This post describes Native-American influences on "Breaking Bad": particularly Hopi influences on the television show.
The Blog Sidebar contains links to Filming Location posts. These include:
- Eight "Breaking Bad" filming location posts;
- Four additional posts regarding "Breaking Bad" related subjects;
- Eight "Better Call Saul" filming location posts;
- Two additional posts regarding "Better Call Saul" related subjects;
- One additional post regarding Surrealist artistic influences in "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul";
- One post regarding filming locations for "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie";
- Three links to OldeSaultie's Google maps of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" filming location sites. These are the best filming location maps on the Web! The KML files available at these addresses are particularly useful for importing locations into GPS-equipped devices.
Let me know if you have any problems or questions (E-Mail address: valdezmarc56@gmail.com).
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"A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Including 'Better Call Saul' - Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character" (Sixth Edition)
Purchase book at the link. This book outlines thirty-three circuits that the avid fan can travel in order to visit up to 679 different filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the Albuquerque area. Some background is provided for each site, including other movies that might have also used the site for filming.
"‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations” (Second Edition)
Purchase book at the link. “‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” in order to decode messages and stories Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden there. A series of tables are used to isolate how certain (particularly architectural) features are used: Gentle Arches, Tin Ceilings, Five-Pointed Stars, Octagons, etc. Daylighting innovations that were either pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.
Certain symbols advance the plot: foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those best-displayed at Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1933-34).
To avoid unnecessary friction, I have redacted the addresses of all single-family homes in these books. (These addresses are still available at Marc Valdez Weblog, however.) The pictures in the print editions are black-and-white, in order to keep costs down.
"A Guidebook To 'Breaking Bad' Filming Locations: Including 'Better Call Saul' - Albuquerque as Physical Setting and Indispensable Character" (Sixth Edition)
Purchase book at the link. This book outlines thirty-three circuits that the avid fan can travel in order to visit up to 679 different filming locations for "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" in the Albuquerque area. Some background is provided for each site, including other movies that might have also used the site for filming.
"‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols: Reading Meaning into Sets, Props, and Filming Locations” (Second Edition)
Purchase book at the link. “‘Breaking Bad’ Signs and Symbols,” aims to understand some of the symbolism embedded in the backgrounds of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” in order to decode messages and stories Vince Gilligan and crew have hidden there. A series of tables are used to isolate how certain (particularly architectural) features are used: Gentle Arches, Tin Ceilings, Five-Pointed Stars, Octagons, etc. Daylighting innovations that were either pioneered or promoted in Chicago are examined: Glass Block Windows, Luxfer Prismatic Tile Windows, and Plate Glass Windows.
Certain symbols advance the plot: foreshadowing symbols like Pueblo Deco Arches, or danger symbols like bell shapes and stagger symbols. Other features, like Glass Block Windows or Parallel Beams in the Ceiling, tell stories about the legacies and corruptions of modernity, particularly those best-displayed at Chicago’s “Century of Progress” (1933-34).
In addition, a number of scenes in the show are modeled after Early Surrealist artworks. The traces of various artists can be tracked in both shows, including: Comte de Lautréamont, Giorgio De Chirico, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte, Toyen, Yves Tanguy, Remedios Varo, Paul Klee, and in particular, Salvador Dalí.
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Extended Video
Extended Video
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The storyline of “Breaking Bad” runs for a full year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, starting at Fall Equinox, and runs until the following Fall Equinox. Note that this isn’t the timeline of the show, which runs for about two and a half years, but rather a parallel, completely-separate timeline. Let’s walk through the Hopi ceremonial calendar in “Breaking Bad.”
First up is a marker for the Fall Equinox – a dagger shape pointed near or within a circle. This marker is the falling trousers in the “Pilot” episode – the dagger of the pants legs and the circle of the belt line - marking the start of the show (BrBa 101, "Pilot")./div>
Second comes the spiral of Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
Most of the symbolism regarding Jane Margolis is Catholic in nature. Still, there is a slot in the Hopi ceremonial calendar at Winter Solstice for Jane, the sacrificial Hawk Maiden of Soyál (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
All night long, the Hopi priests watch the sky, looking for evidence that the Winter Solstice has occurred. Walt watches the sky too and sees a different sort of evidence (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
At Spring Equinox, in the episode “Face Off,” we see Gus approach Casa Tranquila by crossing on foot a parking circle sporting decorative cobbles arranged in the form of a dagger (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
Here is an aerial view from 2011 of the parking circle. I’ve darkened the dagger of cobbles so you can see it better. The dagger’s pointed directly at Casa Tranquila. Note the trailing end of the entrance road, similar to the trailing end of the small spiral of the Sun Dagger.
Gus walks across the dagger of cobbles (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
All of Season 5a of “Breaking Bad” is an elaborate series of rituals marking the approach of Niman Kachina. The first order of business is to obtain magnetic things for the Kachinas to take to the Underworld (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
Jesse loses his laptop (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
At all times, the Hopi are preoccupied with the big flood that ended the Third World. Skyler catches onto that preoccupation which leads her to simulate suicide in the pool (BrBa 504, “Fifty-One”).
Sometimes it’s possible to trace a subplot of “Breaking Bad” to a single paragraph in “The Book of the Hopi.” In Season 5a, Skyler insists that the kids be sent to Hank and Marie’s for safety. Later, Hank and Marie return the kids. This subplot derives from a paragraph describing the formal pleasantries between a kiva chief in charge of conducting Niman Kachina ceremonies and a village chief who controls the necessary manpower. The kiva chief borrows the village’s laborers, who are called children, and later returns them to the village chief, the symbolic father of the village.
Then, the sacrifice the Eagles for their feathers (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”)!
