Tahquitz (spirit) explained

Type:Native American
Tahquitz
Deity Of:Spirit of Evil or Death
Abode:Mount San Jacinto or
Tahquitz Canyon
Gender:Male
Region:Southern California,
Riverside County
Ethnic Group:Native American


Cahuilla,
Kumeyaay and
Luiseño

Tahquitz (sometimes) is a spirit found in the legends of the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay and Luiseño Native American people of Southern California. Accounts of the legend vary significantly, but most agree that Tahquitz represents evil or death, and his spirit makes its home on Mount San Jacinto. Some accounts report that he steals people and/or their souls and devours them on the mountain. Tahquitz manifests himself in the form of fireballs, lightning, meteors and thunderous sounds on the mountain and in the canyons.[1] [2]

Agua Caliente legend

Some accounts of the legend state that Tahquitz Canyon played a key role in the story. The canyon is located on the Agua Caliente reservation lands, and is an important cultural site. The tribal group's web page dedicated to the canyon describes The Legend of Taquitz as follows:

Mukat's People

Author Lowell John Bean, in his book Mukat's People; The Cauilla Indians of Southern California, applies a different orthography, rendering the name as Taqwuš instead of Tahquitz. He describes Taqwuš as one of the nakutem, those who were created in the beginning by Mukat and Temayawt. Specifically, Taqwuš is the first Puul, or Shaman, and he manifests himself as a meteor or a human-like form that emits blue sparks. Taqwuš lived on San Jacinto Peak and was the cause of misfortune. He was most active at night and would travel about stealing souls.[3]

Origin and application of the name

In the Luiseño language the word Tahquitz derives from the word Takwish, meaning "electric fireball" or "meteor". However, it is thought that the Luiseño adopted the story from the Cahuilla.[4] The spelling of the word Tahquitz varied, until it was standardized by the 1897–1898 U.S. Geological Survey of the San Jacinto quadrangle. Alternate spellings include:

Several peaks on Mount San Jacinto have been named for Tahquitz:

Additional features on Mount San Jacinto include:

Beyond the mountain, the name Tahquitz has been applied to:

Cultural references

See also

References

Bibliography

Citations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Gudde, p. 352.
  2. Gunther, pp. 521–524.
  3. Bean, pp. 108, 165–166.
  4. Book: DuBois. Constance Goddard. Kroeber. Alfred Louis . The Religion of the Luiseño Indians of Southern California. 1908. The University Press. 142.
  5. Web site: Tahquitz Peak . SummitPost.org . November 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201123225431/https://www.summitpost.org/tahquitz-peak/151446 . November 23, 2020.
  6. Web site: Tahquitz Rock (Lily Rock) . SummitPost.org . November 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201123224336/https://www.summitpost.org/tahquitz-rock-lily-rock/152259 . November 23, 2020.
  7. Web site: Red Tahquitz . SummitPost.org . November 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201123230102/https://www.summitpost.org/red-tahquitz/152403 . November 23, 2020.
  8. Web site: Tahquitz Meadow . USGS . November 23, 2020.
  9. Web site: Tahquitz Creek . USGS . November 23, 2020.
  10. Web site: Tahquitz Falls . USGS . November 23, 2020.
  11. Web site: Tahquitz OG Cannabis Strain . CannaSOS . Core State Holdings, Corp. . November 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201124010033/https://cannasos.com/strains/hybrid/tahquitz-og . November 24, 2020.