A dream of a Wakíŋyaŋ, drawing by Black Hawk (Sans Arc Lakota (ca. 1832–ca. 1890), Ledger art, ca.1880

Wakíŋyaŋ is a Lakota word for "thunder". It also may be a portmanteau which associates "wahka" ("sacred") and "kinyan" ("wings").

The word is usually translated as "Thunder Spirits", "Thunder Beings," or "Thunder Birds".[1] Heyokas, that is contrarians, dream of Wakinyan and can burn cedar (Juniperus scopulorum) to protect themselves from thunder and lightning, since Wakinyan respect trees and will not harm them.[2]

Filmmaker and storm chaser Martin Lisius produced a short film in 2016 titled, "Wakíŋyaŋ" which honors the Lakota "thunder spirit" Wakíŋyaŋ.[3]

References

Look up wakinyan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  1. ↑ Legendary Native American Figures: Thunderer (Wakinyan)
  2. ↑ Tyon, Thomas (1991). Walker, James R. (ed.). Lakota Belief and Ritual. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 155.
  3. ↑ Lisius, Martin (2016-08-09), Wakinyan (4K), retrieved 2023-12-05
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