Another Niman Kachina ceremony is The Pilgrimage for Spruce. Spruce trees don’t grow near the Hopi pueblos, so a pilgrimage has to be arranged to get them. In “Breaking Bad” the story of the pilgrimage becomes Hank’s regretful reminiscence for his carefree job as a youth, tagging trees (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Note the glass spiral on the table. This is the Summer Solstice marker. Just like at the Sun Dagger, a dagger of light pierces directly through the center of the spiral (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Just before Hank discovers Gale’s copy of “Leaves of Grass,” there is a discussion in the back yard between Marie and Skyler concerning hair-care products. The Hopi have a ceremony for religious-society initiates called the “Night of the Washing of the Hair,” a recapitulation of the end of the Third World. Marie and Skyler’s discussion is actually about the end of the Third World (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
After Hank discovers “Leaves of Grass,” we see that the Tawa plaque on the White family’s fireplace is gone, for good. The Kachina Tawa has returned to the Underworld. Happy Summer Solstice (BrBa 509, “Blood Money”)!
In the final episode “Felina” we watch Walt and Jesse inscribe the final Fall Equinox marker. When Walt parks his car he insists on driving up to Uncle Jack’s clubhouse in a circular manner – not just to better station his hidden machine gun but also to inscribe his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the circular part. When Jesse takes Todd’s El Camino, he first slams the car into reverse, passes Walt, and then exits forward on Walt’s opposite side, inscribing his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the dagger shape, pointed directly at Uncle Jack’s clubhouse. Jesse completes the Hopi ceremonial year and then drives off to freedom (BrBa 516, “Felina”).
There is an Ancestral Puebloan analogy to Walter White’s empire. Chaco Canyon rose to power based on its religious culture and trade in turquoise, and later fell due to drought and strife.
Blue Meth.
Kachina Sotungtaka (Gambler).
Turquoise.
“Breaking Bad” is taking portions of Hopi religious culture in order to create a new art form that might be called Hopi Gothic. A religious ritual is identified, changed, and placed in a new context, creating obscurity, uncanniness, dread, and remorse, the building blocks of Gothic literature.
“Breaking Bad” has at least two inspirational film precursors. My favorite is the 1992 film “Falling Down,” starring Michael Douglas.
The film authority Angelo Restivo says that 1956 film “Bigger Than Life,” starring James Mason, is his favorite precursor for “Breaking Bad,” and he’s not wrong. Both movies are excellent models upon which to build “Breaking Bad.”
For example, without going into detail, Skyler’s visit to the Four Corners monument may be a query to the Taoist I Ching (BrBa 406, “Cornered”).
In a sense, we haven’t really seen the true “Breaking Bad” yet, because so much of it remains well-hidden in plain sight. I hope we can eventually reveal the show in all its glory.
Introduction
For example, the kitchen counter stools have backs displaying the Navajo Crystal Style (BrBa 210, "Over").
As he tries to think things through, Walt sits on a couch that sports Crystal Style patterns (BrBa 412, "End Times").
The edges of the coffee table that Walt props against the front door feature Crystal Style patterns (BrBa 412, "End Times").
SMH. You call this Crystal Style, Walt? (BrBa 210, "Over").
Inside the White family home, we see a Tawa plaque on the fireplace (BrBa 205, "Breakage"). Tawa is a Hopi symbol, representing the sun and masculinity, and sometimes represented as a Kachina doll.
Kachina Tawa. What is a Kachina, exactly? “Kachinas are respected spirits and invisible forces of life. … Their chief function is to bring rain, ensuring the abundance of crops."
In the episode “Breakage,” we see a garbage-can lid that resembles the Tawa symbol when Walt tosses away a “Hope” button handed to him by the sympathetic oncology clerk who prepares his bill. Note that this isn’t just a “Hope” button - it’s a “Hop-ee” button – an announcement from the show’s creative team to those in the know that more Hopi symbolism is coming (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Also present in this scene is the Pueblo Deco Arch of the building, which I discuss in more detail elsewhere (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Closely-related to Tawa symbols are Zia symbols. Both are sun symbols and thus masculinity symbols. The frequently-seen New Mexico state flag uses the Zia symbol.
In the movie “El Camino,” as Jesse watches a phalanx of DEA vehicles pass through the intersection of Third St. and Santa Fe Ave. in Albuquerque, we see that a circular tire mark and the intersecting streets form a Zia symbol.
Metal Yard Art Kachina – The Visible Tip of an Iceberg-Sized Hopi Influence in “Breaking Bad”
In the episode “Fly,” Walt avoids climbing a ladder (BrBa 310, “Fly”).
Nevertheless, Walt reluctantly stabilizes a ladder as Jesse climbs to get the fly (BrBa 310, “Fly”).
Skyler too has a thing against ladders. In the episode “Green Light,” she uses an unusual adjective, ladder-climbing, when she frets to Ted that her co-workers will see her as an “evil, ladder-climbing whore.” Walt avoids career ladders, and Skyler does too.
The only time you see Walt on a ladder is in the humiliation episode “I.F.T.,” when he retrieves the pizza from the roof (BrBa 303, “I.F.T.”).
Walt retrieves the pizza (BrBa 303, “I.F.T.”).
Since I kept bumping into Hopi references in “Breaking Bad,” I obtained an authoritative survey on Hopi religious culture, the “Book of the Hopi,” by Frank Waters, published in 1963. This was a fortuitous find. It soon became clear that Vince Gilligan and the creative team at “Breaking Bad” also consulted THIS book.
And so, according to the Hopi, what might the fly represent? Perhaps the Kachina Mastop, the death-fly Kachina, who represents the rude forces of life, the antithesis of Walt’s forces of death. Mastop bears hand prints on his body and carries a ringed stick in his hand. The rings on the stick symbolize the rungs of ladders galore that will need to be climbed into many future worlds yet to come. Mastop represents everything Walt rejects. No wonder Walt must rid himself of the fly (BrBa 310, “Fly”)!
Kivas
The underground Superlab is very much like a Kiva, the Puebloan ceremonial chamber. Chemistry is treated with religious awe here (BrBa 305, “Más”).
Superlab Plot Plan.
