Legends of the Northwest Part 19

[Footnote 32: The Dakotas believe that thunder is produced by the flapping of the wings of an immense bird which they call Wakinyan--the Thunder-bird. Near the source of the Minnesota River is a place called "Thunder-Tracks" where the foot-prints of a "Thunder-bird" are seen on the rocks twenty-five miles apart. Mrs. Eastman's Dacotah, p. 71. There are many Thunder-birds. The father of all the Thunder-birds--"Wakinyan Tanka"--or "Big Thunder," has his teepee on a lofty mountain in the far West. His teepee has four openings, at each of which is a sentinel; at the east, a b.u.t.terfly; at the west, a bear; at the south, a red deer; at the north, a caribou. He has a bitter enmity against Unktehee (G.o.d of waters) and often shoots his fiery arrows at him, and hits the earth, trees, rocks, and sometimes men. Wakinyan created wild-rice, the bow and arrow, the tomahawk and the spear. He is a great war-spirit, and Wanmdee (the war-eagle) is his messenger. A Thunder-bird (say the Dakotas) was once killed near Kapoza by the son of Cetan-Wakawa-mani, and he there upon took the name of "Wakinyan Tanka"--"Big Thunder."]

[Footnote 33: p.r.o.nounced Tah-tahn-kah--Bison or Buffalo.]

[Footnote 34: Enah--An exclamation of wonder. Eho--Behold! see there!]

[Footnote 35: The Crees are the Knisteneaux of Alexander Mackenzie.

See his account of them, Mackenzie's Travels, (London 1801) p. xci. to cvii.]

[Footnote 36: Lake Superior. The only names the Dakotas have for Lake Superior are Mede Tanka or Tanka Mede--Great Lake, and Me-ne-ya-ta--literally, _At-the-Water_.]

[Footnote 37: April--Literally, the moon when the geese lay eggs. See note 71.]

[Footnote 38: Carver's Cave at St. Paul was called by the Dakotas "Wakan Teepee"--sacred lodge. In the days that are no more, they lighted their Council-fires in this cave, and buried their dead near it. See Neill's Hist. Minn., p. 207. Capt. Carver in his _Travels_, London, 1778, p. 63, et seq., describes this cave as follows: "It is a remarkable cave of an amazing depth. The Indians term it Wakon-teebe, that is, the Dwelling of the Great Spirit. The entrance into it is about ten feet wide, the height of it five feet, the arch within is near fifteen feet high and about thirty feet broad. The bottom of it consists of fine clear sand.

About twenty feet from the entrance begins a lake, the water of which is transparent, and extends to an unsearchable distance; for the darkness of the cave prevents all attempts to acquire a knowledge of it. I threw a small pebble towards the interior parts of it with my utmost strength.

I could hear that it fell into the water, and notwithstanding it was of so small a size, it caused an astonis.h.i.+ng and horrible noise that reverberated through all those gloomy regions. I found in this cave many Indian hieroglyphics, which appeared very ancient, for time had nearly covered them with moss, so that it was with difficulty I could trace them. They were cut in a rude manner upon the inside of the walls, which were composed of a stone so extremely soft that it might be easily penetrated with a knife: a stone everywhere to be found near the Mississippi. This cave is only accessible by ascending a narrow, steep pa.s.sage that lies near the brink of the river. At a little distance from this dreary cavern is the burying-place of several bands of the Naudowessie (Dakota) Indians." Many years ago the roof fell in, but the cave has been partially restored and is now used as a beer cellar.]

[Footnote 39: Wah-kahn-dee--The lightning.]

[Footnote 40: The b.l.o.o.d.y River--the Red River was so-called on account of the numerous Indian battles that have been fought on its banks. The Chippewas say that its waters were colored red by the blood of many warriors slain on its banks in the fierce wars between themselves and the Dakotas.]

[Footnote 41: Tah--The Moose. This is the root-word for all ruminating animals; Ta-tanka, buffalo?-Ta-toka mountain antelope--Ta-hinca, the red-deer--Ta-mdoka, the buck deer?-Ta-hinca-ska, white deer (sheep).]

[Footnote 42: Hogahn--Fish. Red Hogan, the trout.]

