Awanyu
| Avanyu Awanyu | |
|---|---|
Guardian of water | |
plumed serpent |
.JPG)
Avanyu or Awanyu is a
Awanyu is represented as a plumed, or horned serpent, who guards waterways and is a harbinger of storms; a protector of the Pueblo people.[1]
The earliest representations of Avanyu are from 1000 AD. These were found on
Archaeologist Dr. Polly Schaafsma, whose research specializes in Avanyu mythology among other subjects, writes, “The horned serpent continues to be revered as an important deity among the Pueblos and is known by various names among the different linguistic groups, including Kolowisi (Zuni), Paaloloqangw (Hopi), and Awanyu (Tewa)." She goes on to write that Avanyu is also "associated with the four (or six) directions, the colors of which the snakes also assume." Schaafsma notes that the water serpent's home is located in "springs, ponds, rivers, and ultimately the oceans, all believed to be connected under the earth’s surface, and … may cause torrential rains and floods.”[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Avanyu Trail day". Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b Diaz, RoseMary (14 May 2014). "Avanyu: Spirit of water in Pueblo life and art". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
Further reading
- American Irrigation Began With Awanyu the Serpent
- Horned serpent, feathered serpent Archived 2006-04-06 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Media related to Avanyu at Wikimedia Commons- Avanyu: Protecting in the Rio Grande
