A Study of Siouan Cults: Eleventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1889-1890, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1861, pages 351-544Dorsey, James Owen
Religion
A Study of Siouan Cults: Eleventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1889-1890, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1861, pages 351-544
Dorsey, James Owen
Siouan Indians -- Religion
§ 126. These are similar to the armor gods, in that they are divinities
who act as guardian spirits. Each of these powers is appropriated by
a single individual, protecting and aiding him, and receiving his
worship. These spirits are conferred at the time of initiation into the
order of the Mystery Dance, and of course are confined to the members
of that order.[128] Each spirit of the mystery sack is not a separate
god, but a wakan power derived from the Unkteḣi, according to a
later statement of Riggs.[129]
TAKUŚKAŊŚKAŊ, THE MOVING DEITY.
§ 127. This is a form of the wakan which jugglers, so-called mystery
men, and war prophets invoke. In their estimation he is the most
powerful of their gods; the one most to be feared and propitiated,
since, more than all others, he influences human weal and woe. He is
supposed to live in the four winds, and the four black spirits of night
do his bidding. The consecrated spear and tomahawk (see § 124) are
its weapons. The buzzard, raven, fox, wolf, and other animals are its
lieutenants, to produce disease and death.[130] (Compare this with some
of the pictographs on the war chart of the Kansa tribe: Fig. 4, Wind
songs; the connection between the winds and war is shown in § 33. Fig.
8, Deer songs. Fig. 9, an Elk song. Fig. 10, seven songs of the Wakanda
who makes night songs. Fig. 11, five songs of the Big Rock. This is a
rough red rock near Topeka, Kans. “This rock has a hard body, like that
of a wakanda. May you walk like it.” Fig. 12, Wolf songs. The wolf
howls at night. Fig. 13, Moon songs. Fig. 14, Crow songs. The crow
flies around a dead body which it wishes to devour. Fig. 18, Shade
songs. There is a Wakanda who makes shade. Fig. 20, song of the Small
Rock. Fig. 22, songs of the young Moon. Fig. 23, songs of the Buffalo
Bull. Fig. 27, Owl songs. The owl hoots at night.[131])
§ 128. Miss Fletcher has given us a very interesting account of “The
Religious Ceremony of the Four Winds or Quarters, as observed by the
Santee Sioux.” “Among the Santee (Sioux) Indians the Four Winds are
symbolized by the raven and a small black stone, less than a hen’s egg
in size.” “An intelligent Santee said to me: ‘The worship of the Four
Winds is the most difficult to explain for it is the most complicated.’
The Four Winds are sent by the ‘Something that Moves.’”[132] There is
a “Something that Moves” at each of the four directions or quarters.
The winds are, therefore, the messengers or exponents of the powers
which remain at the four quarters. These four quarters are spoken of as
upholding the earth,[133] and are connected with thunder and lightning
as well as the wind.[134] * * *
“My informant went on to tell me that the spirits of the four winds
were not one, but twelve, and they are spoken of as twelve.”[135] (See
§ 42.)
§ 129. In Tah-koo Wah-kon, pp. 64, 65, Riggs says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account