kachina
- noun
- /kəˈtʃiːnə/
- Literature
- The ceremony featured a dance performed by men dressed as kachinas, honoring the spirit beings of Pueblo religion.
- Hopi kachina
Examples
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The museum has an impressive display of traditional kachinas carved from wood, each representing a different spirit.
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Now the kachinas were intricate, meaningless sculptures that sold for thousands of dollars in hushed, carpeted galleries.
Fiction book (1994) -
So that is Kachina because it looks like a woman with a baby on her back.
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This is an excellent collection of kachina dolls.
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Kachina dolls were considered very sacred.
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"You've been to kachina ceremonials," he said.
Fiction book (1993) -
He was a member of a kachina society and had duties to take care of at the kiva society.
Fiction book (1993) -
"Chee was remembering the kachina dance, the koshare performance.
Fiction book (1993) -
Beside the kitchen door, a shelf held three kachina figures, a seed basket, two good examples of Acoma pottery, and a plastic clock made to represent a coyote howling.
Fiction book (1993) -
Tourists often buy kachinas as souvenirs to remember their visit to the Southwest.
Synonyms
A holy power, spirit, or special object in Native American religion
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kachina comes from the Hopi and other Pueblo languages, where the word means a 'spirit' or a masked 'dancer' in ceremonies. That's why a kachina doll or a masked performer stands for a spirit and is used in Pueblo religious life.