[Footnote 43: Tipsanna (often called _tipsinna_) is a wild prairie turnip used for food by the Dakotas. It grows on high, dry land, and increases from year to year. It is eaten both cooked and raw.]

[Footnote 44: Rio Tajo, (or Tagus), a river of Spain and Portugal.]

[Footnote 45:

"* * * * Bees of Trebizond-- Which from the sunniest flowers that glad With their pure smile the gardens round, Draw venom forth that drives men mad."

--_Thomas Moore_]

[Footnote 46: Skee-skah--The Wood duck.]

[Footnote 47: The Crocus. I have seen the prairies in Minnesota spangled with these beautiful flowers in various colors before the ground was entirely free from frost. The Datotas call them frost-flowers.]

[Footnote 48: The "Sacred Ring" around the feast of the Virgins is formed by armed warriors sitting, and none but a virgin must enter this ring. The warrior who knows is bound on honor, and by old and sacred custom, to expose and publicly denounce any tarnished maiden who dares to enter this ring, and his word cannot be questioned--even by the chief. See Mrs Eastman's Dacotah, p. 64.]

[Footnote 49: Prairie's Pride.--This annual shrub, which abounds on many of the sandy prairies in Minnesota, is sometimes called "tea-plant,"

"sage-plant," and "red-root willow." I doubt if it has any botanic name. Its long plumes of purple and gold are truly the "pride of the prairies."]

[Footnote 50: The Dakotas consider white cedar "Wakan," (sacred). They use sprigs of it at their feasts, and often burn it to destroy the power of evil spirits. Mrs Eastman's Dacotah, p. 210.]

[Footnote 51: Tahkoo-skahng-skang.--This deity is supposed to be invisible, yet everywhere present; he is an avenger and a searcher of hearts. (Neill's Hist. Minn., p. 57.) I suspect he was the chief spirit of the Dakotas before the missionaries imported "Wakan Tanka"--(Great Spirit).]

[Footnote 52: The Dakotas believe in "were-wolves" as firmly as did our Saxon ancestors, and for similar reasons--the howl of the wolf being often imitated as a decoy or signal by their enemies, the Ojibways.]

[Footnote 53: Shee-sho-kah--The Robin.]

[Footnote 54: The Dakotas cail the Evening Star the "_Virgin Star_," and believe it to be the spirit of the virgin wronged at the feast.]

[Footnote 55: Mille Lacs. This lake was discovered by DuLuth, and by him named Lac Buade, in honor of Governor Frontenac of Canada, whose familyname was Buade. The Dakota name for it is Mde Waksan--Spirit Lake.]

[Footnote 56: The Ojibways imitate the hoot of the owl and the howl of the wolf to perfection, and often use these cries as signals to each other in war and the chase.]

[Footnote 57: The Dakotas called the Ojibways the "Snakes of the Forest," on account of their lying in ambush for their enemies.]

[Footnote 58: Strawberries.]

[Footnote 59: See-yo--The Prairie-hen.]

[Footnote 60: Mahgah--The Wild-goose. _Fox-pups_. I could never see the propriety of calling the young of foxes _kits_ or _kittens_, which mean _little cats_. The fox belongs to the _canis_, or dog family and not the _felis_, or cat family. If it is proper to call the young of dogs and wolves _pups_, it is equally proper to so call the young of foxes.]

[Footnote 61: When a Dakota is sick, he thinks the spirit of an enemy or some animal has entered into his body, and the princ.i.p.al business of the "medicine man"--_Wicasta Wakan_--is to cast out the "unclean spirit,"

with incantations and charms. See Neill's Hist. Minn., pp. 66--8. The Jews entertained a similar belief in the days of Jesus of Nazareth.]

[Footnote 62: Wah-zee-yah's star--The North-star. See note 3.]

[Footnote 63: The Dakotas, like our forefathers and all other barbarians, believe in witches and witchcraft.]

[Footnote 64: The Medo is a wild potato, it resembles the sweet potato in top and taste. It grows in bottom-lands, and is much prized by the Dakotas for food. The "Dakota Friend," for December, 1850.]

[Footnote 65: The meteor--Wakan denda--Sacred fire.]

