Zuni Mythology - Kachinas

Kachinas

A list of Kachinas includes:

• Achiyalatopa - A monster with celestial powers that throws feathers of flint knives.
• Ahayuta - Twin gods of war and were created by Awonawilona to protect the first people from their enemies, using lightning. The brothers are second only to Awonawilona himself.
• Aihayuta - A second pair of twin-brother heroes who complement the first set of twin-brother heroes, the Ahayuta.
• Amitolane - A rainbow spirit.
• Awitelin Tsita and Apoyan Tachu - Sun Father and Earth Mother and the parents of all life on Earth, from whom all living creatures came. Formed when the green algae that Awonawilona had made hardened and split.
• Awonawilona - Creator of the world, becoming the sun and making the 'mother-earth' and 'father-sky'. He made the clouds and ocean,
• Kokopelli - A fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flutist player (often with a huge phallus and feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head). Also associated as a rain god. Also known as Ololowishkya.
• Ma'l Oyattsik'i - The Salt Mother. Annual barefoot pilgrimages have been made for centuries on the trail to her home, the Zuni Salt Lake.
• Uhepono - A hairy giant that lived in the underworld; it has huge eyes and human limbs.
• Yanauluha - A culture hero, who brought agriculture, medicine and all the customs of the Zuni people.