Tradition: Kawaiisu Mythology, Chemehuevi Mythology, American Mythology
Alternative Names: The Grasshopper; Aatakapitsi
Category: Insect
The Myth
Haakapainiži is a terrifying ogre from Kawaiisu folklore in Southern California, although he is said to live on a rock in a lake in Nevada. His most familiar form is that of a gigantic grasshopper walking upright on two canes, with a basket strapped to his back. His long legs are armed with viciously sharp spikes, and each stride carries him an extraordinary distance: his legs are said to be long enough for him to walk the twenty miles between Inyokern and Onyx in a single step.
Haakapainiži can assume several forms. Besides his giant grasshopper appearance, he may appear as an enormous humanoid, a harmless-looking old man, or an entire swarm of grasshoppers. He sings as he walks, concealing his wicked intentions behind a seemingly innocent tune. His favourite prey is children, whom he captures and stuffs into the basket on his back to devour later. Parents invoke his name to frighten misbehaving children, warning them that Haakapainiži is coming.
In one tale, Haakapainiži encounters a young girl and coughs mucus into his hand before offering it to her, calling it fat for his grandchild. When she reaches for it, he throws her into his basket and carries her away to Nevada, where he eats her. He attempts the same trick on a little boy, but the child manages to escape by grabbing an overhead branch before he can be carried off.
Haakapainiži’s deceptive nature also appears in a story about the Quail Sisters. He sleeps beside them and assures them that he will lie above their heads without stretching during the night. The sisters trust him, and when they awaken unharmed, they believe he is a kind old man. However, Haakapainiži then stretches his spiked legs and gouges out their eyes.
A parallel figure in Chemehuevi folklore is Aatakapitsi, whose stories closely resemble those of Haakapainiži. In one account, Aatakapitsi attacks the Yucca Date Worm girls in the same manner as Haakapainiži attacks the Quail Sisters. Their husband, Kwanantsitsi, the Red-Tailed Hawk, restores their eyes and sets out to avenge them. Yet whenever he approaches Aatakapitsi, the giant appears to shrink until he vanishes, leaving behind only a swarm of grasshoppers. Kwanantsitsi furiously strikes the insects with a stick until they are all dead. When he steps back, he discovers that the giant’s lifeless body has finally appeared.
Haakapainiži meets his end through the cleverness of Mouse. Mouse heats a stone used for sharpening arrows in a fire, then tricks the giant into opening his mouth by promising to feed him one of his children. Mouse throws the scorching stone into Haakapainiži’s mouth, burning his insides and killing him. According to the tradition, both Mouse’s home and the petrified remains of Haakapainiži can be seen at Inyokern.
Sources
“Haakapainizi.” A Book of Creatures, August 26, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/08/26/haakapainizi/