Dragons of Fame

Kolwisi / Kolowissi

Title: The Serpent of the Sea
Type/Species: Sea Serpent
Origin: Zuni Native American Mythology

History: A long time ago, a village existed under Thunder Mountain called Home of the Eagles.² Though nothing is there now but ruin, this village once housed many people, among them a priest-chief who had a beautiful daughter. She had only one bad trait: She could not tolerate dirt upon her person,² which caused her to even live apart from her own kin in a separate room.³ Even this trait, however, would prove no issue had the village not been so near a sacred spring of water, a spring now called the Pool of the Apaches.^2,3

The spring was sacred to Kolowissi, the Serpent of the Sea. The maiden spent so much time in the spring, cleaning her cloths and herself, defiling his waters, that he sought a means to punish her.³ When the maiden returned yet again to the sacred waters, she found a small baby, alone, in the waters.¹ She took the baby home with her and went straight to her room, separate from her kin for her intolerance of dust.³

Her father, the priest-chief, sent one of her sister to find her for dinner. When the sister could not find her at the spring, she returned home to her sister's room, where she discovered the baby. The maiden explained where she had found him and would not leave the baby's side. The father knew that this matter could not be simple, for what mother would leave a baby in a spring? But, knowing the mistakes had been made, he simply waited to see what fruits they would bring.³

The maiden set the baby to sleep, and she herself drifted into sleep shortly after. When she had been asleep long enough, the baby began to transform back into his true self, Kolowisi / Kolowissi, the Serpent of the Sea. He lengthened himself slowly, coiling around and around the room, centering around the maiden, his giant head near hers as she slept. Finally, he reached his full size, but needed to hold his tail in his mouth.⁴ (The symbol of the ouroboros is evoked here.) And the night passed like this, the maiden sleeping in the giant serpent's coils.

The "baby" was really Kolowisi, who then transformed into his true shape. He stole the girl and took her back to the spring. There, he made her his wife.

In another story, however, Kolowisi held back the flood waters for a family to get up the mountain. By doing this, Kolowisi allowed these people to live, and then allowed the flood waters to fill the valley.

Symbolism: Obviously, Kolowisi was used as a tale to warn young girls away from springs or taking care of children that they don't know about. Kolowisi was not portrayed as an evil creature, however.

Physical Description: This is a huge serpent with horns on its head, an enormous mouth, and has fins along the length of its entire body.

1. Rose 212
2. Erdoes 327
3. Erdoes 328
4. Erdoes 329
5. Erdoes 330
6. Erdoes 331
7. Erdoes 332

For more information about footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.