The Superlab has at least three levels, and you can see a 4th level too; the platform at the top of the spiral staircase. The Superlab visually expresses the four worlds of the Hopi (BrBa 307, “One Minute”).
A useful comparison can be made to a possible Superlab prototype, the similarly-sized Great Kiva at Aztec National Monument near Farmington, NM.
The Superlab under construction in "Better Call Saul" has four levels as well: the outside, two stairway platforms, and the floor (BCS 608, “Point and Shoot”).
What can it mean that both Lalo and Howard are buried at the Place of Emergence in the Superlab? (BCS 608, “Point and Shoot”).
Ancestral Puebloan Sun Dagger Calendar
Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs, and are present in “Breaking Bad.” In the episode “ABQ,” Walt enters a “Shooting Gallery” to retrieve Jesse (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). A large spiral with a vertical slash passing through the center is spray-painted on the wall. I taught a class in astronomy a few years ago and this particular spiral rang a bell with me. This spiral likely refers to the most-important set of Native American spirals in the entire Southwest.
These two spirals are the Sun Dagger, a unique Ancestral-Puebloan archaeo-astronomical site located behind three stone slabs on La Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico.
Three stone slabs.
This particular spiral, with a patch of light on the tangential left edge, indicates a Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). The Hopi believe Kachinas emerge from the Underworld at Winter Solstice in order to prepare the world for a new season of life.
Solstice and Equinox markers in the television show can be identified using the symbolism of the Sun Dagger. Solstice markers will always feature a spiral, with some kind of slash passing through the center. Equinox markers will feature two elements - a circle, plus a dagger. The dagger can be located within the circle, or somewhere nearby.
Gale Boetticher, Two Horn Priest
Hopi culture is used in strange and wondrous ways in “Breaking Bad.” In the episode “Full Measure” we see Gale at home. Gale waters two plants - a jade plant and what looks like a horsetail reed. Reeds are significant in Hopi culture. The Hopi escaped the flood that ended the Third World through a reed into the Fourth World, and survived on rafts made of reeds.
We see two masks in this view of Gale’s apartment. The mask on the wall has two horns on it. Plus, we see a large reflector telescope, indicating Gale’s interest in the cosmos.
With this broader view, we see the two-horned mask on the left. On the right we see a Krampus mask with two horns on it. On the coffee table, we see a hookah. On the bookshelf, we see two horns facing inwards towards each other, suggesting a disassembled Hopi Two-Horn Society shrine.
The members of the Two Horn Society occupy the highest niche in Hopi culture. They alone have memories of the previous three worlds and understand the original concept of Creation.
In his own way, Gale Boetticher too understands the original concept of Creation.
The little manikin on Gale’s desk is his Típoni, his badge of religious authority to conduct rituals; in his case, at the Two-Horn altar. In general, the Hopi symbols that are shown on television are not exact. In the same way that the chemical details of meth manufacture are fudged in “Breaking Bad,” the ceremonial details of Hopi religious life are fudged as well. Inexact ceremonies lack religious power, but do retain narrative power for storytelling.
Gale's Tiponi.
When Gale welcomes Gus into his apartment, we see his Típoni in the background, behind his shoulder. Ostensibly Gus is Gale’s superior, but the Típoni reveals the truth.
When Jesse arrives to kill Gale, we see that Gale bears the Kachina Mastop’s hand symbol over his heart.
In general in Hopi life, only members of religious societies smoke pipes – people who likely already have Típonis. Ordinary folks smoke cigarettes, not pipes. Many Típonis in Hopi life appear to be human statuettes. “Breaking Bad” may follow a kind of Hopi rule in this regard. Characters in the show who possess pipes or human statuettes appear to constitute a group with religious authority - a kind of chosen people. Pipes and statuettes are equivalent to one another. Gale has his hookah and statuette. Jesse and Jane have their meth pipes. Lydia has Edgar Degas’, “Little 14-Year-Old Dancer” on her desk. Todd has figurines at home. Saul displays a Típoni on his desk - a blindfolded “Lady Justice.” In contrast, Mike, Gus, and the Salamancas seem to have no pipes or statuettes.
Meth Pipes.
Marie steals several objects in “Breaking Bad,” but the only one she gets to keep is her Típoni, the Chimney Sweep on a Pig. This Hummel is very compatible with Hopi symbolism. If your goal is to climb through a reed from the Third World into the Fourth World, who better to have on your team than a Chimney Sweep to clear away the obstacles?
The Hopi influence surfaces when unusual adjectives like “ladder-climbing” are used. Another example occurs when Saul Goodman first meets Walter White in the guise of Mr. Mayhew, and explains why he uses the name Saul. “The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys; they all want a pipe-hitting member of the tribe, so to speak.” Saul pretends to be a Jew, one of the chosen people, in order to curry favor with Jewish clients. Pipe-hitting emphasizes the extra authority that Saul carries by possessing a Típoni – two times over, a chosen person!
"Breaking Bad" Adopts Hopi Structure
“Breaking Bad” is all about change, and the Hopi religion anticipates change. “Breaking Bad” adopts the fourfold structure of the Hopi mindset. “Breaking Bad” has four seasons, each with its own characteristic Kiva: the RV, the Superlab, the hospital tents, and Uncle Jack’s compound. The RV dominates the first season - S1: BrBa 101-213 (Transition BrBa 301-306).
The Superlab dominates Season Two - S2: BrBa 307 – 413.
The Tents dominate Season Three - S3: BrBa 501-508 (Transition BrBa 509-513).
Uncle Jack's Compound dominates Season Four - S4: BrBa 514-516; plus "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie."
Each of the Hopi four worlds has particular properties, such as a color, a direction, and a mineral. The creative team of “Breaking Bad” might think of the different seasons of the show as being different worlds.
El Camino, which means the road in Spanish, means specifically The Road of Life of the Hopi. The sun travels across the sky on the Road of Life. When the sun sets in the west in the world above, it rises in the west in the Underworld, the land of the dead. The sun travels east in the Underworld and sets, rising again in the east of the world above. Of particular importance is Summer Solstice, when the Kachinas return to the Underworld, celebrated in a ceremony called Niman Kachina.
