Pahana

Pahana is a figure that appears in Hopi folklore and prophecy, commonly described as the "White Brother" or "Lost White Brother" who is said to return to the Hopi people with sacred teachings. In traditional narratives, Pahana is portrayed as a wandering outsider—often a white man—who will come back to bring guidance, restore balance, and renew the Hopi way of life as part of a forthcoming era. The details of the tale vary among villages and storytellers, and not all Hopi communities emphasize Pahana in their ceremonial or mythic traditions. Some versions mention sacred tablets or tablets-like objects carried by the visitor, while others focus on the broader message of humility, honesty, and harmony with the Earth.

Scholarly and community perspectives on Pahana differ. Because Hopi oral tradition encompasses a range of stories and interpretations, the existence and role of Pahana are not uniformly codified. The legend has also entered popular culture and New Age discourse, where Pahana is sometimes presented as a literal prophecy of a foretold savior or global transformation. In such contexts, observers should distinguish between widely circulated interpretations and the variety of traditional Hopi teachings, which may avoid single, definitive claims about Pahana.

Etymologically, the name Pahana is associated with the idea of a white or pale figure in some retellings, but there is no single universally accepted translation within Hopi language sources.