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| Zuni Fetishes |
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| Zuni Fetishes |
| As a kid, if I went for a walk I came home with stones in my pocket. I still do. There was always a sense of life to these supposedly inanimate objects. When I began learning about the Zuni's beliefs concerning animal spirits in stones which resemble those animals, I felt very comfortable with those beliefs. I've put together some information on Zuni fetishes for my friends. If you have questions, comments, additions, corrections, whatever, drop me an email. |
| General | Design | Uses | Care | Books | Shopping |
| General |
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Animals are partway between human beings and the Great Spirits. This is
because animals are partly like humans (they are mortal, have physical form,
etc.) and partly unlike humans (mysterious, their ways are unknown). Some
animals are closer to humans (dogs, which live with us, or bears which
resemble us physically) and some are closer to the spirits (snakes, whose
movement and striking ability resembles lightning and therefore makes
snakes closer to lightning). Humans are at the bottom of the scale,
because we are not mysterious and we are dependent on those things
around us. The forces of nature (wind or rain, for instance) are at
the higher end of the scale because they are mysterious and not
dependent (or we don't know what they are dependent on). |
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In Zuni mythology, A'wonawil'ona ("the container of all things")
created Father Sun, Moon and two superhuman beings. These two
beings created the creatures which would eventually become
humans, animals, insects, etc. At the beginning of the world,
the great beasts which lived on the earth (which was mostly mud)
were a big problem for human beings. When the twin superhuman
sons of A'wonawil'ona were tasked to dry out the world, spirits
of the great beasts were petrified into stones. The spirits
were told they were kept this way to teach human beings and
to act as translators and mediators to the higher spirits.
This is why it is believed that inanimate objects, such as rocks,
have a spirit within them. That spirit may just be dormant (like
a seed that's not yet growing or a bear in hibernation). It is
the spirit inside the rock which is worshipped and worked with,
not the stone itself. |
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Zuni's believe that all life is interconnected and that
problems are the result of being out of balance with the
web of life and nature's forces. |
| There are animals associated with each of the six directions (the four cardinal points, plus the upper regions (above) and lower regions (below). There are actually two groups of animals -- one for protection and healing and the other for hunting. |
| Direction | Protection & Healing | Hunting | Color |
| East | Wolf | Wolf | White |
| South | Badger | Bobcat | Red |
| West | Bear | Coyote | Blue |
| North | Mountain lion | Mountain lion | Yellow |
| Above | Eagle | Eagle | All colors |
| Below | Mole | Mole | Black |
| For each animal, one of the color for the direction is considered the elder brother of those of different colors. For example, a yellow mountain lion is the elder brother of a blue mountain lion. In turn, a blue mountain lion is the elder brother of a red mountain lion, and so on round the circle, going counter-clockwise. |
| Design |
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Most Zuni fetish carvings are around 2 to 4 inches in length. Most are
carved from stone, although you may find carvings made from antler or
shell available as well. A fetish may have an "offering bundle" attached.
A bundle may contain bits of turquoise, heishe shell, beads or some other item
and may be attached with sinew, fishing wire, etc. The bundle is an offering to
the spirit of the fetish. |
| Some fetishes have a "heartline". A heartline goes from the mouth of the fetish to the heart, on both sides of the carving, and ends in an arrow (or triangle) shape. This lines marks the path of the spirit's breath. This serves two purposes. The heartline acknowledges the spirit in the carving is alive. Also, in some uses of the fetish, the shaman or warrior will take in the breath of the fetish (to help absorb the essence of its spirit) and the heartline makes this connection stronger. |
| Uses |
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Fetishes are made for many other animals besides those associated
with the directions. The hunter would use a fetish for the
animal which is the best hunter for the game he wants to kill.
He would ritually feed the "prey" fetish, chant, sing, and
otherwise acknowledge its spirit and those of the natural forces. At
this point, the hunter may breathe in the fetish's spirit's breath in
order to absorb its essence. |
| He may also use a fetish for the game animal itself, to promote the game animal's fertility and to ask the game animal for it's willingness to give up it's life to feed the hunter's family. Also, after a kill, the hunter will dip the prey fetish in the game animal's blood as a reward. The hunter would also pray that the game's spirit would be preserved and immortalized. |
| Hal Bennett's excellent book describes methods of getting to know and consulting your fetishes. Meditating with them opens up conversations with the spirits within. Bennett gives a good explanation of the attributes of the different animals (I'll summarize the main ones below) in order to help you decide which fetish to use. You may have a decision to make or want to seek advice on a particular subject. Knowing which fetish best meets your needs can be very useful. |
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| Care |
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Traditionally, fetishes reside in a fetish bowl. The bowl is
anywhere from a couple inches to around a foot in width. Bowls
are usually fairly plain. They may be covered in crushed turquoise
and may have a lightning or other simple design. The bowl may
contain corn meal or something else for the fetishes to rest on. |
| The bowl will usually have feeding holes, through which the fetishes are given a daily meal. The meal can be corn meal, crushed turquoise, or a bit of what the family who owns the fetish is eating themselves. Food is placed before the fetish for a short period of time (maybe half an hour) so the spirit of the fetish can consume the spirit of the food. When done with the food, it should be buried. Food whose essence has been consumed by a fetish should not be burned, because it will give offense to Air spirits to give them food which has already been used. |
| Books |
| Shopping |
| General | Design | Uses | Care | Books | Shopping |