All About Kokopelli

For centuries, Kokopelli's image has appeared on canyon walls and boulders in the Southwest in both petroglyphs and pictographs. His likeness varies almost as much as his legends. He is usually shown as a humpbacked flute player (often with a large phallus and antenna-like protrusions on his head). Some images show knobby knees and club feet. These physical deformities, along with the humpback and permanent erection are the result of Pot's Disease, a form of tuberculosis.

Who is Kokopelli? Kokopelli was the predominate figure in the religious landscape of the Southwest, from 500 AD through 1325 AD until the new Katsina Cults became all the rage. Kokopelli is most typically viewed as a fertility deity, still worshipped by many Native American tribes in the Southwest. He is also seen as a trickster, traveling salesman, insect, musician, warrior and hunting magician.

Kokopelli folklore demonstrates that he was a character embraced by a wide range of tribal peoples. His folklore has matured over the centuries reflecting the depth of oral tradition.

The oldest known reference to Kokopelli is from the Pueblo People's creation myth. The people (before they were human) lived below, underground, down in the caves of the third world. They climbed up the one-pole centipede ladder and emerged through the sipapu into the sunlight of this, the fourth world. But the people had forgotten to bring the seeds needed to plant in their new home. An old, old man volunteered to climb back down into the caves of the third world and retrieve the seeds they would need. He gathered the seeds into a sack, slinging it over his shoulder. He climbed back up into the sunlight of this, the fourth world. The old man with his sack of seeds slung over his shoulder is the first Kokopelli image known.

Kokopelli Today: Kokopelli's influence has now spread beyond the Four Corners, and he is one of the most widely recognized images today. He can be found on anything such as clothing, jewelry, furniture, glassware, linens, tote bags, golf balls, key rings, ceramic tiles, Christmas ornaments and cigarette lighters - some die-hard fans even have a Kokopelli tattoo. Kokopelli is used in advertisements, his image is part of some business logos & some companies have even chosen him as their mascot. Kokopelli-mania is now common as evidenced by web sites such as Kokopelli Kave.

Powered by something magical, Kokopelli has now evolved into one of our most popular icons. For over 800 years the image of the humpbacked flute player fed the imaginations of the people of the Southwest and today his backpack full of seeds still feeds the world.