kachina

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ka·chi·na

 (kə-chē′nə) or kat·si·na (kə-chē′nə, kət-sē′-)
n.
1. Any of numerous deified ancestral spirits of the Pueblo peoples, believed to reside in the pueblo for part of each year.
2. A masked dancer believed to embody a particular spirit during a religious ceremony.
3. A carved doll in the costume of a particular spirit, usually presented as a gift to a child.
[Hopi katsina, supernatural being, masked impersonator of a supernatural being.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

kachina

(kəˈtʃiːnə)
n
(Non-European Myth & Legend) any of the supernatural beings believed by the Hopi Indians to be the ancestors of living humans
[from Hopi qačina supernatural]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ka•chi•na

or ka•tci•na

(kəˈtʃi nə)

n., pl. -nas.
1. any of a class of supernatural beings who play a role in the religious beliefs and rituals of Pueblo Indian peoples.
2. a masked dancer impersonating such a being.
3. a carved wooden doll representing a kachina.
[1885–90; < Hopi ḳacína]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.kachina - a masked dancer during a Pueblo religious ceremony who is thought to embody some particular spirit
dancer, professional dancer, terpsichorean - a performer who dances professionally
2.kachina - a deified spirit of the Pueblo people
disembodied spirit, spirit - any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings
3.kachina - a carved doll wearing the costume of a particular Pueblo spirit; usually presented to a child as a gift
doll, dolly - a small replica of a person; used as a toy
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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References in periodicals archive ?
Talayesva says it better: From the last sentence of Sun Chief, describing what he believes will be his role in the afterlife:"...but I will return with good rains and dance as a Katcina in the plaza with my ancestors--even if Oraibi is in ruins." *
Pueblo dancers
(9) Uno de los bailes de los katcina Hopi es el baile del bisonte.
La reserva del etnografo (J. L. Borges: "El Etnografo")
Among the stories included in this volume are: All is finished, The Simpleton's Wisdom, How the Rabbit Lost His Tail, The Mice, The Owl, And The Hawk, The Creation, The Sparrow-Hawk and the Ha'kwa, The Princess Who Rejected Her Cousin, The Crow and the Hawk, The Red Eagle Song, Iya, the Camp Eater, The Red Eagle and the Owl, The Bee and the Asya, The Two Blind Old Women, Coyote Proves Himself a Cannibal, The Emergence, The Fox and the Wildcat, Huruing Wuhti and the Sun, The Kokoshori Katcina & the Shongopavi Maiden, The Origin of Some Mishongnovi Clans, The Tree-bound, The Enchanted Horse, The Son-In-Law Tests, Coyote and Sun, The Children of Cloud, The Creation of Man-Kind and the Flood, The Creation of the World, Old Man Above Creates the World, and many, many more.
Light Of The Moon Publishing Releases Sixth Volume of Native American Folklore Series "Walking With Spirits Native American Myths, Legends, And Folklore"

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