The Bedbugs' Night Dance and Other Hopi Tales of Sexual Encounter

Book excerpt: The mysteries and complexities of sex-the wonder of sexual initiation, the discomfort of sexual desire, the penalties of indulgence, and the power of erotic love-have all found expression in Hopi tales. Sometimes cast in animal fables, sometimes presented in monstrous exaggeration to emphasize the power of sexual appetite, and sometimes as wildly bawdy as Shakespeare, the tales evoke the candor of Hopi imagination and the vitality of Hopi culture. This volume gives each tale in the original Hopi and in English translation on facing pages. The tales include Bedbug Boy and his constantly interrupted dinner, how the Hehey'as tricked the Itsivus and took advantage of their wives, and how the Horned Lizard girls found a new use for chili powder. Ekkehart Malotki's preface and glossary clarify terms and concepts and provide background for the stories and the storytelling. E. N. Genovese's introduction puts the collection in the broad context of classical Greek and Latin literature and describes how the Hopi stories are distinct in their own right. Michael Lomatuway'ma, Lorena Lomatuway'ma, Sidney Namingha Jr., Leslie Koyawena, and Herschel Talashoma, all gifted Hopi storytellers, have contributed to this collection. Ekkehart Malotki is a professor of languages at the University of Northern Arizona. He has compiled and translated many other books about Hopi language and culture, including Hopi Coyote Tales, available as a Bison Book, and Hopi Ruin Legends. E. N. Genovese is a professor and chair of the Classics and Humanities Department at San Diego State University. His articles have appeared in Classical Journal, MAIA, and Latomus.