Kachina Doll Clipart
Crow Mother, Mudhead and Warrior Mouse

The Crow Mother Kachina (Angwusnasomtaka) is a figure of great dignity and considered by many Hopi to be the Mother of all Kachinas. She appears on all three mesas and supervises the initiation of the children into the Kachina cult.

Later in the ceremony, she leads other Kachinas into the village holding a basket of corn kernels and bean sprouts to start the new season properly. The Crow Mother is also responsible for preparing the yucca whips for the ceremonies. She is shown here carrying a bundle of whips.

The Kachina is easy to identify because of the large crow wings on the sides of the mask. The blue-green case mask has a single inverted triangle design on the front and a small turkey feather atop the mask.

This particular figure represents the fabled "Warrior Mouse." While not actually a kachina, he has earned himself a respectable place in the hearts of young and old alike.

As the story goes, the village was being threatened by a nasty old hawk - he was eating all the village chickens. The old men knew he must be killed, the boys knew he must be killed, and all the women and children knew he must be killed - but no one knew how, and all their plans had failed.

The Village Chief and Town Crier were very worried and had met in private to smoke and ponder upon the subject. Even they did not know how to rid themselves of the marauding hawk.

Then late one night, a little mouse sat smoking in his little kiva - and he felt bad for the people and decided that he would kill the hawk. So that night he went to the home of the Village Chief.

Upon being invited in, he ate and smoked, and the chief smoked, and the mouse told him why he had come. He was going to kill the hawk. At first the chief was amused, and then he was concerned, but he accepted the offer anyway.

When the Town Crier and the rest of the village heard about the plans of the mouse, they shook their head and questioned the village leader. But some thought maybe the mouse had special power. So they prepared anyway.

A date was set, and preparations took place. People came from all the other villages to see their friends and relatives, to talk and joke, and of course to eat. They came to see the mouse who was to kill the hawk.

The mouse had also prepared. He had sharpened the end of a greasewood stick and dug a long tunnel from his kiva into the plaza. There he dug another hole reaching to the surface. He smoked all night before the day of the warrior's dance. He dressed himself in warpaint and feathers and took his club and bow.

He set the warriors standard on the ladder of his kiva, and when it was time he emerged dancing and singing his little warrior song - The hawk kills chickens, and the hawk kills rabbits, but the hawk will not kill the warrior mouse!

The people all watched in amazement - some in doubt, as the hawk sat watching from far away. He was angry with this mouse and flew off to destroy him - but the mouse danced close to the opening of his kiva and ducked inside each time the hawk came close.

Then finally he went into the tunnel he had dug and drove the sharp spear up through the ground next to the opening in the earth, and he went back out singing and dancing. Only this time he went far away from his kiva, and all the people thought the hawk would get him for sure. It was just then that the hawk swooped down low to snatch up the pesky mouse, but the mouse dropped down into the hole he had dug, and the hawk, who did not see the spear in the ground, impaled himself, slicing his throught, and rolled over dead.

The villagers were amazed, and the little mouse was honored as a hero - and they celebrated. And that is how the mouse defeated the hawk.