About Awonawilona

In the myths of the Pueblo Zuni people of New Mexico, Awonawilona is known as the "Supreme life-giving power" and the creator of all with a name translating to "All Container". The deity's gender is not specified in myth and referred to as either he or she. In the beginning, Awonawilona created and became all configurations of water in the world; as a result fog, clouds, large bodies of water, and air were formed. In other versions, fog and steam were already existent before Awonawilona. The new combination of light, clouds, and air allowed for vegetation and made Awonawilona the "essence" of life as s/he created the universe. The universe was made up of 9 layers: the first layer was the earth and the other 8 were homes for various animals, birds, and trees.