A collection of twenty legends of the Hopi people, originating in the different tribes and relating tales of journeys, wars, heroic deeds, and tribal heroes.

"The tales concern such villages as Sikyatki, Hisatsongoopavi, and Awat'ovi, which were destroyed by war, fire, earthquake, or internal strife. Though abandoned for centuries, they live in memory, reminders of ancient tragedies and enmities that changed the Hopis forever. Related by storytellers from Second and Third Mesa, these tales vividly describe village destruction and show how much human evils such as witchcraft, hubris, corruption and betrayal of fundamental values can precipitate social disintegration and chaos."--BOOK JACKET.

The traditional Hopi world, as reflected in Hopi oral literature, is infused with magic?a seamless tapestry of everyday life and the supernatural. That magic and wonder are vividly depicted in this marvelous collection of authentic folktales. For the Hopis, the spoken or sung word can have a magical effect on others. Witchcraft?the wielding of magic for selfish purposes by a powaqa, or sorcerer?has long been a powerful, malevolent force. Sorcerers are said to have the ability to change into animals such as a crow, a coyote, a bat, or a skeleton fly, and hold their meetings in a two-tiered kiva to the northeast of Hopi territory. Shamanism, the more benevolent but equally powerful use of magic for healing, was once commonplace but is no longer practiced among the Hopis. Shamans, or povosyaqam, often used animal familiars and quartz crystals to help them to see, diagnose, and cure illnesses. Spun through these tales are supernatural beings, otherworldly landscapes, magical devices and medicines, and shamans and witches. One story tells about a man who follows his wife one night and discovers that she is a witch, while another relates how a jealous woman uses the guise of an owl to make a rival woman's baby sick. Other tales include the account of a boy who is killed by kachinas and then resurrected as a medicine man and the story of a huge rattlesnake, a giant bear, and a mountain lion that forever guard the entrance to Maski, the Land of the Dead.

The first substantial study of a Mexican Indian society that more than any other has preserved much of its ancient way of life and religion.

This collection of forty-eight stories is one of the earliest, most complete translations of an entire Native American oral tradition.

Meditations with the Hopi is a collection of songs and rituals that impart the essence of the Hopi world view. It is a narrative of creation and change, of prophecy and fulfillment in the midst of koyaanisqatsi, or "world out of balance." Here is a heartfelt view of the Hopi Way as seen by one of the few white men to have lived within this ancient culture.

In the Truth of a Hopi Edmund Nequatewa relates the Hopis' myths legends belief systems and oral history. Nequatewa's writings give us a glimpse into the psyche of the Hopi in the way that only a Hopi could. Here you will find not only the traditional oral histories but stories of how the Hopi resisted sending their children away to enforced boarding schools. A fascinating view of a subtle people.