Hopi Pueblo All Wood Soyok Mana Katsina Doll [SOLD]

This small version of Soyok Mana, the dreaded Ogre Woman of Hopi, was carved by Wally Navasie, a Hopi-Tewa carver of First Mesa.  It is basically an all-wood single piece carving except for a few fringe items.  The artist achieved an amazing amount of detail in such a small figure.   The folds in the cape and skirt depict the motion of the doll while walking and her beard swings with the gait of her steps.  The hair of her beard is displayed hair by hair and the woven red belt shows the weave of a fabric.

Overall, this is a masterpiece carving of a beautiful figure.  The artist signed his name on the back of the pedestal.  Wally Navasie (b.1967-) is a nephew of both Feather Woman and Frog Woman, and brother to katsina doll carver Muriel Navasie.

To quote Barton Wright:

“Appearing in the company of her towering brothers, the Nataska Mana or Soyok Mana comes during the Powamu ceremony.  Usually, she will be found close to Nataska’s Uncle, and when food is offered to her that does not satisfy the Ogre’s wants, she whistles in disapproval.  She carries only the large burden basket into which she puts any acceptable food.” [Wright, 1973:77]

There is another Ogre Woman katsina that is illustrated as Soyok Wuhti.  To quote Barton Wright on this one:

“The awesome figure of the Monster Woman appears during the Powamu ceremony as one of the many Soyoko who threaten the lives of the children.  Dressed all in black, with long straggling hair, staring eyes and a wide-fanged mouth, she carries a blood-stained knife and a long jangling crook—a truly fearsome creature to the children.  When she speaks, it is in a wailing falsetto or with a long dismal hoot of ‘Soyokό-u-u-u.’ from which her name is derived.  She may reach for the children with the long crook and threaten to put them in the basket on her back, or to cut off their heads with the large knife that she carries in her hand utterly terrifying her young audience.” [ibid.74]

Interestingly, Wright pictures the Soyok Mana on page 77 with a burden basket, knife, and staff, but states that she does not carry a knife and staff.  On page 74, he illustrates Soyok Wuhti with her hair down and carrying a knife and staff, but not carrying a basket.  It appears that these varying pictures reflect variances among the different mesas at Hopi.

On some mesas, she may be the ogre that threatens a small child who has been naughty and bargains with a relative to ransom the child, but on others she is not.  In some villages she leads the procession of ogres; in others she remains at the side, content to make threatening gestures.

Condition: this Soyok Mana Katsina is in excellent condition 

Provenance: this Hopi Pueblo All Wood Soyok Mana Katsina Doll is from the collection of a resident of Chicago

Reference: Kachinas: a Hopi Artist’s Documentary by Barton Wright

Relative Links: Hopi Pueblo, Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, Katsina Dolls, Helen Naha - Feather Woman, Joy Navasie - Frog Woman, Wally Navasie, Hopi Artisan