kachina

• Substantif désignant un danseur masqué lors de cérémonies religieuses pueblo, censé incarner un esprit particulier ; un esprit divinisé du peuple pueblo ; ou une poupée en bois sculpté représentant un tel esprit, souvent offerte aux enfants.

A noun referring to a masked dancer in Pueblo religious ceremonies believed to embody a specific spirit, a deified spirit of the Pueblo people, or a carved doll representing such a spirit, often given as a gift to a child.

1. Ceremonial dancerC1formalamerican

   A masked performer in Pueblo religious ceremonies who is believed to embody a specific spirit or deity.

   Danseur kachina

   • The kachina danced for hours during the ceremony.
   • Villagers gathered to watch the kachina perform.
   • Each kachina represents a different ancestral spirit.

2. Ancestral spiritC1formalamerican

   A deified spirit or supernatural being in the belief system of the Pueblo peoples.

   Esprit ancestral kachina

   • The Hopi people honor the kachina as a messenger of the gods.
   • Kachina spirits are believed to bring rain and fertility.
   • The kachina is central to Pueblo cosmology.

3. Carved dollC1formalamerican

   A wooden doll carved and painted to represent a specific kachina spirit, often given to children as a teaching tool or gift.

   Poupée kachina

   • The child received a beautifully painted kachina doll.
   • Collectors seek authentic kachina dolls from the Southwest.
   • Kachina dolls are used to teach children about spiritual traditions.