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| Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Black Elk's
"Offering the Pipe Prayer"
Hey hey! hey hey! hey hey! hey hey!
Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always,
and before you no one has been.
There is no other one to pray to but you.
You yourself, everything that you see,
everything that has been made by you.
The star nations all over the universe you have finished.
The four quarters of the earth you have finished.
The day, and in that day, everything you have finished.
Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth
that you may hear the voice I send.
You towards where the sun goes down, behold me;
Thunder Beings, behold me!
You where the White Giant lives in power, behold me!
You where the sun shines continually,
whence come the day-break star and the day, behold me!
You where the summer lives, behold me!
You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold!
And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother,
you who have shown mercy to your children.
Hear me, four quarters of the world -- a relative I am!
Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!
Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand,
that I may be like you.
With your power only can I face the winds.
Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth
the faces of living things are all alike.
With tenderness have these come up out of the ground.
Look upon these faces of children without number
and with children in their arms,
that they may face the winds
and walk the good road to the day of quiet.
This is my prayer; hear me!
The voice I have sent is weak,
yet with earnestness I have sent it.
Hear me!
It is finished. Hetchetu aloh!
The prayer contains many key ideas to Black Elk and Neihardt's portrayal of the Lakota culture, and many, but not all, of its elements I have seen in the temazcales of Mexico.
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Monotheism or Polytheism?
DeMallie (Neihardt 2008), in his annotations on the Premier Edition of Black Elk Speaks, noted that Neihardt's wording, as opposed to that of similar prayers in the Lakota language, "gives a sense of monotheism," referring the reader to the book, The Sixth Grandfather (DeMallie 1985). There, he wrote,"A significant issue of Christian influence on Black Elk's teachings involves his understanding of Wakan Tanka. In translating the Bible into the Sioux language, Christian missionaries used the term Wakan Tanka (written as a single word, Wakantanka) to refer to God the Father, the Three in One. It is likely that Black Elk's acceptance of Catholicism influenced him to reinterpret the six grandfathers (west, north, east, south, sky, and earth) as the Six in One -- the fifth grandfather (sky) representing the Great Spirit, the creator of all. Personification of Wakan Tanka as a single being has no parallel in recorded Lakota religion tradition. Wakan Tanka traditionally was a collective concept, emboyding various wakan beings in many different aspects."The prayer and symbolism discussed in Neihardt's introduction does, indeed, allude to a monotheistic belief. For example, the prayer addresses the, "Grandfather," or "Great Spirit," with the phrase, "There is no other one to pray to but you." Black Elk's description of the pipe earlier (see "Black Elk's Pipe" [Bacon 2016]) likewise alludes to a monotheistic concept, when he says, "... these four spirits are only one Spirit after all, and this eagle feather here is for that One, ..." The prayer refers things created by the Grandfather: the star nations, the four quarters of the earth, and the day and everything in that day.
On the other hand, one sees polytheistic elements in the prayer and elsewhere in Black Elk Speaks. For example, the prayer also recognizes the White Giant (Waziya), Mother Earth, an eagle of power, the Thunder Beings, and the daybreak star. Other diety-like elements occur throughout the book. Whether he sees these as deities or not matters little compared to the fact that he respects each for its worthiness for inclusion upon sending a voice.
In the temazcal, I have seen similar mixtures of polytheistic / monotheistic interpretation. The guides that I've most spent time with, Goyito, Oso Mario, Osa Lety, and Oso Hector, generally practice polytheistic ceremonies. However, in each case, I've heard regularly participating members of each circle pray in a monotheistic sense. This tolerance of different viewpoints or expressions within the temazcal ceremony sets it apart from Christian ceremonies that I have attended.
Wicahpi Oyate: Star People
Black Elk, in the prayer, refers to the "star nations," and little information about them appears in the book. Kevin Thomas (2012), in a more modern interpretation of Lakota beliefs, wrote,"We come from the stars, what's out there in the universe, we came from there. So we are called the Star People, the Star Nation. We were created from the stars and we came as a Spirit nation into He Sapa or the Black Hills. The Star People would be Wicahpi Oyate ...."DeMaille (Neihardt 2008), clarified the use of the word, "finished," in Neihardt's translation, suggesting that it means, rather, "created." He also pointed out that Black Elk's original word, "oyate," Neihardt chose to translate as "nation," creating the phrase "star nation." According to DeMaillie, the word, oyate,
"...is used not only for humans but also for animals (for example, the four-legged nation, the buffalo nation; birds (the winged nation); celestial phenomena (stars), and any other type of living thing."Although I have not heard specific mention of the Wicahpi Oyate in the temazcal ceremonies of Mexico, I have heard reference to the concept of the "oyate." DeMaille's interpretation of the Lakotas' application of, "oyate," described above, coincides with the treatment, by temazcaleros, of the "abuelitas," or volcanic rocks introduced into the temazcal, as living beings. El Oso Mario, of the Circulo de los Osos, in Durango, Mexico, often referred to all things as living, in a sense, consistent with the Demallie's portrayal of the Lakota word, "oyate."
