Legend of the
White Buffalo Woman
The following account of the White Buffalo
Woman by Black Elk as reported in Black Elk’s the Sacred Pipe as recorded
and edited by Joseph Epes Brown published by the University of Oklahoma
Press.
Early one morning, very many
winters ago, two Lakota were out hunting with their bows and arrows, and
as they were standing on a hill looking for game, they saw in the distance
something coming towards them in a very strange and wonderful manner. When
this mysterious thing came nearer to them, they saw that it was a very
beautiful woman, dressed in white buckskin and bearing a bundle on her
back. Now this woman was so good to look at that one of the Lakota had bad
intentions and told his friend of this desire, but this good man said that
he must not have such thoughts, for surely this is a wakan (holy or
sacred) woman. The mysterious person was now very close to the men, and
then putting down her bundle, she asked the one with bad intentions to
come over to her. As the young man approached the mysterious woman, they
were both covered by a great cloud, and soon when it lifted the sacred
woman was standing there, and at her feet was the man with the bad
thoughts who was now nothing but bones, and terrible snakes were eating
him.
Behold what you see! The strange woman
said to the good man. I am coming to your people and wish to talk with
your chief Hehlokecha Najin (Standing Hollow Horn). Return to him, and
tell him to prepare a large tipi in which he should gather all his people,
and make ready for my coming. I wish to tell you something of great
importance!
The young man then returned to the tipi
of his chief, and told him all that had happened: that this wakan woman
was coming to visit them and that they must prepare. The chief, Standing
Hollow Horn, then had several tipis taken down, and from them a great
lodge was made as the sacred woman had instructed. He sent out a crier to
tell the people to put on their best buckskin clothes and to gather
immediately in the lodge. The people were, of course, all very excited as
they waited in the great lodge for the coming of the holy woman, and
everybody was wondering where this mysterious woman came from and what it
was that she wished to say.
Soon the young men who were watching
for the coming of the wakan person announce that they saw something in the
distance approaching them in a beautiful manner, and then suddenly she
entered the lodge, walked around sun-wise, and stood in front of Standing
Hollow Horn. She took from her back the bundle, and holding it with both
hands in front of the chief, said: Behold this and always love it! It is
lela waken (very sacred), and you must treat it as such. No impure man
should ever be allowed to see it, for within this bundle is a sacred pipe.
With this you will, during the winters to come, send your voices to
Wakan-Tanka, your Father and Grandfather.
After the mysterious woman said this,
she took from the bundle a pipe, and also a small round stone, which she
placed upon the ground. Holding the pipe up with its stem to the heavens,
she said: With this sacred pipe you will walk upon the Earth; for the
Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that
is taken upon Her should be as a prayer. The bowl of this pipe is of red
stone; it is the Earth. Carved in the stone and facing the center is this
buffalo calf who represents all the four-leggeds who live upon your
mother. The stem of the pipe is of wood, and this represents all that
grows upon the Earth. And these twelve feathers which hang here where the
stem fits into the bowl are from Wanbli Galeshka, the Spotted Eagle, and
they represent the eagle and all the wingeds of the air. All these
peoples, and all the things of the universe, are joined to you who smoke
the pipe and send their voices to Wakan-Tanka, the Great Spirit. When you
pray with this pipe, you pray for and with everything.
The wakan woman then touched the foot
of the pipe to the round stone which lay upon the ground, and said: With
this pipe you will be bound to all your relatives: your Grandfather and
Father, your Grandmother and Mother. This round rock, which is made of the
same red stone as the bowl of the pipe, your Father Wakan-Tanka has also
given to you. It is the Earth, your Grandmother and Mother, and it is
where you live and increase. This Earth which He has given to you is red,
and the two-leggeds who live upon the Earth are red; and the Great Spirit
has also given to you a red day, and a red road. All of this is sacred and
so do not forget! Every dawn as it comes from your Father Wakan-Tanka; and
also you must always remember that the two-leggeds and all of the other
peoples who stand upon this earth are sacred and should be treated as
such.
From this time on, the holy pipe will
stand upon this red Earth, and the two-leggeds will take the pipe and will
send their voices to Wakan-Tanka. These seven circles which you see on the
stone have much meaning, for they represent the seven rites in which the
pipe will be used. The first large circle represents the first rite which
I shall give to you , and the other six circles represent the rites which
will in time be revealed to you directly. Standing Hollow Horn, be good to
these gifts and your people, for they are wakan! With this pipe the
two-leggeds will increase, and there will come to them all that is good.
From above Wakan-Tanka has given to you this sacred pipe, so that through
it you may have knowledge. For this great gift you should always be
grateful! But now before I leave I wish to give to you instructions for
the first rite in which your people will use this
pipe.
It should be for you a sacred day when
one of your people dies. You must then keep his soul as I shall teach you,
and through this you will gain much power; for if this soul is kept, it
will increase in you your concern and love for your neighbor. So long as
the person, in this soul, is kept with your people, through him you will
be able to send your voice to Wankan-Tanka.
It should also be a sacred say when a
soul is released and returns to its home, Wakan-Tanka, for on this day
four women will be made holy, and they will in time bear children who will
walk the path of life in a sacred manner, setting an example to your
people. Behold Me, for it is I that they will take in their mouths, and it
is through this that they will become wakan.
He who keeps the soul of a person must
be a good and pure man, and he should use the pipe so that all the people,
with the soul, will together send their voices to Wakan-Tanka. The fruit
of your Mother the Earth and the fruit of all that bears will be blessed
in this manner, and your people will then walk the path of life in a
sacred way. Do not forget that Wakan-Tanka has given you seven days in
which to send your voices to Him. So long as you remember this you will
live; the rest you will know from Wakan-Tanka
directly.
The sacred woman then started to leave
the lodge, but turning again to Standing Hollow Horn, she said; Behold
this pipe! Always remember how sacred it is, and treat it as such, for it
will take you to the end. Remember, in me there are four ages. I am
leaving now, but shall look back upon your people in every age, and at the
end shall return.
Moving around the lodge in a sun-wise
manner, the mysterious woman left, but after walking a short distance she
looked back towards the people and sat down. When she rose the people were
amazed to see that she had become a young red and brown buffalo calf. Then
this calf walked father, lay down, and rolled, looking back at the people,
and when she got up she was a white buffalo. Again the white buffalo
walked farther and rolled on the ground, becoming now a black buffalo.
This buffalo then walked farther away from the people, stopped and after
bowing to each of the four quarters of the universe, disappeared over the
hill. |
