The spiritual beliefs of the Lakota people, deeply intertwined with the natural world and the cycles of life, form a rich and complex tapestry of mythology. This article serves as a guide to understanding some of the key figures and concepts within Lakota spiritual tradition, providing a descriptive overview of their roles, attributes, and significance. It’s important to remember that this is a general introduction, and the nuances of Lakota spirituality are best understood through respectful and in-depth study within the cultural context. The heart of Lakota Spiritual Mythology is about respect, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things.
Anog Ite (Double-Face Woman): Once known as Ite, the beautiful daughter of Skan and wife of Tate, Anog Ite’s story is one of ambition and its consequences. Consumed by a desire to supplant Hanwi, the Moon, she attempted to seduce Wi, the Sun. Her treachery was discovered, and as punishment, she was transformed, cursed to bear two faces: one of captivating beauty, the other of grotesque hideousness. This duality reflects the disharmony and the dangers of straying from tradition.
Anog Ite appears in dreams to young women, offering to impart the skills of quilling – a meticulous and highly valued craft involving the dyeing and attachment of porcupine quills to create intricate designs, often adorning ceremonial robes. Full-length quilled robes are considered rare and highly prized. While the role of a quiller is respected, these women often deviate from societal norms. Their dedication to their craft consumes their time, often leading to a life unmarried, and sometimes even to same-sex relationships. Anog Ite represents the complex relationship between skill, societal expectations, and personal choices. The tale of Anog Ite is part of Lakota Spiritual Mythology.
Anp: The Spirit of Dawn, Anp embodies the reddish light that paints the sky at daybreak. Created by Skan as a source of pure radiance to fill the void left by Han, the spirit of darkness, Anp’s arrival revealed the desolate coldness of Maka, the Earth. To counteract this, Wi, the Sun, was created. However, the world then became too hot. A balance was required. Thus, it was decreed that Han and Anp would alternate their presence, with Han returning from exile beneath Maka for a time, followed by Anp. This constant cycle ensures that Maka is never too hot, too cold, too bright, or too dark, maintaining the delicate equilibrium of the world.
Capa: The Beaver. Within Lakota spirituality, animals often embody specific virtues and serve as patrons of particular aspects of life. Capa, the Beaver, is revered as the spirit of diligence, perseverance, and domestic harmony. He is the embodiment of hard work and the quiet contentment of a well-ordered home.
Cetan: The Hawk. Cetan, the Hawk, is the embodiment of swiftness, agility, and inner fortitude. He is the patron spirit of those who act decisively and possess unwavering stamina, both physically and mentally.
Han: The Spirit of Darkness. Existing before all other things, Han represents the primal darkness that predates creation. Initially banished beneath Maka by Skan to make way for Anp, the light, the resulting imbalance necessitated a reconciliation. An arrangement was made for Han and Anp to alternate in their exile beneath Maka, ensuring a continuous cycle of light and darkness, and maintaining cosmic balance.
Hanwi: The Moon. Hanwi, the Moon, is the companion created by Wi, the Sun. Her path is not always constant, and she wanders the night sky, a celestial presence that guides and illuminates the darkness.
Hehaka: The Elk. Representing masculine energy and vitality, Hehaka, the Elk, is the spirit associated with sexuality and intimate relationships. He embodies the power and grace of the elk and serves as a patron of fertility and connection.
Heyoka: The Spirit of Perversity and Chaos. Heyoka embodies contradiction and paradox. It is both a divine entity and the influence of that entity on humans. This spirit possesses a double-faced nature, displaying joy on one side and grief on the other. Heyoka is associated with meteors and embodies characteristics of reversal and unexpected behavior.
Individuals who dream of Wakinyan, the Thunderbirds, often become heyokas. These individuals exhibit paradoxical behaviors, laughing when sad and crying when happy, walking backwards, wearing clothing in reverse order, and dressing inappropriately for the season. They are believed to possess healing powers and the ability to interpret dreams, yet they are deeply afraid of thunder and lightning.
Hihankara (Owl-Maker): An aged crone who guards the entrance to the Sky-Road (the Milky Way), Hihankara examines the nagiwho (souls) of the deceased as they approach. Those who cannot present the proper tattoos, signifying their adherence to Lakota tradition and spiritual knowledge, are cast from the path, falling back to Earth to wander as ghosts.
Hnaska: The Frog. Hnaska embodies the spirit of sorcery and magic in general. He is the source and patron of those who delve into the hidden arts and wield supernatural powers.
Hogan: The Fish. Hogan represents the element of water, particularly its cleansing and purifying properties. This spirit is the patron of purification rituals and the washing away of impurities.
Iktinike: The son of Wi, the Sun, Iktinike was banished to Earth by his father for his deceitful nature and telling lies.
Iktomi: The Spider. Son of Inyan, Iktomi resembles a spider and possesses the ability to communicate with all things, both living and inanimate. He is credited with granting humans the power of speech. Because he can converse with Wakinyan, the Thunderbirds, he is considered a heyoka.
