Blue Corn Maiden and the coming of Winter

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An Acoma Legend

Blue Corn Maiden was the prettiest of the corn maiden sisters. The Pueblo People loved her very much and cherished the delicious blue corn that she provided all year long. Not only was Blue Corn Maiden beautiful, but she also had a kind and gentle spirit, bringing peace and happiness to the People of the Pueblos.

One cold winter day, Blue Corn Maiden went out to gather firewood, something she wouldn’t normally do. While she was outside her adobe house, she encountered Winter Katsina. Winter Katsina is the spirit who brings winter to the Earth. He wore his blue-and-white mask and blew cold wind with his breath. Upon seeing Blue Corn Maiden, Winter Katsina fell in love with her instantly.

He invited her to come to his house, and she had to go with him. Inside his house, he blocked the windows with ice and the doorway with snow, making Blue Corn Maiden his prisoner. Although Winter Katsina was very kind to Blue Corn Maiden and loved her dearly, she felt sad living with him. She longed to return to her own house and make the blue corn grow for the People of the Pueblos.

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One day, Winter Katsina went out to perform his duties, blowing cold wind upon the Earth and scattering snow over the mesas and valleys. While he was gone, Blue Corn Maiden pushed the snow away from the doorway and ventured out to look for the plants and foods she loved to find in summer. Beneath the ice and snow, she found only four blades of yucca.

She took the yucca back to Winter Katsina’s house and started a fire, something Winter Katsina wouldn’t allow when he was present.

As the fire started, the snow in the doorway melted, and in walked Summer Katsina. Summer Katsina carried fresh corn in one hand and many blades of yucca in the other. He approached his friend, Blue Corn Maiden.

Just then, Winter Katsina stormed through the doorway, followed by a roar of winter wind. He carried an icicle in his right hand, which he held like a flint knife, and a ball of ice in his left hand, wielded like a hand-axe. It appeared as though Winter Katsina intended to fight with Summer Katsina.

As Winter Katsina blew a blast of cold air, Summer Katsina countered with a warm breeze. When Winter Katsina raised his icicle-knife, Summer Katsina raised his bundle of yucca leaves, and they caught fire, melting the icicle.

Winter Katsina realized he needed to make peace with Summer Katsina, not war. The two sat down and talked.

They agreed that Blue Corn Maiden would live among the People of the Pueblos and provide them with her blue corn for half of the year, during Summer Katsina’s time. The other half of the year, Blue Corn Maiden would live with Winter Katsina, and the People would have no corn.

Blue Corn Maiden went away with Summer Katsina, who was kind to her. She became the sign of springtime, eagerly awaited by the People.

Sometimes, even after spring has arrived, Winter Katsina will blow cold wind suddenly or scatter snow when it is not the snow season. He does this to show his displeasure at having to give up Blue Corn Maiden for half of the year.

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