Corn Mother emerges from Sipapu,
the opening of the womb of Mother Earth

Spider Grandmother
and Corn Mother

Creation stories of Arizona and New Mexico praise Spider Grandmother or Spider Woman.

The Keres peoples call her Tse-itsi’nako,
Thought Woman, who brought everything
into being through the power of her mind.

The Hopi remember her as Kokyangwuhti,
who chanted the creation song over the Earth’s twin poles, setting in order stability and circulation.

She created all living beings from earth and her own saliva, then spun shining webs of creative wisdom over them
and inspirited them with her chant.

In some traditions, old Spider Woman
causes the Corn Mother -- or her daughters -- to emerge from the underworld, and they enliven all beings by singing over their images

Copyright 2000 Max Dashu