The Spider Woman Myth
By James Donahue
As we lived among both the Navajo and Hopi people we heard stories of Spider Woman, their name for the great creator of the people. Raymond Begay took us out along the rim of Canyon de Chelly and pointed out a tall pointed rock formation where he believed Spider Woman lived.
Not long after that, we befriended Ted Kootsewatewa, a Hopi two-horned priest, who talked about a path leading from his home at the foot of the Second Mesa, toward the village of Mishongnovi, where he said he believed Spider Woman made her home.
While the Spider Woman myth was known to these tribes, we discovered that another God figure, Masau, was said by both the Hopi and their cliff-dwelling ancestors, the Anasazi, as the all-powerful creator of the world.
It must be noted that both Begay and Kootsewatewa are priests, and therefore recognized as spiritual leaders among the tribes. Thus they spoke with high authority. They made it clear that neither Spider Woman nor Masau were worshipped. The relationship was more of respect and perhaps even a state of awe, but the people never bowed down to these so-called power figures.
Begay told of a dream in which he became entangled in a great web before coming face-to-face with Spider Woman. Rather than attempt to flee, Begay said he realized that he had no other route to travel than to go directly into the image, which he did. He later recognized the dream as an important test during his personal spiritual journey.
The Pueblo people recognize Awonawilona as the creator of everything, including the sun. The Algonquin know the creator as the Great Spirit Kitcki Manitou. The Cherokee call him Ocasta, a name that means "stone coat." The story is that the creator wears a coat that appears to be made of stones. Hearing these myths may have helped prepare my wife and me for the concept of alien origins when presented some years later.
When we heard about Zecharia Sitchin’s theory that human origins may have sprung from an advanced alien race that visited Earth many thousands of years ago to plant DNA in native primates and turn them into thinking, reasoning and conscious beings, we recognized a story that slides smoothly into native mythology. It appears to be in total conflict with Christian teachings . . . yet the Book of Genesis speaks of “giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story found carved on ancient stone tablets from Mesopotamia, told a similar story and called the invaders Nephilim.
That the Pueblo god Awonawilona also is recognized as the god of the sun parallels the Egyptian myth of Ra and Horus. That most native tribes on this planet share a respect for both the Earth and the Sun, recognizing them as sentient beings, also shows an understanding of the intelligent energy of the Universe that we commonly identify as God.
The concept of Spider Woman as the creator and controller of life also is important. The Navajo and Hopi stories suggest that the creator may have a female component. She is the mother of all things. Somehow that makes a lot of sense.
By James Donahue
As we lived among both the Navajo and Hopi people we heard stories of Spider Woman, their name for the great creator of the people. Raymond Begay took us out along the rim of Canyon de Chelly and pointed out a tall pointed rock formation where he believed Spider Woman lived.
Not long after that, we befriended Ted Kootsewatewa, a Hopi two-horned priest, who talked about a path leading from his home at the foot of the Second Mesa, toward the village of Mishongnovi, where he said he believed Spider Woman made her home.
While the Spider Woman myth was known to these tribes, we discovered that another God figure, Masau, was said by both the Hopi and their cliff-dwelling ancestors, the Anasazi, as the all-powerful creator of the world.
It must be noted that both Begay and Kootsewatewa are priests, and therefore recognized as spiritual leaders among the tribes. Thus they spoke with high authority. They made it clear that neither Spider Woman nor Masau were worshipped. The relationship was more of respect and perhaps even a state of awe, but the people never bowed down to these so-called power figures.
Begay told of a dream in which he became entangled in a great web before coming face-to-face with Spider Woman. Rather than attempt to flee, Begay said he realized that he had no other route to travel than to go directly into the image, which he did. He later recognized the dream as an important test during his personal spiritual journey.
The Pueblo people recognize Awonawilona as the creator of everything, including the sun. The Algonquin know the creator as the Great Spirit Kitcki Manitou. The Cherokee call him Ocasta, a name that means "stone coat." The story is that the creator wears a coat that appears to be made of stones. Hearing these myths may have helped prepare my wife and me for the concept of alien origins when presented some years later.
When we heard about Zecharia Sitchin’s theory that human origins may have sprung from an advanced alien race that visited Earth many thousands of years ago to plant DNA in native primates and turn them into thinking, reasoning and conscious beings, we recognized a story that slides smoothly into native mythology. It appears to be in total conflict with Christian teachings . . . yet the Book of Genesis speaks of “giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story found carved on ancient stone tablets from Mesopotamia, told a similar story and called the invaders Nephilim.
That the Pueblo god Awonawilona also is recognized as the god of the sun parallels the Egyptian myth of Ra and Horus. That most native tribes on this planet share a respect for both the Earth and the Sun, recognizing them as sentient beings, also shows an understanding of the intelligent energy of the Universe that we commonly identify as God.
The concept of Spider Woman as the creator and controller of life also is important. The Navajo and Hopi stories suggest that the creator may have a female component. She is the mother of all things. Somehow that makes a lot of sense.