The Four Quarters of the Earth, Above, and Below
Again, the four quarters of the earth appear in Black Elk's prayer to offer the pipe. "Hear me, four quarters of the world -- a relative I am!" Here, he repeats some of the symbolism brought forth in Neihardt's introduction, and new symbols appear in this prayer.The West
Black Elk's prayer refers specifically to the west, "where the sun goes down." Again he mentions the Thunder Beings (see also, "Black Elk's Pipe" post). In later chapters, the Thunder Beings reappear and speak to Black Elk, telling him, "It is time to do the work of your Grandfathers."Temazcal guides in circles I have attended do refer to the west and relate it to the powers of the rainstorm: thunder, lightning, and rainfall itself. In Durango, as in the home of the Lakotas, I do recall, from the 15 years that I lived there, that storms, with the exception of those associated with hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, generally came from the southwest as Pacific maritime air masses cooled on their way up the Sierra Madre Occidental.
The North
The praying Lakota mentioned, for the first time in the book, the White Giant (Waziya), referring to the north. He previously described, in his story of how the pipe came to the Lakota Nation (see, "Black Elk Told How the Pipe Came to the Lakota Nation,") as a gift of the white buffalo and the White Buffalo Calf Woman. DeMaillie (Neihardt 2008) explained that the spirit of the north "...is a contrary figure who wraps himself in his robe during the summer, but removes it in the winter, shaking it to produce snow."He discussed Waziya in more detail in Lakota Belief and Ritual (1991), describing him as ...
"A mythical giant at the north who causes the cold north wind by blowing from his mouth. He comes near during the winter and recedes during the summer and is in continual contest with the south winds. He presides over snow and ice and guards the entrance to the dance of the shadows of the north (the aurora borealis)."Although the white buffalo, associated with the northern doorway, plays an important part of the temazcales that I've attended with the Osos, Don Marco, Goyito, and Braulio, I have never heard mention of Waziya in the temazcal.
The East
When Black Elk said, "where the sun shines continually," he referred to the east, from "whence come the day-break star and the day." This phrase occurs later in the book, as part of Black Elk's vision.Temazcaleros likewise recognize the east for its association with daybreak. I recall seeing the moonrise on various occasions, through the entrance to the temazcal in the Circulo de los Osos (Bear's Circle), in Victoria de Durango, Durango, in Central Mexico. It faced east.
The South
The prayer called to the southern quarter: "You where the summer lives, behold me!" The poem does not elaborate further on the symbolism or power of the south, but, later in the book, one sees more references to this direction. Temazcaleros, like the Lakota, associate the southern quarter with the summer.Above, the Heavens
Calling to the heavens, Black Elk, in his poem, recited, "You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold!" The eagle plays an important role to temazcaleros as the guardian of the eastern gateway, aside from its role in the heavens.Below, Mother Earth
Recall that Neihardt (1932), in his introductory narrative, discussed the symbolic nature of the bison hide mouthpiece of the pipe, representing the sixth direction, down, "from whence we came and at whose breast we suck as babies all our lives, along with all the animals and birds and trees and grasses."The two men, again, through Black Elk's prayer, describe our origin from the earth:
"And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother,
you who have shown mercy to your children. ...
... all over the earth
the faces of living things are all alike.
With tenderness have these come up out of the ground."
This concept of the beings of the planet arising from (and returning to) the earth, appears several times in the text. Likewise, it's a common element of temazcal ceremonies, where, as the Oso Mario pointed out,
"La tierra, el aire, el agua, y
el fuego mezclan, creyendo en nosotros la vida como se hizo en
la tierra de donde venimos."
"The earth, the air, the water, and
the fire mix, creating in us life as it was done on
the earth from which we all arose."
Oneness, Connectedness
Black Elk reiterates his awareness of his connectedness with the universe with several phrases throughout the prayer:
"Hear me ... a relative I am!"
"Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike."
"Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is!"Temazcaleros, likewise, express a sense of connectedness. For example, entering the temazcal, each caminante (literally, "walker," ... more loosely, "being") gets down on all fours, placing his or her head on the ground at the entrance and pronounces, "¡Con todas mis relaciones!" (with all my relations!). Likewise, guides commonly talk of the web of life and our role as a tiny part of a huge universe.
Humility
Demallie (1985) noted that,"Sorrow and despair were outward expressions of traditional Lakota prayer, for the efficacy of prayer depended upon making oneself humble and pitiable before the powers of the universe. But this was a ritual attitude, not an expression of hopelessness."Black Elk's "Offering the Pipe Prayer," does not seem sorrowful nor despairing. Rather, I see in it expressions of humility:
"With your power only can I face the winds."
