Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, has distinctive colors and a proud mascot that reflect its identity and spirit. The primary colors associated with Duke are royal blue and white. These colors are seen throughout the campus, from the university buildings to the sports fields. The use of royal blue gives Duke a sense of prominence and elegance. It is a vibrant color that commands attention and symbolizes the university's commitment to excellence. White, on the other hand, adds a touch of simplicity and purity to the overall visual identity.
Source: wikimedia. Yup’ik “medicine man exorcising evil spirits from a sick boy” in Nushagak, Alaska, 1890s.
In Navajo culture, witches are those who have been corrupted by dark magic while training to be medicine men or women, eventually performing twisted ceremonies in a perversive way to gain more magical power. No one sure why they can turn or possess animals, mainly because of how discretive the Najavo toward those don t trust - Stop looking at me that way Matt Wright to Diana Black.
White, on the other hand, adds a touch of simplicity and purity to the overall visual identity. Together, these colors create a memorable combination that is instantly recognizable as Duke. In addition to its colors, Duke also has a beloved mascot, the Blue Devil.
Native American Skinwalkers
In the American Southwest, the Navajo, Hopi, Utes, and other tribes each have their own version of the Skinwalker, but each boils down to the same thing --- a malevolent witch capable of transforming itself into a wolf, coyote, bear, bird, or any other animal. When the transformation is complete, the human witch inherits the speed, strength, or cunning of the animal whose shape it has taken.
Quite rare, this is a Hopi Kachina of a skinwalkerSkin walkers are purely evil in intent. I'm no expert on it, but the general view is that skinwalkers do all sorts of terrible things --- they make people sick, they commit murders.
--- Dan Benyshek, anthropologist
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
For the Navajo and other tribes of the southwest, the tales of skinwalkers are not mere legend. Rather, the belief is strongly held, particularly in the Navajo nation.
Anthropologist David Zimmerman of the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department explains, "Skinwalkers are folks that possess knowledge of medicine, both practical (e.g., healing the sick) and spiritual (e.g., to maintain harmony), and they are both wrapped together in ways that are nearly impossible to untangle."
In the Navajo world---where witchcraft is important, where daily behavior is patterned to avoid it, prevent it, and cure it---there are as many words for its various forms as there are words for different types of snow among the Eskimos.
We know from personal experience that it is extremely difficult to get Native Americans to discuss skinwalkers, even in the most general terms. Practitioners of adishgash---or witchcraft---are considered to be a very real presence in the Navajo world.
Few Navajo want to cross paths with naagloshii, otherwise known as a skinwalker. The cautious Navajo will not speak openly about skinwalkers---especially with strangers---because to do so might invite the attention of an evil witch. After all, a stranger who asks questions about skinwalkers just might be one himself, looking for his next victim.
Skinwalkers are not boogiemen and they aren't the figures made up to scare children. Unlike Anglo stories of werewolves and witches, they don't lose control and kill everything in their path or maliciously curse people for no reason.
Like humans, they do kill, and like humans, they have motivations for those acts of aggression. Power and revenge fuel their murderous intent, but such things cannot occupy the brain of a rational creature all the time, and skinwalkers do not make murder part of their daily routine.
Other than their origin story, legends of skinwalkers rarely include death or any kind of mauling. Instead, common stories include skinwalkers in their animal form running alongside a vehicle and matching their speed, even as the driver accelerates. Eventually, they get bored with this routine and simply disappear into the surrounding wilderness. In some respects, it seems rather playful, like a dog chasing a car that passes on the street.
In other instances, people report seeing or hearing skinwalkers outside their homes at night. Rarely, however, does the skinwalker enter the dwelling.
Skinwalkers have been reported by both Native and non-Native people, including a popular story here in New Mexico of skinwalkers being seen by State police on a stretch of roadway on Navajo territory.
In Navajo thinking, all good things in life result from respect for the harmony of the universe, known as hozho. An orderly balance governs the actions and thoughts of all living things.
Like any other ideal state, this can be difficult to maintain. Whether conscious or unconscious---or the result of a skinwalker---a transgression can result in illness, misfortune, or even disaster and can be remedied only with a prescribed ceremony to the offended diety. Unlike Western medicine, Navajo cures are targeted at body, mind, and spirit, calling on the patient and divine people to restore his harmony with the world.
A skinwalker is tied up with the Navajo concept of good and evil. The Navajo's believe that life is a kind of wind blowing through you. Some people have a dark wind, and they tend to be evil. How do you tell? People who have more money than they need and aren't helping their kinfolk -- that's one symptom of it.
Along with this tendency toward evil, if they're initiated into a witchcraft cult, they get a lot of powers. Depending on the circumstances, they can turn into a dog; they can fly; they can disappear.
A lot of Navajo's will tell me emphatically, especially when they don't know me very well, that they don't believe in all that stuff. And then when you get to be a friend, they'll start telling you about the first time they ever saw one.
--- Author, Tony Hillerman
So are they real? Who can say. In some respects, the tale of skinwalkers is like that of UFO sightings; too bizarre to picture being true, while being too numerous to dismiss.
Regardless, the tale or legend of skinwalkers is prevalent and meaningful to Native peoples in New Mexico. It is rooted in their history and tradition, and like many other things we don't always understand about different cultures, it does command our respect.
Skinwalkers are most frequently seen as coyotes, wolves, foxes, eagles, owls or crows and are not creatures to be trusted. Some Navajo believe that skinwalkers have the ability to steal the face of a person, and some believe that if one ever locks eyes with a skinwalker they can absorb themselves into a person's body, or that one's body might freeze up with fear, allowing a skinwalker to channel that fear to gain power and energy.
The Blue Devil represents the university's athletic teams and serves as a symbol of strength, determination, and competitiveness. The mascot can be seen at sporting events, rallying the crowd and boosting the team's morale. The Blue Devil's presence on campus extends beyond athletics, as well. It has become a unifying figure for the Duke community, bringing students, alumni, and fans together to celebrate the university's achievements and traditions. Whether it's cheering on the basketball team or participating in campus events, the mascot plays an important role in fostering school spirit and pride. Overall, the colors and mascot of Duke University are an integral part of its identity. They embody the university's values and create a sense of unity and pride among students, alumni, and fans. The royal blue and white colors, along with the Blue Devil mascot, represent the excellence and passion that define Duke University..
Reviews for "The Role of Colors and Mascots in Duke University's Sports Culture"
1. John Doe - 1 star
I was really disappointed with Duke University's colors and mascot. The colors, blue and white, are so plain and boring. There's nothing unique or exciting about them. And don't even get me started on their mascot, the Blue Devil. It's such a strange and unappealing choice. I just couldn't connect with it or feel any school spirit. Overall, I found the colors and mascot to be dull and uninspiring.
2. Sarah Smith - 2 stars
I have to say, I was not a fan of Duke University's colors and mascot. The dark blue and white combination just didn't do it for me. It felt too generic and lacking in personality. The mascot, the Blue Devil, was also not my cup of tea. I found it to be quite odd and not very representative of the school or their values. It didn't evoke any sense of pride or excitement in me. I think Duke could definitely benefit from a more vibrant and eye-catching color scheme, as well as a mascot that better reflects the university's identity.
3. Alex Johnson - 1 star
Duke University's choice of colors and mascot really left me unimpressed. The blue and white colors are so overused in college sports and lack any real creativity. It just feels like they took the easy route and went with the most common colors. And the Blue Devil? What's up with that? It's such a strange choice and doesn't make any sense in the context of the university. I was hoping for something more unique and meaningful. Overall, I found Duke's colors and mascot to be incredibly underwhelming.