Generally, the Lakota arrange animals into four categories: the 'two-leggeds' or humans, the 'four-leggeds', the 'crawling peoples' and the 'winged nations'.
The buffalo is seen to represent the creative feminine principle and the earth. This came about through the observation of the female cows, who are generally dominant in the herd: it was observed that the female cows display great virtues of hospitality such as adopting orphan calves and producing a filmy red substance to coat newborn calves so that body heat is retained. The Lakota also observed that certain birds would nest in the woolly fur between a buffalo's horns. Because the buffalo represented the earth, such hospitality was "seen [...] to be a general function of the generosity of the earth" (Brown 1997: 15).1 For these values the buffalo is associated with girls entering puberty, and the relationship is ritually manifested in the Girl's Puberty Rite. Here, the girl becomes a 'buffalo woman' and takes on the virtues of generosity, fecundity, hospitality and industry. One man described to me the process as follows:
"[The girl is] changing from being a girl into a woman and now beginning to posses that power to create life and that this change should take place in a way that is constructive and positive for all of society and not just her as an individual because now she has the power to create life, she has the power now to teach and to nurture, and the buffalo's presence there is going to increase her knowledge and increase her awareness about her responsibilities and her abilities. So, being a hard worker, being able to give birth or to procreate are all things that the buffalo will bless and add to" (1998).
Whereas generosity and hospitality came to be associated with the female cow, the qualities of protectiveness were discerned in the buffalo bull. It was observed by the Lakota that the buffalo bulls form a circle at night around the cows and their young as they sleep. And during a snow blizzard, bulls will stand facing the storm in a V-shaped shield behind which the cows and calves stand.
The buffalo's protective qualities can be seen in its mythological role as protector of the people. It is said that in ancient time a mythical buffalo was placed in the west to hold back the floods that would otherwise engulf the world.
The buffalo is related to the (masculine) sun and likewise is known for its creative, generative qualities. As such, "the buffalo […] is […] one of the animals that represents the universe. Where, say a deer, or an elk, or a badger or something else really represents a singular aspect, the buffalo represents all aspects. So it's a more universal symbol" (Ibid.).
Participants in Densmore's research told her that young men especially appreciate the qualities and physical attributes of the elk bull, in particular those qualities of strength, speed and courage. Such traits were considered to be ideal in a man:
"The best part of a man's life is between the ages of 18 and 33. Then he is at his best. He has the strength and ability to accomplish his aims. He is brave to defend himself and others and is free to do much good. He is kind to all, especially to the poor and needy. The tribe looks to him as a defender, and he is expected to shield the women. His physical strength is at its best. He is light on his feet and can reduce long distances to short ones. He is taught true politeness and is very gallant. What animal has these traits more than any other? It is the elk, which is the emblem of beauty, gallantry, and protection" (Shooter in Densmore 1918: 176).2
Shooter also observed that long after the body of an elk has rotted away, only two teeth remain intact. The teeth are said to last longer than humans and thus the elk tooth became the symbol of a long life. To this end an elk's tooth was often given to a child upon its birth (Ibid.). The Lakota was also impressed by the elk's custom of travelling alone.
The elk bull gives off a strong sexual potency too. This was evidenced by the male animal's ability to bugle or whistle in such a way that elk cows were drawn irresistibly to it. Blish (1967: 199) points out that this 'mythical elk' was thought to control the power of love, sensual passion and sexual desire.3 In such manner he was deemed a teacher of male Lakota. Courting robes often had an image of the mythical elk on it - but could only be worn by those who had dreamed of elk. Flutes were also associated with would-be seducers, whose music could attract the women.
However, it is important to note that it isn't the physical elk that the Lakota admire. It is not the physical elk that is looked to as the source of power. Rather the elk is an incarnation of such power and its physical self is "regarded only as the recipient of such power. […]. Thus a mythical, or hypothetical elk, becomes the teacher of man" (Wissler 1905: 262).4
The Lakota refer to the deer's swiftness, to the mysterious way in which the deer can hide itself when hunted, and to those 'magical' songs that can make deer appear. For the Lakota, the deer has a double nature and manifests dangerous power. For example, in myths the blacktail deer is known to appear as a beautiful maiden in order to lure men to a lonely, isolated spot. When the man follows, the deer usually transforms back into its real self and death of the young man follows. If, however, the young man does not die, then he is thought to possess great power. Black Road, the original leader of the Oglala Bow Society, apparently secured his own personal power from this source (Brown 1997: 20).
Siyaka told Densmore that, "[t]he bear is quick-tempered and is fierce in many ways, and yet he pays attention to herbs which no other animal notices at all. […]. We consider the bear as chief of all animals in regard to herb medicine […]" (Densmore 1918: 195).
Whereas the buffalo represents the nurturing, female characteristics of life, the bear represents the masculine polarity. But the bear's masculinity is strong and terrifying. It is an afeared form of masculinity. It has fierce power. It is unpredictable and lacks fear for either humans or beasts. The bear also represents knowledge and exploitation of underground earth forces through its ability to dig out from the ground roots and herbs with its claws. Such herbs are often compounded together to make medicine. Thus the bear is considered to have medicine power. Black Elk claimed that the 'bear powers' he received through dreams and in vision quests, gave him the strength and the power to cure (DeMallie 1984: 178).5 Standing Bear (1933: 215) also described how dreamers who had received their powers to cure from bears were told by these animals to observe and learn from nature.6
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