Iktomi is a figure of both wisdom and trickery. He is responsible for many of the difficulties that humans face. He can panic animals and shapeshift or become invisible to create mischief. Perhaps his greatest act of trickery was convincing the Lakota to live as nomads, making them more vulnerable.
Inyan: A primal being, without source, and the source of all creation. Driven by loneliness, Inyan separated a part of himself, creating Maka, the Earth, as a dwelling place. This act of creation drained him of much of his power, causing him to solidify and become Rock. His blood flowed forth, becoming the rivers, streams, and lakes of the world. As a passive force, Inyan created Wakinyan, the Thunderbirds, as his active companion. He is the spirit underlying Wakan Tanka, the Great Mystery.
Iya: A child of Inyan, Iya is an evil entity responsible, directly or indirectly, for all the evil beings in the world. Unlike his mischievous brother Iktomi, Iya desires nothing but destruction and suffering.
Ka: First Woman, wife of Wa, and mother of Ite. Ka aided Ite in her plot to replace Hanwi and was banished to Earth as punishment. On Earth, she became known as Kanka, a powerful witch who can either aid or hinder those she encounters.
Keya: The Turtle. Keya is the spirit of health, safety, and healing. He is the patron of healing rituals, particularly surgical treatments. Turtle amulets are often given to children for general protection.
Maka: The Earth. Created by Inyan from his own substance, Maka was initially cold and barren. It was only after Skan created Anp that Maka became aware of her condition. Skan then created Wi to warm her. However, the sun’s heat proved too intense, and Maka continued to complain. As a solution, Skan arranged for Anp and Han to follow each other in regular order, bringing balance to Maka.
Mato: The Bear. Mato is the spirit of passionate emotions and healing. He is also known to be mischievous, similar to Iktomi.
Mica: The Coyote. Mica is the quintessential trickster figure, appearing in the mythologies of many Native American tribes. He is particularly involved in the Ta Tanka Lowanpi, the girls’ puberty rite ritual.
During the first menses, young women are isolated and instructed to carefully bundle their menstrual blood, which is then placed in a tree, where tree spirits aid in fertility. Iktomi persuades Mica to steal these bundles to gain control over the girl. However, if the bundles are protected, Mica cannot identify them.
Okaga: The spirit of the South, bringing the warm south winds and associated with fertility and warm weather.
Skan: The spirit of the Sky. Created by Inyan, Skan listened to Maka’s complaints about the cold and darkness. He banished Han to a place behind Maka and created Anp. However, light alone did not provide warmth, and Maka could see how barren she was. Skan then created Wi.
The sun proved too hot, and Maka continued to complain. Skan recalled Han from exile and arranged for Han and Anp to walk around Maka in regular order, ensuring she was neither too hot nor too cold, too dark nor too bright.
Sungmanito: The Wolf. Sungmanito is the spirit of the hunt and of war.
Sunka: The Dog. Sunka is the spirit of faithfulness and companionship.
Taku Skanskan: An aerial spirit associated with chaos. Master of the four winds and the four Night spirits (Fox, Raven, Vulture, Wolf), he directs these servants in bringing change, usually baneful (disease, war, famine), but sometimes helpful (warm winds from the south signifying Spring).
Ta Tanka: (Great Beast) The Buffalo. Ta Tanka is the spirit of plentiful food, health, and general tribal well-being. He teaches the proper rituals and possesses magical competence.
Unusually, Ta Tanka is believed to remain within the physical remains of the animal, especially the skull. Finds of woolly mammoth skulls were regarded as belonging to him. He is in eternal conflict with Mica and is called upon to defend young women’s menstrual bundles during the Ta Tanka Lowanpi ritual, which Mica attempts to steal to control the girls.
Tatankan Gnaskiyan: (Crazy Buffalo) A malevolent spirit who attempts to disrupt love affairs, causing feuding, murders, or suicides.
Tate: The Wind. Created by Skan as his companion, Tate took Ite as his wife. She bore him four sons but plotted to replace Hanwi as Wi’s companion while pregnant again.
She was banished for this, but Tate received permission for him and his children to dwell upon Maka to be near her. They settled in the middle of the world, where Tate established a lodge and sent his four elder sons to the cardinal points to establish dominion over them.
Unhcegila: A malevolent spirit dwelling in secret places, resembling a large reptile, responsible for disappearances and mysterious deaths.
Unk: (Contention) Created to be a companion for Maka and the mother of Iya. She caused much quarreling and was banished to the depths of the waters, where she, with Iya, became the progenitor of all evil beings.
Unktehi: A class of spirits, males living within water and females on land. They resemble giant ruminants with long tails and are often dangerous or malignant, causing flooding and contaminated water sources. They are also teachers, instructing humans in body painting for ceremonial purposes.
