Thread: Kokopelli

nice quality wood working there. oh and now i see the little kokopelli in the middle there!!!!

Sold this piece today to a Native American (Comanche) he is going to replace the feathers w/ Eagle Feathers He can legally do this because of his heritage. I'm very humbled that it sold to a Native American thanks for looking.

Originally Posted by splinterz25

Sold this piece today to a Native American (Comanche) he is going to replace the feathers w/ Eagle Feathers He can legally do this because of his heritage. I'm very humbled that it sold to a Native American thanks for looking.

Wow, thats an honour on a couple of levels, well done sir.

Thank you Hughie, Grey Mountain sent photos to his friend a native american artist and then he bought the piece from me, I'm very honored to say the least.

There are any stories extant about the origen and sybiology of Kokopelli.
This is one.
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Kokopelli has been revered since at least the time of the Hohokam, Yuman, and Ancestral Pueblo peoples. The first known images of him appear on Hohokam pottery dated to sometime between 750 and 850 AD.

Kokopelli may have originally been a representation of Aztec traders, known as pochtecas, who may have traveled to this region from northern Mesoamerica. These traders brought their goods in sacks slung across their backs and this sack may have evolved into Kokopelli's familiar hump; some tribes consider Kokopelli to have been a trader. These men may also have used flutes to announce themselves as friendly as they approached a settlement. This origin is still in doubt, however, since the first known images of Kokopelli predate the major era of Mesoamerican-Ancestral Pueblo peoples trade by several hundred years, as well as the Aztec Empire and its pochtecas. There is another story from the Hopi Culture that talks about Kokopele being a hunchbacked member of the village who tricks the village beauty into having sex with him.

Many believe that Kokopelli was more than a trader, and more significantly, an important conveyor of information and trinkets from afar. As a storyteller par excellence Kokopelli had the gift of languages with a formidable repertoire of body-language storytelling skills to complement his many talents. Kokopelli's usual noisy announcement upon arrival secured both the identity, and therefore the safety, of his unique presence into a community. Often accompanied by an apprentice in his travels and trade, Kokopelli was important in linking distant and diverse communities together. In the South American Andes, the 'Ekeko' character functioned in much the same way. Upon arrival, his banging and clanging of his wares dangling all about his person signaled to all that a night of entertainment and trade of his goods and talismans was at hand.