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Gifts of Wakan-Tanka
| Open Poetry #15 |
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Gifts of Wakan-Tanka |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas 
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Gifts of Wakan-TankaWakan-Tanka, the Great Mystery, the giver of all power, gives the Holy Man his wisdom, the power of healing, of holy charms, of the healing plants which are holy because they are given by Wakan-Tanka. Even the buffalo whose meat, skin, hide, bone, sinew, used by men, was given by Wakan-Tanka; even the buffalo is holy because it is given by the Great Mystery. The Great Mystery gave to men the wisdom to use all these things, to hunt, to fish, to gather, to plant, to make babies, to make war...to make peace. All comes from Wakan-Tanka, the Great Mystery. All. The Great Mystery gives to the Holy Man, in his youth, the knowledge that he will be holy. Sometimes it is made known through the Spirits, it is they who come, not always in his sleep, not always, but also when he is awake. When the spirit comes, he is there, speaks, goes forth again, and none has seen where from he came, where to he went. The Holy Man becomes dead, in a trance he communes with Wakan-Tanka, the Spirits speak to him with the Great Mystery's words. He does this in his lone tipi while fasting, praying, or in solitude in the hills; then he returns to men, full of the power given by Wakan-Tanka. He teaches them, tells them of the spirits, what the Great Mystery has bidden him to say, he counsels, heals, makes holy charms to ward off evil. The Holy Man is greatly revered, his place in the great tipi is an honored one. He is holy with mystery-power given by Wakan-Tanka, the giver of all. All comes from Wakan-Tanka, the Great Mystery, All. w. james beard, jr. © August 2001 Derived from "A Holy Story" told by Chief Maza Blaska (a.k.a. - Flat-Iron) of the Ogallalla band of the Dakota Tribe, sometime in the late 1800's. If you haven't gathered such already, Wakan-Tanka or the Great Mystery...is the Creator. If you find it hard to read it's because I wrote it similar to the way Chief FlatIron spoke...wjb. [This message has been edited by jwesley (edited 08-03-2001).] |
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| © Copyright 2001 Wesley James Beard, Jr. - All Rights Reserved | |||
kaile
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146singapore |
jwesley, yes, this is a different style for me but no, i didn't find this hard to read..in fact, i am glad to click on this thread for now i have been exposed to yet another way of expression.... an intriguing piece  |
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Lady In White
since 2001-02-12
Posts 2799USA |
Hello James....I enjoyed this very much....thank you! |
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illusion Member
since 2001-06-19
Posts 296 |
I enjoyed this very much - it wasn't difficult to read at all, though it would have been worth much effort. |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
JWesley~ I recognized the adaptation immediately ... but then you knew I would, didn't you ? Very nicely done ... Of course I don't find it difficult to read or understand at all ... been thinking that way all my life.  Nice job ! You are learning much in your search of the American Indian ways and beliefs. ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ |
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Interloper
since 2000-11-06
Posts 8369Deep in the heart |
I got here 'cuz I thought it a Tanka about something called Wakan. Well, it wasn't a Tanka at all but I read it and truly enjoyed the read |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas |
Thanks all for reading and commenting. Marge...yep, knew if anyone would, you would, though I suspect lots of others would if they saw it. Yes, I'm learning a lot...some of the things they spoke of a hundred-plus years ago are so true yet today...and some of the prophecies so true. They had such insight into so much. |
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