Malcolm Fred
Soyal
13" H
with 1 1/2" base
Malcolm comes from a large
family of Kachina carvers which include brothers Jim, Verlan,
Henry, Nathan and Glen. He has been carving and winning awards
since he was a teenager.
His awards include a Zuni
Fire God which he entered into the 1996 Arizona State Fair. He
is married to and has 3 children with a Zuni lady. One of his
favorite kachinas is the whipper which he seems to do most frequently.
Malcolm is of the Greasewood
and Roadrunner clans, and was raised in the village of Bacavi.
He has been carving for 25 years. His motivation comes from his
religion, history, and the freedom of expressing his inner feelings.
This is the Hopi Soyal Kachina
who comes at Winter Solstice. The Soyal Kachina, also known as
the Return Kachina, is associated with the Third Mesa and his
reappearance in late December signals the beginning of a new
Kachina season. He tours the village placing prayer feathers
at each kiva. These prayer offerings open the way for other Kachinas
to return to the village from the spirit world.
The Soyal Ceremony is the
second great ceremonial and symbolizes the second phase of Creation
at the dawn of life. It accepts and confirms the pattern of life
development for the coming year.
It is often called Soyalangwul,
Establishing Life Anew for All the World. This ceremony helps
to turn the sun back toward its summer path and implements the
life plan for the year. Activities take place in the kiva and
include reverent silence, fasting and humility and eating os
sacred foods to achieve spiritual focus.
Prayer feathers are also prepared
by the men for other purposes and placed in homes, villages and
around the ancestral homeland in shrine sites.
