Book
Maasaw: profile of a Hopi god
University of Nebraska Press • 11 • Published In 1987 • Pages: ix, 273
By: Malotki, Ekkehart, Lomatuway'ma, Michael.
Abstract
The god Maasaw is without doubt one of the most important beings in the entire pantheon of Hopi mythological figures. His pervasiveness in Hopi culture is reflected in the great variety of folk beliefs associated with him as a god, as well as the numerous tales in which he acts as the protagonist. This document investigates the rise in status of Maasaw from that of a prankster and trickster to that of a near-monotheistic divinity. The author describes his many roles as god of death and ruler of the underworld, aboriginal proprietor of the earth, the owner of fire and crops, the maker of all things animal and vegetable, the giver and caretaker of life, the defender of Hopi ways, and as a powerful war deity. Today (1990s) Maasaw …"is regarded as either Satan or Great Spirit within Hopi society" (p. 4).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2000
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Southwest and Basin
- Document Type
- Book
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle; 1999
- Field Date
- 1984-1985
- Coverage Date
- not specified
- Coverage Place
- Second and Third Mesa pueblos, northeastern Arizona, United States
- Notes
- Ekkehart Malotki, Michael Lomatuway'ma ; drawings by Petra Roeckerath
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-268)
- LCCN
- 87000163
- LCSH
- Hopi Indians