There are a number of Native American representations in “Breaking Bad,” not least, because the television series was filmed on various reservation lands, such as the Navajo Reservation (To’hajiilee, plus the main reservation in “El Camino”) and several Pueblo Reservations (particularly Santa Ana, aka Tamaya, and Zia). Still, the most interesting Native American representations in the show are Hopi in nature. The Hopi have the most intricate religious ceremonies in the Southwest.
The White family home is the locus of “Breaking Bad,” and a number of Southwestern Native American representations are located there. I am curious what symbols are used.
Bear Symbols
I was interested, for example, in the presence of bear images in the background of the television show. Among Zuni hunting fetishes, bears symbolize healing and protection ("Zuni Fetishes," Frank Hamilton Cushing, 1883, ninth printing, 1990).
We see a bear in the immediate background when Walt’s surgeon, Dr. Bravenec, discusses medical options with him. The doctor is optimistic about Walt’s prospects in surgery (BrBa 211, “Mandala”).
White bears are the most powerful of the bear protectors. We see a white bear statue on a shelf in the Staycation hotel room when Skyler suggests to Walt that Jesse be terminated. Walt’s protectiveness towards Jesse is on full display here (BrBa 512 “Rabid Dog”).
White bears and pale bears are used mostly in regards to children. Maximum protection is extended to these children. For example, Holly has a white Teddy Bear in her bassinet (BrBa 305, “Más”).
Kiira, Lydia’s daughter, is protected by a pale Teddy Bear, seen here in the foreground (BrBa 502, “Madrigal”).
We see the white Koala Care Bear when Walt changes Holly’s diaper after he kidnaps her (BrBa 514, “Ozymandias”).
Kokopelli
We see a bear in the immediate background when Walt’s surgeon, Dr. Bravenec, discusses medical options with him. The doctor is optimistic about Walt’s prospects in surgery (BrBa 211, “Mandala”).
White bears are the most powerful of the bear protectors. We see a white bear statue on a shelf in the Staycation hotel room when Skyler suggests to Walt that Jesse be terminated. Walt’s protectiveness towards Jesse is on full display here (BrBa 512 “Rabid Dog”).
White bears and pale bears are used mostly in regards to children. Maximum protection is extended to these children. For example, Holly has a white Teddy Bear in her bassinet (BrBa 305, “Más”).
Kiira, Lydia’s daughter, is protected by a pale Teddy Bear, seen here in the foreground (BrBa 502, “Madrigal”).
We see the white Koala Care Bear when Walt changes Holly’s diaper after he kidnaps her (BrBa 514, “Ozymandias”).
I was also curious about the metal yard art present in the White family’s back yard. For example, we see Kokopelli symbols, which are Puebloan symbols that represent fertility, in the backgrounds of scenes during fierce arguments. It is an odd pairing, fertility and conflict, but dramas advance through conflict. These are the arguments that are particularly fertile in advancing the plot of “Breaking Bad.” 
When we see a standoff develop between Walt and Hank over Walt Jr., we see Kokopelli symbols (BrBa 210, “Over”).
Kokopelli – A Confrontation over Walt, Jr. (BrBa 210, “Over”).
We see more Kokopelli symbols at other times when there is conflict (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
Walt and Jesse argue (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
When Skyler confronts Walt, we see a Kokopelli symbol (BrBa 201, “Seven Thirty-Seven”).
When Walt prepares to confront Jesse, he leans directly against the Kokopelli art (BrBa 512, “Rabid Dog”).
Lizards
When we see a standoff develop between Walt and Hank over Walt Jr., we see Kokopelli symbols (BrBa 210, “Over”).
Kokopelli – A Confrontation over Walt, Jr. (BrBa 210, “Over”).
We see more Kokopelli symbols at other times when there is conflict (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
Walt and Jesse argue (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
When Skyler confronts Walt, we see a Kokopelli symbol (BrBa 201, “Seven Thirty-Seven”).
When Walt prepares to confront Jesse, he leans directly against the Kokopelli art (BrBa 512, “Rabid Dog”).
We also see lizards in the White family's back yard. Lizards are esteemed in Native American culture because they can lose and regenerate tails. Lizards represent healing and protection and in the show act almost like Band-Aids.
We see a lizard on the wall when Hank tries to protect Walt, Jr. by preventing Walt from pouring more alcohol (BrBa 210, “Over”).
These lizard Band-Aids are called upon to cover very deep wounds, for example, when Walt’s lung cancer is revealed (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
When the pink Teddy Bear's eyeball is seen floating in the pool after the mid-air collision, we see a lizard on the wall (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
Spirals
We see a lizard on the wall when Hank tries to protect Walt, Jr. by preventing Walt from pouring more alcohol (BrBa 210, “Over”).
These lizard Band-Aids are called upon to cover very deep wounds, for example, when Walt’s lung cancer is revealed (BrBa 104, “Cancer Man”).
When the pink Teddy Bear's eyeball is seen floating in the pool after the mid-air collision, we see a lizard on the wall (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
Spirals, which are common in Native American petroglyphs, are surprisingly common in the White family’s back yard, particularly as seen in the various ominous openings of Season 2. For example, we see a spiral in a wrapped hose, and the end of the hose itself. We also see spirals in a bird feeder, a mobile, and a spiral dreamcatcher on the north wall of the yard. Even a snail on the yard wall has its spiral shell.
The spiral end of the spiraled hose (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The clay-built, spiraled bird feeder (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The spiral mobile (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The snail, with its spiral shell (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The spiral dreamcatcher on the north wall of the yard (BrBa 104, "Cancer Man").
Navajo Crystal Style
The spiral end of the spiraled hose (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The clay-built, spiraled bird feeder (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The spiral mobile (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The snail, with its spiral shell (BrBa 213, "ABQ").
