Rain God of the North (Saiyatasha, Siatasha, or Sayatasha)

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One of the members of the Zuni Council of the Gods, Sayatasha, or Longhorn, wears a mask that bears a long sweeping horn. The horn is evocative of the trailing walls of rain and virga that accompany the monsoonal flows that swing around from the North in the American Southwest, making the horned appearance of Sayatasha one associated with life-giving force and deep appreciation, rather than one of monstrosity.

Photo Credit: 

 
"Siatasha kachina doll, She-we-na (Zuni) culture, late 19th century,"Museum Expedition 1903, (03.325.4630), Brooklyn Museum, is licensed und CC BY.

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