"The voice I have sent is weak, yet with earnestness I have sent it."
"Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you."Osa Lety, initiating her temazcal, likewise, expressed humility through her opening prayer, asking permission to begin the ceremony:
"Todos los ancianos y ancianas de la tradicion sagrada
¡te pedimos permiso para inciciar nuestra ceremonia de temazcal!"
"Of all the grandfathers and grandmothers of the sacred tradition
we ask your permission to begin our temazcal ceremony!"
Other temazcal ceremonies in Durango, Mexico, likewise begin by asking permission.
Sharing
Throughout Black Elk Speaks, examples of sharing abound. One common means of sharing we see in this Lakota prayer: that of asking for something for others. The prayer states,
Look upon these faces of children without numberTemazcaleros, likewise, "piden," (ask) for others:
and with children in their arms,
that they may face the winds
and walk the good road to the day of quiet.
"Please help my sick mother."
"White Buffalo, please help my son be strong when the bigger kids bully him."
"Great Spirit, please keep the prisoners warm during this cold spell."
Offering
In the case of this prayer, the entire text serves as an offering, with phrases like, "Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the earth that you may hear the voice I send." Note that Black Elk, as described above, sends a voice to each of the six directions.Temazcaleros, likewise, initiate their ceremony and close it, sending a voice. For example, ceremonies generally end, prior to asking the guardian of the fire to open the door, by shouting, as a group, something like this:
"Abundancia al este! (Abundance to the east!)
Abundancia al oeste! (Abundance to the west!)
Abundancia al norte! (Abundance to the north!)
Abundancia al sur! (Abundance to the south!)
Abundancia al cielo! (Abundance to the heavens!)
Abundancia a la Madre Tierra!" (Abundance to the Mother Earth!)
The Closing
The prayer finishes, simply and succinctly: "It is finished. Hetchetu aloh!" The latter phrase, from Lakota, means, "So it is!"
The prayer finished, the Lakota holy man goes on to say, "Now, my friend, let us smoke together so that there may be only good between us." Demallie (Neihardt 2008), annotated the phrase, citing Walker (1980): "The Lakotas believe that when men smoke a sacred pipe in common, 'its influences are supposed to bind them together forever in amicable relationship."
The pipe, I've seen infrequently in temazcal ceremonies, and, when I have seen it, if I recall correctly, it was always with a special motive. I remember the use of the pipe at the Vision Quest in the Circle, but outside the temazcal, at La Bufa. I also recall the pipe within El Temazcal de los Osos, introduced by El Oso Mario, but I do not recall the occasion.
Reviewing Black Elk's "Offering the Pipe Prayer," I see many elements that I've seen in the Temazcales that my Mexican brothers and sisters have invited me to attend. I have learned a great deal from their ceremonies, and they have helped me better understand many of the concepts in the book and other literature from the historians, writers, and archeologists who have written of the Lakota culture.
Of course, the participants are not Lakotas, but, rather, mestizos, (natives of mixed background, including European) of Mexico, and they make no claim to practice as Lakotas. However, they do make a concerted effort to practice as described in Black Elk Speaks, the reference most readily available to them. In addition, El Oso Mario has told me a history linking the temazcaleros back, through a caminante that practiced with the Lakota. But, that's a tale for another post!
... con todas mis relaciones! Aho!
References Cited
- Bacon, J. R. 2017. "Black Elk's Pipe. On the InTheTemazcal Blog (http://inthetemazcal.blogspot.com/), Reviewed 11 January 2017. Black Elk. Date unknown. Offering the Pipe Prayer. On the World Prayers website (http://www.worldprayers.org/archive/prayers/invocations/grandfather_great_spirit_y.html), Reviewed 6 January 2017.
- Neihardt, J. G. 1932. Black Elk Speaks. William Morrow & Company.
- Davich, V. N. 1998. The Best Guide to Meditation. Renaissance Books.
- DeMallie, R. J. (Ed.). 1985. The Sixth Grandfather: Black Elk's Teachings Given to John G. Neihardt. Bison Books.
- Neihardt, J. G. 2008. Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition. State University of New York Press; annotated edition.
- Summers, C. 2011. Black Elk Prays. On the Seeing Creation website (http://www.seeingcreation.com/2012/nature-photography/black-elk-prays/), Reviewed 6 January 2017.
- Thomas, K. 2012. A Common Man (Ikce Wicasa) Modern Lakota Spirituality and Practice: Words and Wisdom from Sidney Keith and Melvin Miner. BookBaby.
- Walker, J. R. 1980. Lakota Belief and Ritual, The University of Nebraska Press.
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