Native American Hopi Carved Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll and Clown

Description

Native American Hopi Carved Black Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll and Clown by Eric Nastacio

The Black Ogre (Cheveyo), and the White Ogre (Wiharu), are disciplinarians who appear around the time of the Powamuya ceremony. Both carry a saw (sometimes a knife) as well as a bow and arrows for hunting. 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 the Ogre Woman (Soyoko Wuhti) on her trip to collect food from the children. As a means of discipline, children are told the Ogres can swallow them whole unless they are good little children. 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 wonderful carving shows a Hopi White Clown (Na'somta Tsuku) not showing any fear around the "frightening" Ogre. This amusing piece by Eric shows the Ogre looking for the Clown who has jumped up to hide in the basket on the Ogre's back.