Product Description

According to legend, Kokopelli, a magical figure with a hump on his back, used to wander from pueblo to pueblo across the American West, playing sweet music to everyone—and also playing Don Juan among the women. Possibly this legend began with a real man, perhaps a trader carrying a pack. But over time Kokopelli has become a symbol for many different things, as Lawrence W. Cheek points out in this entertaining and informative addition to the Look West series from Rio Nuevo Publishers.

Sometimes, when his image appears in pre-Columbian rock art and pottery, Kokopelli is clearly a fertility symbol. He also represents the coming of spring, the spirit of celebration, and the joy of music. On another level, he is a traveling salesman with a roving eye, the hero, or villain of many stories, some not suitable for prime time. His musical instrument may actually have been a nose flute, and the purported contents of his bulging pack include seeds, rain, clouds, rainbows, songs...and babies.

Even more clearly, Kokopelli has come to symbolize the spirit of the Southwest in a very simple commercial way. His dancing image appears in sculpture and jewelry as well as cookie cutters, snow globes, T-shirts, cigarette lighters, and neon signs. It would seem that Kokopelli, the salesman, is still traveling. 30 photos & illustrations. About the series: Look West: What do you find? Wide, wild landscapes...extraordinary plants and animals...rugged people rich in history...ghost towns and working ranches...ancient pueblos and ultramodern urban areas. In the West, coyotes howl. Native Americans endure and flourish. Kokopelli, the mythical humpbacked flute player, prances across the cliff dwellings and into popular culture—and thousands of curio shops. Every small, handsome book in Rio Nuevo Publishers' new Look West series presents a unique aspect of the American West. Using words and pictures, each volume explores a special Western topic or phenomenon, and all have been written and illustrated by regional experts. Each of these attractive 6 x 6-inch hardcover books contains 64 pages of text, illustrations, and photographs. And each one allows the reader to capture the spirit of the West in the palm of a hand.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1172273 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

About the Author
Lawrence W. Cheek is the author of nine previous books, including A.D. 1250: Ancient Peoples of the Southwest, and over 600 articles for national and regional publications including America West, American Heritage, Architecture, Sunset, Arizona Highways, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. His work has twice been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. A longtime resident of the Southwest, he now lives in Issaquah, Washington.

Customer Reviews

An Interesting Read...
I wasn't sure that I would like this book when I purchased it from Amazon. At the time, there was only one little review on it and some brief publication information. Nevertheless, I took the risk and added it to my cart! AND I am so glad that I did! :) The Look West Series: Kokopelli by Lawrence W. Cheek proves to be a nice little treasure worth reading because it presents some interesting theories about and thought-provoking images on the timeless icon. It also makes the reader hungry for more in-depth Kokopelli studies--beyond the scope of this introductory book.

The book is a great size for reading and examination. The fonts / texts are of a suitable size and clarity, which helps eyeglass wearers. Many pages contain lovely color images depicting various versions of Kokopelli. Some of the notable images are...

Kokopelli Orchestra on Escarpment Near Santa Fe (Page 2) // This is a fun photograph depicting the merry flute-playing figure as he often appears in rock art. In this particular image, a group of Kokopellis are happily playing their flutes, apparently on their way to a large crevice in the rock.

Kokopelli and various other images at Petrified Forest National Park (Page 11) // The rocks appear to be some sort of story captured in stone...a rigid tapestry of images to decipher.

A Contemporary Navajo weaving from Visitors Center, Monument Valley Tribal Park, Utah (Page 16) // This is a wonderful illustration of how the flute-player has captured the modern imagination. The rich earth tones are comforting and warm.

Canyon de Chelly Rock Art (Page 39) // Strange Twin Flute-Players and animal like characters decorate an ancient rock.

To give potential readers a glimpse at what they may expect from this book, I include the following information. The book's jacket offers an intriguing (and amusing!) question to open this discussion on the Kokopelli mystery:

"Just who was this prehistoric Pied Piper? About 1500 years ago [pre-Columbian period], the hunchbacked flute-playing figure we call Kokopelli first appeared in North American rock art. Today he decorates everything from jewelry to potholders. Whether originally he was a deity, a trickster, a wandering Casanova, a fertility symbol, or just a traveling salesman carrying goods on his back, there's no doubt he got around. Kokopelli shows up in rock and ceramic art all across the Southwest--even as north as the Canadian Rockies. Stories of insect-like, fun-loving flute players abound in Pueblo traditions. He seems to have served many cultures, including our own. One thing is clear, however: much of what we think we know about the humpbacked figure known today as "Kokopelli" is based on a modern misunderstanding" (Quoted from book jacket, first flap).

The author sets out to demonstrate that misunderstanding in well-selected slices of research and engaging photographs.

One of the most illuminating parts of the book is the author's presentation of and commentary on Kokopelli theories that suggests that, if the ancient flute player had been a real person, he may have suffered from a painful condition called Pott's disease, which causes deformities and other physical problems--"features" that can be observed in petroglyphs.

To offer more cultural flavor, the book includes also three Southwestern folktales:

Coyote and The Flute Player
Beauty and the Bug
Man Crazy

NOTE: The book contains adult-oriented theme and would not be suitable for young children.

Rock art & more
Finally a book for adults that deals with this ancient 'American folk character'. Cheek presents archaeological theories as to who or what this mythic figure may be. I enjoyed it a lot.