The spiral dreamcatcher on the north wall of the yard (BrBa 104, "Cancer Man").
There are several examples in the White family home of a pattern that derives from the Crystal Style of Navajo weaving. The Crystal Style comes into play when Walt does, or is about to do, something cool or clever, or sometimes as ironic commentary when Walt instead does something dorky.
For example, the kitchen counter stools have backs displaying the Navajo Crystal Style (BrBa 210, "Over").
As he tries to think things through, Walt sits on a couch that sports Crystal Style patterns (BrBa 412, "End Times").
The edges of the coffee table that Walt props against the front door feature Crystal Style patterns (BrBa 412, "End Times").
SMH. You call this Crystal Style, Walt? (BrBa 210, "Over").
Tawa and Zia Symbols
Inside the White family home, we see a Tawa plaque on the fireplace (BrBa 205, "Breakage"). Tawa is a Hopi symbol, representing the sun and masculinity, and sometimes represented as a Kachina doll.
Kachina Tawa. What is a Kachina, exactly? “Kachinas are respected spirits and invisible forces of life. … Their chief function is to bring rain, ensuring the abundance of crops."
In the episode “Breakage,” we see a garbage-can lid that resembles the Tawa symbol when Walt tosses away a “Hope” button handed to him by the sympathetic oncology clerk who prepares his bill. Note that this isn’t just a “Hope” button - it’s a “Hop-ee” button – an announcement from the show’s creative team to those in the know that more Hopi symbolism is coming (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Also present in this scene is the Pueblo Deco Arch of the building, which I discuss in more detail elsewhere (BrBa 205, "Breakage").
Closely-related to Tawa symbols are Zia symbols. Both are sun symbols and thus masculinity symbols. The frequently-seen New Mexico state flag uses the Zia symbol.
In the movie “El Camino,” as Jesse watches a phalanx of DEA vehicles pass through the intersection of Third St. and Santa Fe Ave. in Albuquerque, we see that a circular tire mark and the intersecting streets form a Zia symbol.
Other Native American symbols are present in the metal yard art near the White family’s pool.
A Kachina looms over Walt, Jr. when he gets sick after drinking too much alcohol. Schematic feathers across the head and a robe indicate this is a warrior Kachina. There are about 300 to 400 Kachinas overall, of whom about six are warrior Kachinas.
After reviewing the candidates for cinematic potential, I conclude that this is probably the Nakiachop Kachina, who is best-known for the Ladder Dance. Dancers leap back and forth between two poles at the edge of a cliff.
Actually, it is the exact opposite. Walt is very clumsy around ladders and avoids ladders at all times. In "Caballo sin Nombre," Walt knocks a ladder onto himself (BrBa 302, “Caballo sin Nombre”).
As Skyler interrogates Walt in the Staycation Hotel room, a ladder in the photograph on the wall haunts Walt. Interestingly, the ladder may be associated with a kiva (BrBa 512, “Rabid Dog”).
A Kachina looms over Walt, Jr. when he gets sick after drinking too much alcohol. Schematic feathers across the head and a robe indicate this is a warrior Kachina. There are about 300 to 400 Kachinas overall, of whom about six are warrior Kachinas.
After reviewing the candidates for cinematic potential, I conclude that this is probably the Nakiachop Kachina, who is best-known for the Ladder Dance. Dancers leap back and forth between two poles at the edge of a cliff.
Because it is so dangerous the Hopi don’t do the Ladder Dance anymore. The risky Ladder Dance sounds like it might fit Walt, however. I wondered, is there an affinity between Walt and ladders?
Actually, it is the exact opposite. Walt is very clumsy around ladders and avoids ladders at all times. In "Caballo sin Nombre," Walt knocks a ladder onto himself (BrBa 302, “Caballo sin Nombre”).
As Skyler interrogates Walt in the Staycation Hotel room, a ladder in the photograph on the wall haunts Walt. Interestingly, the ladder may be associated with a kiva (BrBa 512, “Rabid Dog”).
In contrast, Jesse goes up and down ladders all the time. No doubt Walt wants Jesse to take all the risks.
In the episode “Fly,” Walt avoids climbing a ladder (BrBa 310, “Fly”).
Nevertheless, Walt reluctantly stabilizes a ladder as Jesse climbs to get the fly (BrBa 310, “Fly”).
The only time you see Walt on a ladder is in the humiliation episode “I.F.T.,” when he retrieves the pizza from the roof (BrBa 303, “I.F.T.”).
Walt retrieves the pizza (BrBa 303, “I.F.T.”).
Since I kept bumping into Hopi references in “Breaking Bad,” I obtained an authoritative survey on Hopi religious culture, the “Book of the Hopi,” by Frank Waters, published in 1963. This was a fortuitous find. It soon became clear that Vince Gilligan and the creative team at “Breaking Bad” also consulted THIS book.
And so, according to the Hopi, what might the fly represent? Perhaps the Kachina Mastop, the death-fly Kachina, who represents the rude forces of life, the antithesis of Walt’s forces of death. Mastop bears hand prints on his body and carries a ringed stick in his hand. The rings on the stick symbolize the rungs of ladders galore that will need to be climbed into many future worlds yet to come. Mastop represents everything Walt rejects. No wonder Walt must rid himself of the fly (BrBa 310, “Fly”)!
The underground Superlab is very much like a Kiva, the Puebloan ceremonial chamber. Chemistry is treated with religious awe here (BrBa 305, “Más”).
Superlab Plot Plan.
The Superlab has at least three levels, and you can see a 4th level too; the platform at the top of the spiral staircase. The Superlab visually expresses the four worlds of the Hopi (BrBa 307, “One Minute”).
A useful comparison can be made to a possible Superlab prototype, the similarly-sized Great Kiva at Aztec National Monument near Farmington, NM.
