Hopi Kachina 143 FIG. 7 (above): Paiakyamû (Hano clown or Koshare). This clown accompanies a maiden, imitating her gestures in comically exaggerated fashion (Fewkes 1899: 120, LVIII). He derives from the Rio Grande pueblos and was probably introduced by the Tewa into Hano, when they arrived from the east. They perform during spring and summer fertility rites, their outlandish behavior holding a mirror to society. Being a Koshare is a calling; it is a semi-religious position that is honored by the community. Copy photo by Scott McCue. FIG. 6 (below): Piptuka (Clown). Piptuka appears in public dances carrying a hoe over his shoulder and a digging stick in his other hand, indicating his connection to agriculture (Fewkes 1899: 116, LII). On a more abstract level, the instruments also allude to the female and male principles. Like all clowns, Piptuka’s comic, often scatalogical behavior represents disorder in the Middle World, graphically demonstrating how humans should not act. For this reason, clowns are somewhat feared by the Hopi as a source of public censure for un-Hopi behavior. Copy photo by Scott McCue.
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