A sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwest for thousands of years, his image abounds on stone and pottery from Peru to Canada, as well as being represented as one of the oldest Hopi Kachinas. Looked at as everything from fertility god to rainmaker to changer of the seasons to trickster, Kokopelli's magic has evolved into one of the most popular icons in the world. The universal symbol of all fertility, ranging from crops to love, hopes and dreams.

Actual origins will remain a mystery. My favorite interpretation is that the legend of Kokopelli sprang from an actual person. Likely an ancient Toltec trader who traveled routes between Mexico and much of what would become the United States. His "humpback" was actually a bag of trade goods, and his "crazy hair" a Mayan or Aztec headdress of feathers to impress the pueblo people. He would announce his arrival at villages with the magical and seductive playing of his flute. There is little doubt that he had the reputation of being quite a "ladies man."

Kokopelli remains a joyous, uninhibited, magical prankster. A legend that brings out the "untamed spirit" in all of us.