Original Painting “Germination Katsinas” by Pablita Velarde [R]

Ahöla, a winter solstice katsina, arrives to open the kivas for the other katsinas' visitations. He blesses all the houses in the village and the seeds that each household will plant in the upcoming agricultural season.

In Hopi, the word qatsina means literally “life bringer,” and can be anything that exists in the natural world or cosmos. A katsina can be anything from an element, to a quality, to a natural phenomenon, to a concept.

Ahöla is associated with the sun and germination. He first appears in December, following the winter solstice, and begins the new season by ritually opening the kivas in anticipation of the other katsinas' return. Ahöla moves through the pueblo, visiting every clean house and blessing women's seed corn. At his arrival, the community offers prayers to the sun for harvest, a long life, health, and happiness.

Date: Undated. Circa 1970. Signed lower right.

Provenance: From the estate of Fred & Margaret Chase, Enchanted Mesa, Albuquerque, NM. This hung over their bed in the master bedroom.