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[edit]
- ^ Legendary Native American Figures: Thunderer (Wakinyan)
- ^ Tyon, Thomas (1991). Walker, James R. (ed.). Lakota Belief and Ritual. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 155.
- ^ Lisius, Martin (2016-08-09), Wakinyan (4K), retrieved 2023-12-05