Supernatural Friday: A Tale for Spring: The Blue Corn Maiden

It is spring and yet tomorrow, here in Virginia, we  will get sleet and snow even. But it looks like this may be the last winter fit for us. The Hopi have a story about the Blue Corn Maiden and the Winter Katsina, and how both are behind spring and winter. Enjoy.

Now it is said that the Hopi people loved the corn maidens. These are beautiful women who brought corn to their lands. Out of the sisters, the most beautiful and beloved was the Blue Corn Maiden. She brought delicious blue corn to the Hopi throughout the year. Not only gorgeous, they found her a kind and gentle woman too. 

One winter day, the Blue Corn Maiden went to gather firewood to warm her home when she came across the Winter Katsina. Common in all the tribes of the Pueblo area, katsinas were supernatural personifications of real world concepts. The Winter Katsina brought winter to the earth. 

Upon setting eyes on the Blue Corn Maiden, he fell in love with her, and invited her back to him home. Finding herself powerless to say no, Blue Corn Maiden soon became his prisoner when he blocked his door and windows with snow.

One day while the Winter Katsina was away, Blue Corn Maiden dug her way out through the snow and found materials to light a fire. Warmth flowed into the room, the snow melted, and the Summer Katsina arrived to save her. Angry that his bride had been saved, the Winter Katsina arrived to fight the Summer Katsina, only to realize that the two of them simply needed to talk it over.

Both made a deal. For one half of the year, the Blue Corn Maiden would live with the Winter Katsina, depriving the people of corn, but for the second half of the year she would live with the Summer Katsina, and the corn would grow again. The people began to look to the Blue Corn Maiden as a sign of springtime. Have you ever had those days in March, even maybe even snow appearing during April like will happen tomorrow on the East Coast, when it seems as though spring is on the way, only to have to put up with a snow storm the next day? That's because the Winter Katsina is not happy to have to give up the Blue Corn Maiden, and he's throwing a bit of a fit.

Winter Katsina, it’s time to let the woman go!