Blood of the Pure - Chapter Four - Man in the Maze

Man in the Maze

This symbol is said to represent a person's journey through life. Although the design appears to be a maze, it is actually a unicursal figure with many twists and turns; these are said to represent choices made in life. The center is dark, as the journey is one from darkness to light.

It is also the symbol of Iʼitoi or Iʼithi, who is, in the cosmology of the O'odham peoples, the mischievous creator god who resides in a cave below the peak of Baboquivari Mountain, part of the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Visitors to the cave are asked to bring a gift to ensure their safe return from the depths. O'odham oral history tells that I'itoi brought the Hohokam people to this earth from the underworld. Hohokam are ancestors of both the Tohono O'odham and the Akimel O'odham (Pima people). He is also responsible for the gift of the Himdag, a series of commandments guiding people to remain in balance with the world and interact with it as intended.