Kokopelli Legends & Lore

Kokopelli is a Hopi word
meaning (roughly) wooden-backed;
most of the familiar depictions of
Kokopelli are copied from Hopi art,
which in turn is derived from ancient Anasazi glyphs.

Ko-ko-pel-li
n. {der. Hopi "kokopilau" (koko = wood, pilau = hump)}
the humpbacked Flute Player, mythical Hopi symbol of fertility,
replenishment, music, dance, and mischief.

Known as a fertility god, prankster, healer and story teller, Kokopelli has been a source of wonder throughout the country for centuries. Kokopelli embodies the true American Southwest, and dates back over 3,000 years ago, when the first petroglyphs were carved. Although his true origins are unknown, this traveling, flute-playing Casanova is a sacred figure to many Southwestern Native Americans. Carvings of this hunch-backed flute-playing figure have been found painted and carved into rock walls and boulders throughout the Southwest.

There are many myths of the famous Kokopelli. One of which is that he traveled from village to village bringing the changing of winter to spring; melting the snow and bringing about rain for a successful harvest. It is also said that the hunch on his back depicted the sacks of seeds and songs he carried. Legend also has it that the flute playing also symbolized the transition of winter to spring. Kokopelli’s flute is said to be heard in the spring’s breeze, while bringing warmth. It is also said that he was the source of human conception. Legend has it, everyone in the village would sing and dance throughout the night when they heard Kokopelli play his flute. The next morning, every maiden in the village would be with child.

Whatever the true meaning of Kokopelli is, he has been a source of music making and dancing, and spreading joy to those around him. Even today, Kokopelli, with his hunchback and flute, is always welcome in our homes.

The legend of Kokopelli (pronounced "Coke-a-pellie") is well-preserved in ancient rock carvings and paintings dating back as far as 3,000 years. His legend however, is no less popular today - having survived more than one hundred generations. Below, is a compilation of stories collected through many hours of research. Certainly, you can find more stories (and images in Art) on the World wide web.

Kokopelli Kingdom

Kokopelli, distinguished by his hunch-back, dancing pose, and flute, is the only anthropomorphic petroglyph to have a name, an identity, and an established gender. His name may have been derived from the Zuni name for god ("Koko") and the Indian name for the Desert Robber Fly ("pelli"). His association with the Desert Robber Fly may stem from the fact that this insect too, has a hump on his back and a prominent proboscis. But, Kokopelli is known by other names, as well. To the Hopi, he is known as "Kokopilau" - meaning "wood hump". To others, he is known as Kokopele, Kokopetiyot, and Olowlowishkya. He also bears a nickname - "Casanova of the Cliff Dwellers", a tribute to his image and legend. Kokopelli's lesser known female counterpart is known as "Kokopelli Mana".

Kokopelli is a prehistoric deity depicted frequently in ancient rock art, estimated to be over a thousand years old.

Found throughout the mountains, deserts, and high plains of the southwestern United States. Frequently shown as a hump-backed flute player, this mythic being has survived in recognizable form from Anasazi times to the present. Kokopelli can also be found in various other places throughout the world such as SF hotels and hotels in Chicago Illinois as artwork or on different items.

There is an appealing and timeless quality about Kokopelli which fascinates everyone, even in our modern technological age.

Other Names

Kokopele
Kokopelli-mana or Kokopelmana
(actually, Kokopelli's wife - Hohokam)
Kokopeltiyo
Kokopilau
Neopkwai'i (Pueblo)
Ololowishkya (Zuni)

Sacred Path Cards
The Discovery of Self through Native Teachings
By Jamie Sams

"If Kokopelli has lured you with his magical flute, it is time to listen to his song.
This song is one of fertility. You are being asked to use your talents to
create fertility in some area of your life. If things have been slow moving,
Kokopelli's song is saying that whatever you intend to plant at this time will
be very productive for you.

