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Black Elk's version of the
White Buffalo Woman Legend
Many versions of the White Buffalo Woman story, the story of how the Sacred Pipe came to be in the possession of the Lakota people, exist among the Plains Indians. This version was told by an Oglala holy man, Black Elk.
It may help to understand that in Lakota, wakan means "sacred" or "holy." The name Wakan-Tanka is a phrase used to describe the combination of principles that make up the Great Spirit. "Wakan-Tanka as Father" is the Great Spirit in a bodily form, while as "Grandfather" it is the Great Spirit, unlimited non-physical form.
Wakan Woman
Early one morning, many winters ago, two young Lakota were out hunting. As they stood on a hill, looking for game, they saw someone or something mysterious approaching. As the visitor got closer, the young men saw that it was a very beautiful woman, dressed in a pure white buckskin dress [in some versions, it is a white buckskin coat] and carrying a small bundle on her back. One of the young men -- seeing a beautiful woman, alone out there on the prairie -- developed a sexual interest in her. His friend told him he shouldn't harbor such thoughts ... for this was obviously a wakan woman.
When the woman got close to the two young Lakota, she put down her bundle and asked the young man who had a sexual interest in her to come talk to her. As soon as he stepped toward her, the two of them were enveloped by a great cloud. Soon, however, the cloud disappeared and the woman was standing there alone. At her feet lay what was left of the young man who had harbored bad thoughts. He had been reduced to a heap of bones ... and snakes were devouring what was left of his flesh.
[Black Elk explains that this is symbolic of those who are consumed by their own passions because they are in love with the things of this world. In some versions of the story, worms -- rather than snakes -- devour the young man. However, the moral of the scenario remains the same in all versions: be very careful and disciplined about your thoughts, for they determine what happens in your life.]
She Visits the People
"Behold what you see!" the beautiful woman said to the virtuous, but frightened, young man. "I am coming to your people and wish to talk with your chief, Standing Hollow Horn. Return to him and tell him to prepare a large place in which he should gather his people, and make ready for my coming. I wish to tell you something of great importance!"
As you might imagine, the young man ran to tell chief Standing Hollow Horn all that has just happened. The chief immediately tore down several tipis in order to construct a great lodge, and awaited the arrival of the sacred woman.
[A Sioux ceremonial lodge is constructed with 28 poles, with a "key pole" which supports all the other poles. The "key pole" holding up the entire lodge represents Wakan-Tanka, who "holds up" the universe.]
Suddenly the woman appears in the lodge, walks sun-wise to stand before the chief.
[Walking clockwise is customary when entering a room. As chief, Standing Hollow Horn would sitting at the honored west end of the lodge, facing eastward toward the rising sun ... the source of the illumination and wisdom a leader always must seek.]
The woman then hands the bundle she had been carrying to the chief, saying "Behold this and always love it! It is lela wakan [very sacred], and you must treat it as such. No impure man should ever be allowed to see it, for within this bundle there is a sacred pipe.
With this you will, during the winters to come, send your voices to Wakan-Tanka, your Father and Grandfather.
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