Hú

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Hú, also called Huhuwa or Tithu, is the hummingbird Kachina in Hopi and Zuni cultures. The hummingbird is important because legend says it helps bring rain to the people. Hummingbird feathers are valued in ceremonies and dance costumes.

Hú dolls are carved from cottonwood root. In ceremonies, the Hú dancer bobs and calls like a bird. His songs are prayers for rain to water the crops in spring. Women give him baskets of flowers, then scatter to gather more flowers so the rain won’t be scared away, like a hummingbird.

The Hú dancer appears in winter and spring ceremonies, and in summer night dances in a smaller role. These dances are often held in underground ceremonial rooms opened only for the Hú dance.