Nature
Worship: The Pueblo got everything they needed
from nature. It is not surprising that they would wish to say thank
you.
Pueblo
Gods: They had powerful gods. Father and Earth
Mother had two sons - the War Gods - who both had magical powers. The
Sky Serpent was the god who brought rain. The Spider Woman was the
goddess of weaving. There were many, many more.
Kachinas: Kachinas
are strong spirits that control nature. There are over 300 different
Kachinas in the Pueblo religion. The Pueblo pray to the spirits for
help in their daily life. They thank the Kachinas for their families,
their homes, their crops, and their health every day.
Kivas: In
olden times, a kiva was an large underground chamber or room used for
secret religious ceremonies. The Pueblo prayed to kachinas in the
kivas.
Today, modern kivas are circular or rectangular
in shape. They have a fire pit in the center and a timbered roof.
There is an opening in the floor - a hole - that represents the
entrance to the lower world.
The Pueblo believed that all life climbed up from
the lower world to enter this world. Hopi tradition tells of their
people inhabiting three underworlds before finally moving into their
present one, in this world. Most Pueblo people believed the same.
Kivas were the center of Pueblo religious life.
The Pueblo believe that people must live in harmony with nature. They
believe that things will work out, if they conduct ceremonies
correctly.
Ruler
Priests: In olden times, the most important
members of the village were the priests. Priests were not concerned
with war. Their job was to make sure that all religious ceremonies
were conducted corrected, so that harmony could be achieved.
Kachina
Dolls
Pueblo
Index
