kachina
English
Alternative forms
- katchina, katcina, katsina
Etymology
Borrowed from Hopi katsina.
Noun
kachina (plural kachinas)
- (Pueblo culture) A vaguely ancestral anthropomorphic spirit being, associated with clouds and rain or personifying the power in the sun, the earth, or corn (among other things).
- (Pueblo culture) A wooden doll, as might be given to a child, which represents such a being.
- (Pueblo culture) A masked dancer who represents such a being in a ceremonial dance or masked ceremony.
Translations
spirit being
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wooden doll representing a spirit being
masked dancer representing a spirit being
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