The Hopi believe we are currently in the fourth world of the third universe. Each of the previous three worlds ended in a disaster, and the fourth world will someday end in a disaster too. Other southwestern Native American tribes have similar beliefs. The Navajo believe we are already in the fifth world. The Great Kiva at Aztec has four noticeable levels in its interior, plus a small hole in the floor representing the Place of Emergence, called the sipápuni (not pictured; which is the same as the sipapu in the Tewa language of Taos).
The Superlab under construction in "Better Call Saul" has four levels as well: the outside, two stairway platforms, and the floor (BCS 608, “Point and Shoot”).
What can it mean that both Lalo and Howard are buried at the Place of Emergence in the Superlab? (BCS 608, “Point and Shoot”).
Spirals appear in Native American petroglyphs, and are present in “Breaking Bad.” In the episode “ABQ,” Walt enters a “Shooting Gallery” to retrieve Jesse (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). A large spiral with a vertical slash passing through the center is spray-painted on the wall. I taught a class in astronomy a few years ago and this particular spiral rang a bell with me. This spiral likely refers to the most-important set of Native American spirals in the entire Southwest.
These two spirals are the Sun Dagger, a unique Ancestral-Puebloan archaeo-astronomical site located behind three stone slabs on La Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico.
Three stone slabs.
At Summer Solstice, at noon, sunlight passing between the stone slabs forms a dagger of light that pierces directly through the center of the large spiral. At Winter Solstice, two daggers of light bracket the large spiral. Also note the little spiral on the left. At Spring and Fall Equinoxes, a dagger of light pierces directly through the center of the small spiral; the spiral with the long, trailing end.
This particular spiral, with a patch of light on the tangential left edge, indicates a Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”). The Hopi believe Kachinas emerge from the Underworld at Winter Solstice in order to prepare the world for a new season of life.
Solstice and Equinox markers in the television show can be identified using the symbolism of the Sun Dagger. Solstice markers will always feature a spiral, with some kind of slash passing through the center. Equinox markers will feature two elements - a circle, plus a dagger. The dagger can be located within the circle, or somewhere nearby.
Hopi culture is used in strange and wondrous ways in “Breaking Bad.” In the episode “Full Measure” we see Gale at home. Gale waters two plants - a jade plant and what looks like a horsetail reed. Reeds are significant in Hopi culture. The Hopi escaped the flood that ended the Third World through a reed into the Fourth World, and survived on rafts made of reeds.
We see two masks in this view of Gale’s apartment. The mask on the wall has two horns on it. Plus, we see a large reflector telescope, indicating Gale’s interest in the cosmos.
With this broader view, we see the two-horned mask on the left. On the right we see a Krampus mask with two horns on it. On the coffee table, we see a hookah. On the bookshelf, we see two horns facing inwards towards each other, suggesting a disassembled Hopi Two-Horn Society shrine.
The members of the Two Horn Society occupy the highest niche in Hopi culture. They alone have memories of the previous three worlds and understand the original concept of Creation.
In his own way, Gale Boetticher too understands the original concept of Creation.
The little manikin on Gale’s desk is his Típoni, his badge of religious authority to conduct rituals; in his case, at the Two-Horn altar. In general, the Hopi symbols that are shown on television are not exact. In the same way that the chemical details of meth manufacture are fudged in “Breaking Bad,” the ceremonial details of Hopi religious life are fudged as well. Inexact ceremonies lack religious power, but do retain narrative power for storytelling.
Gale's Tiponi.
When Gale welcomes Gus into his apartment, we see his Típoni in the background, behind his shoulder. Ostensibly Gus is Gale’s superior, but the Típoni reveals the truth.
When Jesse arrives to kill Gale, we see that Gale bears the Kachina Mastop’s hand symbol over his heart.
Pipes and Figurines
In general in Hopi life, only members of religious societies smoke pipes – people who likely already have Típonis. Ordinary folks smoke cigarettes, not pipes. Many Típonis in Hopi life appear to be human statuettes. “Breaking Bad” may follow a kind of Hopi rule in this regard. Characters in the show who possess pipes or human statuettes appear to constitute a group with religious authority - a kind of chosen people. Pipes and statuettes are equivalent to one another. Gale has his hookah and statuette. Jesse and Jane have their meth pipes. Lydia has Edgar Degas’, “Little 14-Year-Old Dancer” on her desk. Todd has figurines at home. Saul displays a Típoni on his desk - a blindfolded “Lady Justice.” In contrast, Mike, Gus, and the Salamancas seem to have no pipes or statuettes.
Meth Pipes.
Lady Justice
Hank, Skyler, and even Marie dabble with human figurines – their Típonis. For example, Hank obtains a Jesús Malverde figurine and eventually gifts it to Gomey. In a flashback scene in “Ozymandias” we see Skyler packing up the “Hideous Crying Clown” for an online sale. Skyler becomes something of a statuette herself. After Holly’s kidnapping, Skyler falls to her knees in the street outside the White family home in the pose of a statuette called “Angel de la Victoria” by Salvador Dalí.
Marie steals several objects in “Breaking Bad,” but the only one she gets to keep is her Típoni, the Chimney Sweep on a Pig. This Hummel is very compatible with Hopi symbolism. If your goal is to climb through a reed from the Third World into the Fourth World, who better to have on your team than a Chimney Sweep to clear away the obstacles?
The Hopi influence surfaces when unusual adjectives like “ladder-climbing” are used. Another example occurs when Saul Goodman first meets Walter White in the guise of Mr. Mayhew, and explains why he uses the name Saul. “The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys; they all want a pipe-hitting member of the tribe, so to speak.” Saul pretends to be a Jew, one of the chosen people, in order to curry favor with Jewish clients. Pipe-hitting emphasizes the extra authority that Saul carries by possessing a Típoni – two times over, a chosen person!
“Breaking Bad” is all about change, and the Hopi religion anticipates change. “Breaking Bad” adopts the fourfold structure of the Hopi mindset. “Breaking Bad” has four seasons, each with its own characteristic Kiva: the RV, the Superlab, the hospital tents, and Uncle Jack’s compound. The RV dominates the first season - S1: BrBa 101-213 (Transition BrBa 301-306).