Planting seeds for the future takes effort on your part, so now is the
time to use your skill and resources to make use of the magic.
If you have a project to begin or an idea to develop, the timing couldn't be better.
Shift away from any old, limiting ideas and move forward. The time is now - the power is you !"

The Ballad of Kokopelli?

A strange lonely figure stares out of the past
where engraved by an artist in stone
Held firm by the sand in which he is cast,
these last thousand years quite alone.
Could he be listening, trying to hear
moccasins scuffing the butte?
Bringing the people once again near
to hear Kokopelli's sweet flute?

His image inscribed on a thousand rock faces
from east to the great western sea;
From Sonora's hot sun to the north glaciers bases,
proclaiming this loved tutelary.
Though powers possessed and methods employed
are often in open dispute;
One thing is agreed, the people did love
to hear Kokopelli's sweet flute.

This stick figure man, with a hump on his back
seemed always to cast a good feeling;
His magic perhaps, taken out of his pack
would comfort the sick and do healing.
Whatever his talents, they surely were grand,
a fact no one cares to refute,
As people would come from afar in the land,
to hear Kokopelli's sweet flute.

Kokopelli play for me,
So my heart may sing,
Magic flute of mystery,
Fruitful dreams you bring.
Song of Aztlan,
Fertile Fire,
Canyons of my mind,
Sacred union,
Heart to heart,
Speaks of the Divine.

Kokopelli

I am Kokopelli,
All are Kokopelli.
There is nothing that is not Kokopelli.
I as Kokopelli am myself, in search of Kokopelli.
When Kokopelli meets Kokopelli,
Kokopelli is pleased.
All who know the mystery of Kokopelli's play,
Sense the future that is on it's way.
Listen for the simple beauty of the flute,
It hearkens the truth and enlightens the route.
Go Kokopelli!
Kokopelli.

His Images

Kokopelli's image varies as much as the legends about him, but he is generally depicted as a hunch-back flute player in a dancing pose with a festive crest on his head, and sometimes exhibiting male genitalia of exaggerated size. Images painted on ceramics ten centuries ago by the Hohokam (Arizona Pueblo) have become the prototype for modern representations.

Kokopelli's hump is sometimes represented as an arc which covers his entire back. Other times, it covers only the lower half of his back. His arms are usually represented as a "V" shape with his elbows pointing down toward the Earth. His forward leg is usually represented as a continuation of the curved line which outlines his hump. Likewise, his rear leg is usually represented as a continuation of the front line of his body. The flute, which is actually a nose flute, is usually represented as a straight line, or pair of straight lines. Sometimes, however, it is curved. Often, it has a bulbous end - like the end of a clarinet. An even number of crest elements are usually found on Kokopelli's head. In Pueblo culture, the festive crest represents the paired antennae of the katydid (grasshopper), with which he is sometimes associated. When being represented in the "Spirit World", he appears with feathers on his head. In other depictions, the crest on his head represents rays of light.

When present, Kokopelli's phallus is unusually long and erect, symbolizing the fertile seeds of human reproduction. It usually projects upward from the lower body and is sometimes only represented as a single line or arrow. His phallus is clearly depicted in a thousand year old bowl displayed at Mesa Verde National Park. It is thought that Kokopelli's image was "cleaned up" over the years (his phallus depicted less often) due, in part, to the influence of Catholic priests who worked hard to Christianize the natives of the American Southwest. In the modern genre, Kokopelli often wears a kilt and a sash.

Contemporary artists who have playfully portrayed Kokopelli as a skier, scuba diver, golfer, and rock star can be found, for sure. But there is no documentation to support the historical accuracy of any of these representations, except perhaps, his portrayal as a rock star. He certainly appears on many rocks in the Southwest!

