DORSEY.i THE WAKITJYAIJ — THE ARMOR GODS. 443 



between the tips of his wiugs was killed and fell on the bank of the 

 Blue Earth river (Minnesota). 



From the Wakinyan the Dakota hav^e received their war implements, 

 the spear and tomahawk, and many of the pigments, which, if i>roperly 

 applied, will shield them from the weapons of their enemies.' 



§120. When a person dreams of the Thunderers, it is a sign that 

 he and they must light. The Wakinyan are not the only gods of war; 

 there are also tbe Takucka"cka" (Takuskauskan) and the Armor gods. 

 (See §§ 122-3, 127-9.) 



Of the circle dance, Riggs says (in Amer. Antiq., ii, 267) : " They cut 

 an image of the great bird from bark and suspend it at the top of the 

 central pole, which is shot to pieces at the close of the dance." (He 

 probably means that the image of the great bird, a Thunder bird, is 

 shot to pieces, not the pole.) Sacrihces are nmde to the Wakinyan 

 and songs are sung both to the Wakinyan and the Unktehi. 



§ 121. There seems to be some connection between the Heyoka gods 

 and the Wakinyan ; but it is not plain. The Heyoka god uses a small 

 Wakinyan god as his drumstick. (See §218.) The Wakinyan songs 

 are sung by members of the Heyoka dancing order. 



Smet was told that the Dakota — 



Pretend that the thnuder is an enormous bird, and that the muffled sound of the 

 distant thunder is caused by a countless number of young (thunder) birds. The 

 great bird, they say, gives the tirst sound, and the young ones repeat it; this is the 

 cause of the reverberations. The Sioux declare that the young thunderers do all the 

 mischief, like giddy youth who will not listen to good advice; but the old thun- 

 derer or big bird is wise and excellent; he never kills or injures any one.- 



Next to the Sun, according to Smet. Thunder is the great deity of the 

 Assiniboin. Every spring, at the first peal of thunder, they offer sac- 

 rifices to the Wakinyan.^ 



The Assiniboin, according to Maximilian, ascribed the thunder to an 

 enormous bird.^ 



THE AEMOB GODS. 



§ 122. As each young man comes to maturity a tutelar divinity, some- 

 times called "Wasicui)" (see §236), is assigned to him. It is supposed 

 to reside in the consecrated armor then given to him, consisting of a 

 spear, an arrow, and a small bundle of paint. It is the spirit of some 

 bird or animal, as the wolf, beaver, loon, or eagle. He must not kill 

 this animal, but hold it ever sacred, or at least until he has proved his 

 manhood by killing an enemy. Frequently the young man forms an 

 image of this sacred animal and carries it about with him, regarding 

 it as having a direct influence upon his everyday life and ultimate 

 destiny. Parkman says (in his "Jesuits in ISTorth America," p. Lxxi, 



' Pond, Minn. Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. n, pt. 3, p. 43. Kiggs. T.ih-koo W.iU-kon, pp. 62-W. 



^Missions and Missionarie.'i. p. 143. 



^Smet. op. cit., p. 134. 



* Maximili.in. Travels in North America, p. 197. 