The Superlab dominates Season Two - S2: BrBa 307 – 413.
The Tents dominate Season Three - S3: BrBa 501-508 (Transition BrBa 509-513).
Uncle Jack's Compound dominates Season Four - S4: BrBa 514-516; plus "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie."
Each of the Hopi four worlds has particular properties, such as a color, a direction, and a mineral. The creative team of “Breaking Bad” might think of the different seasons of the show as being different worlds.
Each season does seem to have a characteristic direction; from Albuquerque, in order, west to To’hajiilee, south to Mexico, north to the train-robbery location, and east to New Hampshire, and maybe a characteristic mineral as well. If there is a characteristic mineral for the entire show, it would be sapphire – the namesake for the bluish tequila Zafiro Añejo: Aged Sapphire. Minerals have importance in “Breaking Bad” because the Hopi give them importance.
El Camino, which means the road in Spanish, means specifically The Road of Life of the Hopi. The sun travels across the sky on the Road of Life. When the sun sets in the west in the world above, it rises in the west in the Underworld, the land of the dead. The sun travels east in the Underworld and sets, rising again in the east of the world above. Of particular importance is Summer Solstice, when the Kachinas return to the Underworld, celebrated in a ceremony called Niman Kachina.
Hopi Ceremonial Calendar
The storyline of “Breaking Bad” runs for a full year of the Hopi Ceremonial Calendar, starting at Fall Equinox, and runs until the following Fall Equinox. Note that this isn’t the timeline of the show, which runs for about two and a half years, but rather a parallel, completely-separate timeline. Let’s walk through the Hopi ceremonial calendar in “Breaking Bad.”
First up is a marker for the Fall Equinox – a dagger shape pointed near or within a circle. This marker is the falling trousers in the “Pilot” episode – the dagger of the pants legs and the circle of the belt line - marking the start of the show (BrBa 101, "Pilot")./div>
Second comes the spiral of Winter Solstice (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
Most of the symbolism regarding Jane Margolis is Catholic in nature. Still, there is a slot in the Hopi ceremonial calendar at Winter Solstice for Jane, the sacrificial Hawk Maiden of Soyál (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
All night long, the Hopi priests watch the sky, looking for evidence that the Winter Solstice has occurred. Walt watches the sky too and sees a different sort of evidence (BrBa 213, “ABQ”).
At Spring Equinox, in the episode “Face Off,” we see Gus approach Casa Tranquila by crossing on foot a parking circle sporting decorative cobbles arranged in the form of a dagger (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
Here is an aerial view from 2011 of the parking circle. I’ve darkened the dagger of cobbles so you can see it better. The dagger’s pointed directly at Casa Tranquila. Note the trailing end of the entrance road, similar to the trailing end of the small spiral of the Sun Dagger.
Gus walks across the dagger of cobbles (BrBa 413, “Face Off”).
All of Season 5a of “Breaking Bad” is an elaborate series of rituals marking the approach of Niman Kachina. The first order of business is to obtain magnetic things for the Kachinas to take to the Underworld (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
The Hopi interpret magnetism in its broadest sense – not just electromagnetic attraction, but anything else that attracts. The Hopi are most interested in collecting Eagles for their feathers, which are best at attracting prayers, and Spruce Trees, which are best at attracting rainfall. Magnets have importance in “Breaking Bad” because the Hopi give them importance.
Jesse loses his laptop (BrBa 501, “Live Free or Die”).
At all times, the Hopi are preoccupied with the big flood that ended the Third World. Skyler catches onto that preoccupation which leads her to simulate suicide in the pool (BrBa 504, “Fifty-One”).
Then, the sacrifice the Eagles for their feathers (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”)!
Another Niman Kachina ceremony is The Pilgrimage for Spruce. Spruce trees don’t grow near the Hopi pueblos, so a pilgrimage has to be arranged to get them. In “Breaking Bad” the story of the pilgrimage becomes Hank’s regretful reminiscence for his carefree job as a youth, tagging trees (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Note the glass spiral on the table. This is the Summer Solstice marker. Just like at the Sun Dagger, a dagger of light pierces directly through the center of the spiral (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
Just before Hank discovers Gale’s copy of “Leaves of Grass,” there is a discussion in the back yard between Marie and Skyler concerning hair-care products. The Hopi have a ceremony for religious-society initiates called the “Night of the Washing of the Hair,” a recapitulation of the end of the Third World. Marie and Skyler’s discussion is actually about the end of the Third World (BrBa 508, “Gliding Over All”).
After Hank discovers “Leaves of Grass,” we see that the Tawa plaque on the White family’s fireplace is gone, for good. The Kachina Tawa has returned to the Underworld. Happy Summer Solstice (BrBa 509, “Blood Money”)!
In the final episode “Felina” we watch Walt and Jesse inscribe the final Fall Equinox marker. When Walt parks his car he insists on driving up to Uncle Jack’s clubhouse in a circular manner – not just to better station his hidden machine gun but also to inscribe his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the circular part. When Jesse takes Todd’s El Camino, he first slams the car into reverse, passes Walt, and then exits forward on Walt’s opposite side, inscribing his half of the Fall Equinox symbol, the dagger shape, pointed directly at Uncle Jack’s clubhouse. Jesse completes the Hopi ceremonial year and then drives off to freedom (BrBa 516, “Felina”).
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a Young Woman Looking For The Husband of Her Dreams
Religious rituals sure look strange when unexplained. The Hopi have a ceremony called Márawu, or Leg Decoration, that encourages very young women to find the husbands of their dreams. Leg Decoration refers to stripes painted on the legs of the young Máraw women. After a night-long ceremony in a Kiva, the young women are slowly brought out into the sunlight, but their climb is impaired. They have to climb up the ladder only by holding hands with each other, not by using their hands on the rungs of the ladder. Their slow climb is a reminder of the halting progress of the ancient Hopi when they climbed the reed from the collapsing Third World into today’s Fourth World.
