Mongway (Owl) Katsina carving

The Great Horned Owl is best noted for his incessant war on the clowns. As the clowns follow their usual patter of un-Hopi-like behaviour, a single silent figure will drift into one corner of the plaza and watch these uncouth fellows. When the clowns next appear, growing ever more boisterous in their actions, the Owl again appears and hoots solemnly. With each appearance he gets closer until he ends up talking with the clown chief who promptly blames all misbehaviour on the other clowns. But at the last performance, the Owl is joined by other Warrior Kachinas. They leap upon the clowns, douse them with water, beat them vigourously with willow switches or yucca blades, and leave them howling with remorse in a pile in the middle of the plaza. (Wright, 1973:111)