Wa: First Man, husband of Ka, and father of Ite. Wa aided Ite in her bid to supplant Hanwi and was banished to Earth. Here, he became known as Wazi, a great wizard, who can either aid or hinder those he encounters.
Wakan: Not a divinity or spirit, but a central concept. Wakan means "mystery," "something marvelous," or "a sacred essence." It is an impersonal force within all things, animate and inanimate. Some things have more of it than others. Language, food, medicine (magic), birth, and death are wakan. A Wicasa Wakan (shaman or "medicine man") develops a great deal of wakan within oneself and utilizes it in conducting rituals, interpreting dreams, healing, and understanding hanbloglaka, the language of the spirit world.
Wakanpi: The general term for spirits, supernatural beings, and divinities. They can be benign or malignant, but all watch over humans and expect the proper ceremonies to be given to them.
Wakan Tanka: (The Great Mystery) Often designated as "the Great Spirit." Wakan Tanka is the supreme power of the Lakota universe. The term has a double meaning: technically, it refers to all the spiritual powers of the universe, as if assembled around a council fire.
As imagined, the "council" of the spirits becomes a single entity, which is the second meaning of the term: the collective power of all the Gods, considered as a specific entity. This entity informs all space and time and is present in all things animate and inanimate.
The spirit underlying Wakan Tanka itself is Inyan, who caused all things to be by sacrificing his own nature, thereby infusing all things with his nature. Wakan Tanka can be addressed directly in prayer and ritual, but his influence within the world is diffused through his elements and aspects.
Wakinyan: (The Mysterious Flyers) Thunderbirds. These creatures appear in the mythologies of a number of Indian nations. Among the Lakota, four types are recognized: black, blue, red, and yellow. All dwell in the west and fly above the clouds. Their voices are as thunder, and they are eternally at war with the Unktehi. To speak with them, even in a dream, is to become heyoka. They are generally benign, having created the grasses and offering protection from Waziya.
Wamaka Nagi: The soul of an animal, generally a domestic favorite of a human. Dogs or horses were often interred with their deceased masters to accompany them upon the Sky Road (the Milky Way).
Wambli: The Eagle. Wambli is the spirit of councils, especially war or hunting councils. Wambli also oversees battles and hunting kills.
Wanagi: The soul (nagi) of a deceased human (the soul within a living human is a Woniya). Wanagi will leave the earth to travel the Sky Road (the Milky Way), but first, they must successfully pass Hihankara, a crone who determines if they have the proper marks and tattoos. If they do, all is well, but if not, she throws them from the Road, and they tumble back to Earth to wander as ghosts.
Wani: The four elder sons of Tate, representing the cardinal points and the four winds. They have authority over health, fertility, and the weather in general. Combined as the single entity called Wani, they/he govern inner strength and vitality.
Wasicun: Not a divinity and not precisely an animate spirit, but an important concept. In general, it refers to anything hidden or mysterious, or the container that such a thing is held in.
It often refers to the medicine bag borne by the Shaman, containing objects imbued with great power that he uses in his work. Such objects, together with the bag they are within, are thought to take on an independent existence and must be carefully dealt with.
The term can be applied to any of a wide variety of mystery and power; one such application was to people of European descent when the Lakota first came into contact with them.
Waziya: (Blower-From-Snow-Pines) The north wind, bringer of winter and, thus, also a patron of famine and disease. He guards the dancing sky (the aurora borealis) and is constantly in conflict with Okaga and the Wakinyan. He has special control over ice and snow.
Wi: The Sun. Created by Skan to warm Maka, it proved too hot and needed to be moderated by the eternal dance of Anp and Han. Note that the term "Wi" can refer to either the sun or the moon and under such circumstances is differentiated into Anpetu Wi (Daytime Wi, the sun) and Hanhepi Wi (Nighttime Wi, the moon).
Wiyohipeyata: The West, the spirit and wind associated with the finishing of things, and having authority over all things which occur by night.
Wiyohiyanpa: The East, the spirit and wind associated with the beginnings of things, and having authority over all things which occur by day.
Wohpe: Daughter of Skan, a divinity of perfection of form and joyfulness in spirit. She teaches games, social skills, and certain dances. She gifted humanity with the proper use of the pipe rituals and the ceremonial usage of tobacco, in the form of the White Buffalo Maiden. She is also credited with devising the Lakota calendar.
Wo Nagi: The soul, or spiritual essence, of food. All things, whether animate or inanimate, have souls, foodstuff not excepted. It is important to give due reverence and gratitude to one’s provisions, lest the Wakanpi become angered.
Yum: (Tornado) The Whirlwind, fifth child of Tate and Ite, who was separated from his mother and raised by his father, with the help of Wohpe. He has authority over games, good and bad luck, and matters of romance.
Zuzeca: The Snake. Zuzeca is the spirit of hidden things, concealed knowledge, and outright lies. The rich tapestry of Lakota Spiritual Mythology offers profound insights into the Lakota worldview.