[Footnote 66: Meetahwin--My bride.]

[Footnote 67: Stoke--The body of a tree. This is an old English word of Saxon origin, now changed to _stock_.]

[Footnote 68: The _Via Lactea_ or Milky Way. The Dakotas call it _Wanagee-Tach-anku_--The path-way of the spirits and believe that over this path the spirits of the dead pa.s.s to the Spirit-land. See Riggs'

Tah-koo Wah-kan, p. 101.]

[Footnote 69: Oonk-tay-hee--There are many Unktehees, children of the Great Unktehee, who created the earth and man and who formerly dwelt in a vast cavern under the Falls of St. Anthony. The Unktehee sometimes reveals himself in the form of a huge buffalo-bull. From him proceed invisible influences. The Great Unktehee created the earth. "a.s.sembling in grand conclave all the aquatic tribes he ordered them to bring up dirt from beneath the waters, and proclaimed death to the disobedient.

The beaver and otter forfeited their lives. At last the muskrat went beneath the waters, and, after a long time appeared at the surface, nearly exhausted, with some dirt. From this, Unktehee fas.h.i.+oned the earth into a large circular plain. The earth being finished, he took a deity, one of his own offspring, and grinding him to powder, sprinkled it upon the earth, and this produced many worms. The worms were then collected and scattered again. They matured into infants and these were then collected and scattered and became full-grown Dakotas. The bones of the mastodon, the Dakotas think, are the bones of Unktehees, and they preserve the with the greatest care in the medicine bag." Neill's Hist.

Minn., p. 55. The Unktehees and the Thunder-birds are perpetually it war. There are various accounts of the creation of man. Some say that at the bidding of the Great Unktehee, men sprang full grown from the caverns of the earth. See Riggs' "Tah-koo Wah-kan," and Mrs Eastman's Dacotah. The Great Unktehee and the Great Thunder-bird had a terrible battle in the bowels of the earth to determine which should be the ruler of the world. See description in Legend of Winona.]

[Footnote 70: p.r.o.nonced Ahng-pay-too-wee--The Sun; literally the Day Sun, thus distinguis.h.i.+ng him from Han-ye-tuwee (Hahng-yay-too-wee) the night sun, (the moon). They are twin brothers but Anpetuwee is the more powerful Han-ye-tuwee receives his power from his brother and obeys him.

He watches over the earth while the Sun sleeps. The Dakotas believe the sun is the father of life. Unlike the most of their other G.o.ds, he is beneficent and kind; yet they wors.h.i.+p him (in the sun-dance) in the most dreadful manner. See Riggs' "Tah-koo Wah-kan," pp. 81-2, and Catlin's Riggs' "Okee-pa." The moon is wors.h.i.+pped as the representative of the sun; and in the great Sun-dance, which is usually held in the full of the moon, when the moon rises the dancers turn their eyes on her (or him). Anpetuwee issues every morning from the lodge of Han-nan-na (the Morning) and begins his journey over the sky to his lodge in the land of shadows. Sometimes he walks over on the Bridge (or path) of the Spirits--Wanagee Ta-chan-ku,--and sometimes he sails over the sea of the skies in his s.h.i.+ning canoe; but _somehow_, and the Dakotas do not explain how, he gets back again to the lodge of Hannanna in time to take a nap and eat his breakfast before starting anew on his journey. The Dakotas swear by the sun. "_As Anpe-tu-wee hears me, this is true_!"

They call him Father and pray to him --"_Wakan! Ate, on-she-ma-da._"

"Sacred Spirit,--Father, have mercy on me." As the Sun is the father, so they believe the Earth is the mother, of life. Truly there is much philosophy in the Dakota mythology. The Algonkins call the earth "_Me-suk-k.u.m-mik-o-kwa_"--the great-grandmother of all. Narrative of John Tanner, p. 193.]

[Footnote 71: The Dakotas reckon their months by _moon_. They name their moons from natural circ.u.mstances. They correspond very nearly with our months, as follows:

January--Wee-te-rhee--The Hard Moon, i.e.--the cold moon.

February--Wee-ca-ta-wee--The c.o.o.n Moon.