving with great speed. His songs are prayers for moisture, to help nourish plants and crops. He may also appear as a runner because he moves fast enough to catch an individual and whip him with his decorative staff