Masauwu, also spelled Maasaw, is the Hopi spirit of death, god of the earth and keeper of fire, described in tradition as doorkeeper to the Fifth World and master of the Fourth World. Hopi tradition credits Masauwu with giving the Hopi their land, and accounts of his appearance vary between village traditions, from a hideous, bloody figure to a handsome, bejeweled man beneath his mask.
Facts
Attestation
Veneration TodayActively venerated in a living tradition 1 HistoricityNot a historical person: a divine or other-than-human being 1 Function
Domain / Function Belief
TheologyPolytheistic: many gods 1 Sources
1. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend
Anthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. Dow, Facts on File
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