His Legends

The legend of Kokopelli is wonderfully rich and entertaining. Though, his origin as a deity and the evolution of his role in Southwestern Indian culture is difficult, if not impossible, to reconstruct. Evidenced by a huge number of ancient artifacts, it is clear that Kokopelli was important to many Native American tribes. He is especially prominent in the ancient Anasazi culture of the "Four Corners" area (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah). Some have compared his importance to the Southwestern Indians to that of Abraham to the Jews and that of Paul to the Christians.

Still revered by current descendants of Native Americans (including the Hopi, Taos, and Acoma Pueblo peoples), he is truly one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Indian mythology. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit are the primary reasons why he achieved such a prominent position in Native American mysticism. He possessed a playful, carefree nature that seemed to bring out the "good" in everyone. Kokopelli is so irresistibly charismatic that he has been reinvented time and time again for thousands of years by storytellers, artists, and craftsmen. Many people, like the hosts of KokOasis.com, believe his magical properties still delight and abound.

Known to some as a magician, to others he was a storyteller, teacher, healer, trickster, trader, or god of the harvest. Some even credit Kokopelli with being the "original" journalist. Almost universally however, he was regarded as a harbinger of fertility, assuring success in hunting, growing crops, and human conception. The Anasazi, who were first to claim Kokopelli, were primarily farmers who grew corn, beans, and squash on the Colorado Plateau. They regarded Kokopelli as a fertility symbol and he was always welcomed during corn planting season. A visit from Kokopelli insured that a good harvest was in store. According to Navajo legend, Kokopelli was the God of Harvest and Plenty - a benign minor god who brought abundant rain and food to people. The Zuni also regarded him as a Rain Priest, able to make it rain at will.

Others regarded him as a Spiritual Priest with actual healing powers. When Hopi women could not bear children, they would seek him out because he was able to restore their childbearing powers. According to Hopi legend, Kokopelli spent most of his time sewing seed and seducing the daughters of the village while his wife, Kokopelli Mana, ran after the men! The Winnebago believed Kokopelli was capable of detaching his penis (ouch) and sending it down the river to "have his way" with the innocent young maidens who were bathing in the stream.

The lore of southern Utah paints Kokopelli as a little man who used to travel throughout the villages carrying a bag of corn seed on his back, teaching the people how to plant as he traveled. He was also said to have traded beads and shells for pieces of turquoise. Some speculate that this image of Kokopelli may have been derived from traveling traders of the time who announced their arrival by playing a flute as they approached - a tradition that is still practiced in Central America.

Many different legends exist about what Kokopelli actually carried in his sack. In Pueblo myths, he carried seeds, babies, and blankets to offer the maidens he seduced. According to the Navajo, his hump was made of clouds filled with seeds and rainbows. In the Hopi village of Oraibi, they believe he carried deer skin shirts and moccasins which he used to barter for brides or babies which he left with the young women. Others believe that Kokopelli's sack contained the seeds of all the plants and flowers of the world, which he scattered every Spring.

According to San Ildefonso legend, Kokopelli was a wandering minstrel who carried songs on his back, trading new songs for old ones. According to this legend, Kokopelli brought good luck and prosperity to anyone who listened to his songs. Kokopelli embodied everything pure and spiritual about music. He and his magical flute traveled from village to village bestowing gifts and spreading cheer to all whom he visited. His flute was said to symbolize happiness and joy. When he played his flute, the sun came out, the snow melted, grass began to grow, birds began to sing, and all the animals gathered around to hear his songs. His flute music soothed the Earth and made it ready to receive his seed. The magic of his flute was also thought to stimulate creativity and help good dreams come true.

The above information is from Kokoasis who writes:

"Our own interest and enthusiasm about Kokopelli started in the fall of 1998 when we discovered him in Arizona. As we have learned more about the legends and lore associated with him, we have incorporated his images (and, indeed, his spirit) in the way we manage our properties."

The magic of his flute was also thought to stimulate creativity and help good dreams come true. Kokopelli has been the inspiration for many to play the flute today. More modern style flutes, such as flutes from Armstrong, are played today by many thanks to this legend.