List of Lakota mythological figures

Below is a list of commonly recognized figures who are part of Lakota mythology,^[1] a Native American tribe of East and West Dakota. The spiritual entities of Lakota mythology are categorized in several major categories, including major deities, wind spirits, personified concepts, and other beings.

Gods

Major deities

Anog Ite- The two-faced goddess referred to as mother of the Four Winds, Yum the Whirlwind, and the daughter of the wizards Ka and Wa.
Anpao - The spirit of the dawn, an entity with two faces.
Capa - The beaver god of labor and taxes.
Cetan - The hawk spirit of the east.
Hans - The ancient spirit of darkness; banished to be under Maka.
Hanwi - The moon goddess who accompanies Wi. Also known as Hanhepi Wi (Nighttime Wi) to differentiate her from Wi.
Hunomp - The bipedal bear god of wisdom. After Iktomi was made the trickster and he forfeited his position as the god of wisdom, he became the lower god of wisdom.^[2]
Iktomi - The spider trickster spirit and son of Inyan.
Inyan - The primordial creator god.
Ite - The wife of the wind god Tate.^[2]
Iya - The destructive storm monster of the north and brother to Iktomi.
Kssa - The god of knowledge and wisdom. He invented language,^[2] stories, names, games, and the first lodge, in which fire from Wi was placed at the center.^[3] One story about Iktomi mentions that Iktomi was Kssa, but was stripped of his title for his trouble-making ways. The Oglala Lakota believe that Iktomi was the second manifestation, or degeneration, of Ksa, who hatched from the cosmic egg laid by Wakinyan. He is the enemy of Unk.^[2]
Makȟá-akáŋl, or Maka - The earth goddess created by Inyan as his lover.
Skan - The motion of the universe.
Ta Tanka (Great Beast) - The male buffalo spirit of plenty. Enemy of Mica.
Tate - The wind god.
Untunktahe - The water god.
Wakan Tanka - The great spirit.
Wakinyan - Thunder Spirits. Wakinyan is believed to be a bird.
Wanim - The four elder sons of Tate who oversee the cardinal directions, the four winds, health, the weather, and fertility. They can be combined into a single figure.
Waukheon - The Thunderbird.
Whope - The Spirit of peace and the wife of the south wind Okaga.
Wi - The solar spirit of bison. Also known as Anpetu Wi (Daytime Wi) to differentiate him from Hanwi, who is also known as Wi.
Wiyohipeyata - Wind god of the west who oversees endings and nighttime occurrences.
Wiyohiyanpa - Wind god of the east who oversees beginnings and daytime occurrences.
Yum - A whirlwind god, child of Anog Ite. He is the god of love.^[2]

Wind spirits

Ite - Wife of the wind god Tate.
Okaga - Fertility spirit of the south winds.
Tate - The wind god.
Taku Skanskan - Capricious chaotic spirit who is master of the four winds and the four-night spirits, Raven, Vulture, Wolf, Fox.
Wani - The four elder sons of Tate who oversee the cardinal directions, the four winds, health, the weather, and fertility. They can be combined into a single figure.
Wiyohipeyata - The wind god of the west who oversees endings and nighttime occurrences.
Wiyohiyanpa - The wind god of the east who oversees beginnings and daytime occurrences.
Yanpa - The east wind.^[2]
Yata - The north wind.^[2]
Yum - A whirlwind god, child of Anog Ite. He is the god of love.^[2]

Personified concepts

Capa - Beaver god of labour.
Cetan - Hawk spirit of the east.
Etu - The personification of time.^[2]
Hehaka - The male elk god of sexuality.
Hnaska - The frog god of sorcery.
Hogan - The purifying fish spirit of water.
Hunomp - The bipedal bear god of wisdom. He became the lower god of wisdom after Iktomi forfeited his position as the god of wisdom on being made the trickster.^[2]
Iktomi - The spider trickster spirit and son of Inyan.
Keya - Turtle spirit of health, safety, and healing rituals.
Mato - Mischievous healer bear spirit of passionate emotions.
Mica - Trickster coyote spirit.
Sungmanito - wolf spirit of hunting and war.
Sunka - Dog spirit of companionship and faithfulness.
Ta Tanka (Great Beast) - The male buffalo spirit of plenty. Enemy of Mica.
Tatankan Gnaskiyan (Crazy Buffalo) - The malevolent spirit who wreaks havoc on love affairs, causing feuds, murders, and suicides.
Unk (Contention) - Maka's companion who causes quarrels and is banished to the depths of the waters for her actions. She is Iya's ^[4] and Gnaski's mother, nonetheless she is the progenitor of all evil things. She is the enemy of Ksa.
Wambli - Eagle spirit of councils, hunting skills, and battle.
Yuwipi - The healing ceremony.
Zuzeca - Snake god of hidden things, concealed knowledge,and outright lies.

Other beings

Canotila - Forest-dwelling beings.
Gnaski - An evil spirit who manages to outwit and perfectly mimic Ksa to the point that he and Ksa were indistinguishable from each other, earning him the name "Ksapela", or "little wisdom". He is the child of Iya and Unk.
Hihankara (Owl-Maker) - The aged goddess who stands upon the entrance to the Milky Way, admitting the nagi who show her the proper tattoos. Those who fail her will be pushed back to Earth to wander as ghosts.
Nagi - A soul.
Pte Oyate - The buffalo people. They were created by Skan to conduct the will of Wakan Takan.^[2]
Unhcegila - The serpent monster who wreaked havoc, and was slain by a warrior with medicine arrows.
Unktehi - A race of spirits that resemble giant ruminants with long tails. Male unktehis live within water, while female unktehis live on land. They are often regarded as being dangerous or malignant, as they contaminate water sources and cause floods. However, they can teach in the proper method of ceremonial body painting.^[4]
Waziya (Blower From Snow Pines) - A giant who guarded the entrance to the place of the Aurora Borealis. He fights against the south winds with his cold, icy breath. He also brings famine and diseases.^[5]
Wakanpi - Spirits or divinities.
Wamaka Nagi - Souls of animals, especially of domesticated types such as dogs or horses.They accompany their owners as they go to the Milky Way in the afterlife.
Wanagi - Souls of departed human beings. They ascend to the Milky Way to be judged by Hihankara, who tosses those without proper tattoos to be thrown back to Earth to wander as ghosts. Living souls are known as Woniya.
Wani - The four elder sons of Tate who oversee the cardinal directions, the four winds, health, the weather, and fertility. They can be combined into a single figure.
Wi Can - Star people.^[2]
Wo Nagi - Spiritual essence of food. Lakotas have to give due reverence and gratitude to their provisions, to ensure that the Wakanpi will not be upset.

Notable people

Heyoka - The contrarian who has visions of Waukheon.
Ka - The first woman, who was banished to earth as a witch with her husband Wa for helping their daughter Anog-Ite supplant Hanwi.
Tokahe - The first man to emerge from the underworld.
Wa - The first man, banished to earth as the wizard Wazi with his wife Ka for helping their daughter Anog Ite to supplant Hanwi. Like his wife, he helps whomever he chooses.
White Buffalo Calf Woman - The prophetess who taught the Lakota to practice the Seven Sacred Rites.

References

External links

Lists of mythological figures

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