In “Breaking Bad,” Lydia is presented as a young woman looking for the husband of her dreams.
In the episode “Buried,” Lydia visits Declan’s Kiva in the Arizona desert in advance of Uncle Jack’s attack (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Similar to the young Máraw women, Lydia impairs her own progress, which she does by covering her eyes. Lydia requires Todd’s assistance in order to exit the Kiva and stumble across the killing field. The creative team gives her a cover story, that she is too squeamish to view her victims (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Lydia’s Leg Decorations aren’t painted stripes but rather red-bottom Christian Louboutin shoes. By altering Hopi ceremonies, Vince Gilligan and company are able to create a fresh vision of hell in Season 5b of “Breaking Bad" (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Lydia's shoes, with victim.
There is a little Hopi touch in Lydia’s last scene, where we see her on the phone with Walt. On the left, we see her vaporizer at work to ease her respiratory discomfort. All Hopi women know that young Máraw women have in their possession the best herbs for vaporizers. Lydia therefore already possesses the best herbs. She thought she was well-prepared for riding out her illness (BrBa 516, “Felina”).
There may be other Hopi influences on “Breaking Bad,” as listed in the "Book of the Hopi." These influences might come from other sources, though. It's hard to say with certainty whether they derive from Hopi influences.
Walt’s departure from Gray Matter seems to resemble Machito’s departure from Shongopovi (BrBa 506, "Buyout").
Might this be the Magic Eye of the Ya Ya?
Does Badger come from the Badger Clan?
The New Fire Ceremony of Wúwuchim is equated with the custom of morning coffee (BrBa 306, "Sunset").
The use of tinkling to mark Eladio’s swimming pool flashback (BrBa 408, “Hermanos”) may come from the tinkling of Kachina Chowílawu’s belt made of pieces of polished petrified wood, as heard during his kiva dance at Powamu.
Hopi Gothic
In the episode “Buried,” Lydia visits Declan’s Kiva in the Arizona desert in advance of Uncle Jack’s attack (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Similar to the young Máraw women, Lydia impairs her own progress, which she does by covering her eyes. Lydia requires Todd’s assistance in order to exit the Kiva and stumble across the killing field. The creative team gives her a cover story, that she is too squeamish to view her victims (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Lydia’s Leg Decorations aren’t painted stripes but rather red-bottom Christian Louboutin shoes. By altering Hopi ceremonies, Vince Gilligan and company are able to create a fresh vision of hell in Season 5b of “Breaking Bad" (BrBa 510, “Buried”).
Lydia's shoes, with victim.
There is a little Hopi touch in Lydia’s last scene, where we see her on the phone with Walt. On the left, we see her vaporizer at work to ease her respiratory discomfort. All Hopi women know that young Máraw women have in their possession the best herbs for vaporizers. Lydia therefore already possesses the best herbs. She thought she was well-prepared for riding out her illness (BrBa 516, “Felina”).
Other Hopi Influences?
Walt’s departure from Gray Matter seems to resemble Machito’s departure from Shongopovi (BrBa 506, "Buyout").
Might this be the Magic Eye of the Ya Ya?
Does Badger come from the Badger Clan?
The New Fire Ceremony of Wúwuchim is equated with the custom of morning coffee (BrBa 306, "Sunset").
The use of tinkling to mark Eladio’s swimming pool flashback (BrBa 408, “Hermanos”) may come from the tinkling of Kachina Chowílawu’s belt made of pieces of polished petrified wood, as heard during his kiva dance at Powamu.
There is an Ancestral Puebloan analogy to Walter White’s empire. Chaco Canyon rose to power based on its religious culture and trade in turquoise, and later fell due to drought and strife.
The Hopi don’t talk much about Chaco Canyon, at least to outsiders, but the Navajo have a story about an outsider called The Gambler, who enslaved people with addictive games and then built Chaco’s Great Houses with the stolen labor. The Gambler was eventually overthrown. Gambling was Walt’s cover story in the show. Walt is The Gambler.
Blue Meth.
Kachina Sotungtaka (Gambler).
Turquoise.
“Breaking Bad” is taking portions of Hopi religious culture in order to create a new art form that might be called Hopi Gothic. A religious ritual is identified, changed, and placed in a new context, creating obscurity, uncanniness, dread, and remorse, the building blocks of Gothic literature.
"Breaking Bad" Precursors
“Breaking Bad” has at least two inspirational film precursors. My favorite is the 1992 film “Falling Down,” starring Michael Douglas.
The film authority Angelo Restivo says that 1956 film “Bigger Than Life,” starring James Mason, is his favorite precursor for “Breaking Bad,” and he’s not wrong. Both movies are excellent models upon which to build “Breaking Bad.”
Conclusion
“The Book of the Hopi” is important because it provides the general structure of “Breaking Bad,” plus at least two character sketches used in the show: Gale Boetticher and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle. There are likely other inspirational texts for “Breaking Bad.” A variety of Asian mystical influences on the show needs to be explored further, in particular, the Mandala, the Circle of Life. These Asian influences blend with the Hopi influence in an intricate way.
For example, without going into detail, Skyler’s visit to the Four Corners monument may be a query to the Taoist I Ching (BrBa 406, “Cornered”).
Fans have responded to “Breaking Bad” with cult-like reverence - not surprising, given that actual religion is woven into the show.
References
- “Book of the Hopi,” Frank Waters, 1963.
- “Chaco Astronomy: An Ancient American Cosmology,” Anna Sofaer and others, 2008.
- “The Chaco Meridian: Centers of Political Power in the Ancient Southwest,” Stephen H. Lekson, 1999.
- “Hopi Kachinas: The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls,” Barton Wright, 1977.
- “Jung and Eastern Thought: A Dialogue with the Orient,” J.J. Clarke, 1994.
- "Zuni Fetishes," Frank Hamilton Cushing, 1883, ninth printing, 1990.
