"Koshare or Koyala
is the name of a Rio Grande clown that is often seen on the Hopi
Mesas. The Hopis very frequently call this clown the Hano or
Tewa clown as the Tewa of that village seem to have introduced
this personage to the Hopi mesas.
These clowns are considered
to be the fathers of the kachinas. They behave in the usual manner
of pueblo clowns, engaging in loud and boisterous conversation,
immoderate actions, and gluttony.
They are often drummers
for other dances."
- Barton Wright,
Kachinas: a Hopi Artist's Documentary (239)
The always mischievous
and sometimes gluttonous Koshare are perfect satire of normal
village life. Their facial features, posture, and body movements
tell us so much about the attitude of life in the Hopi plaza.