A list of the principle Lakota spirits.

Following are the principal Lakota Spirits. The first sixteen are the Great Spirits that make up the benevolent Wakan Tanka Waste. These are followed by the malevolent or indifferent Wakan Taka Sica. A list of other known spirits follow that.

The sixteen benevolent Wakan Tanka Waste, or the Tobtób Kį are:

•Wí — Sun. The principal Spirit of the Wakan Tankas was created fourth by Inyą, after Makʿa and Šką.The solar spirit of bison. Also known as Aŋpétu Wi (Daytime Wi) to differentiate him from Haŋwí, who is also known as Wi. He is also the Spirit of bravery, constancy, endurance, fortitude, honesty, reliance, and contests. His color is red.

•Táku Škąšką — Motion, Sky (Great Spirit or Tȟuŋkášila) The motion of the universe. His color is blue. Šką was created third by Inyą to wrap around the Stone and the Earth.

•Makʿa — Maka-akaŋl. Earth. The earth Spirit created by Íŋyaŋ as his lover. Her color is green.

•Inyą — Stone. The primordial Creator Spirit. His color is yellow.

•Hąwí — The moon Spirit who accompanies Wi. Also known as Haŋhépi Wi (Nighttime Wi) to differentiate her from Wi. She is also the Spirit of mother hood, constancy, kinship, and feminine things.

•Tʿaté — Wind Spirit. Father of the Four Winds.

•Woȟpe — the Divine Feminine. The Spirit of peace and the wife of the south wind Okaga.

•Wakiyą — Thunder Beings. Thunder Spirits. Wakíŋyaŋ is believed to be a bird. Waukheon — The Thunderbird.

•Tʿatʿąka — Buffalo (Great Beast) The male buffalo spirit of plenty. Enemy of Mica.

•Hunųpa — The bipedal bear Spirit of wisdom. After Iktomi was made the trickster and he forfeited his position as the Spirit of wisdom, he became the lower Spirit of wisdom.

•Tʿatúye Tópa — Wanim, the Four Winds/Directions. The four elder sons of Tate who oversee the cardinal directions, the four winds, health, the weather, and fertility. They can be combined into a single figure:

Wiyohipeyata, Eya

Waziyata, Yata

Wiyohiyanpa, Yanpa

Itokagata, Okaga

•Yumní — A whirlwind Spirit, child of Anog Ite and Tʿaté. He is the Spirit of love.

•Niya — Spirit, living souls, Woniya. The breath of life. The first part of the Soul.

•Naǧi — Ghost, the appearance and character. The second part of the Soul.

•Naǧila — Spirit-like, tʿawacʿį, or mind. Consciousness. The third part of the Soul.

•Šicų — Tʿų is a kind of spiritual potency endowed in sacred things. The fourth part of the Soul.

The Wakan Tanka Sica

The Wakan Tanka Sica are Malevolent (or indifferent) spirits, and follow in rough order of rank:

•Iya or Ibom — Second son of Inyan and an Unktehi. Lord of the Malevolent Gods. Stupid.

•Iktomi — First-born son of Inyan and Wakinyan. A fallen god, doomed to wander the earth as a spirit. The clever trickster.

•Kssa — The Spirit of knowledge and wisdom. He invented language, stories, names, games, and the first lodge, in which fire from Wi was placed at the center. One story about Iktomi mentions that Iktomi was Kssa, but was stripped of his title for his trouble-making ways. The Oglala Lakota believe that Iktomi was the second manifestation, or degeneration, of Ksa, who hatched from the cosmic egg laid by Wakíŋyaŋ. He is the enemy of Unk.

•Unk — Goddess of passion. Maka’s sister. Banished to the underwater world.

•Haŋ — The ancient spirit of darkness; banished to be under Maka.

•Gnaski — Tatankan Gnaskiyan. A demon called the crazy buffalo. Daughter of Unk.

•Unktehi — Untunktahe. Underwater monsters. The enemies of Wakinyan. Formed from the wrath of Unk when she was tossed into the sea.

•Unkhcegila — Unk Cekula. Monsters of the land. Formed from the wrath of Unk when she was tossed into the sea.

•Mni Watu — Water sprites.

•Can Oti — Canotila. Forest dwelling elves.

•Ungla — Goblins who lurk in the night.

•Gica — cunning and malicious manikins who are visible or invisible.

•Waziya — (Blower From Snow Pines) The Old Man, or Wizard, who received his god-like nature from Iktomi, and is therefore doomed to a lonely immortal life on Earth. A Giant who guarded the entrance to the place of the Aurora Borealis. He fights against the south winds with his cold, icy breath. He also brings famine and diseases. Also said to be the purifier. The first man, banished to earth as the wizard Waziya with his wife Wakanka for helping their daughter Anog Ite to supplant Hanwi. Like his wife, he helps whomever he chooses.

•Wakanka — the Old Woman, the Witch, the wife of Waziya, doomed forever to a lonely immortal life on Earth. Banished to earth as a witch with her husband Waziya for helping their daughter Anog Ite supplant Hanwi.

•Anog Ite — Daughter of Waziya and Wakanka. The mother of the Four Winds, whose father was Tate. Also the mother of Yumni. Because she intrigued with Iktomi against Hanwi, she is doomed to a lonely immortal life on Earth.

•To Win (Tow whih) — The Blue Woman who guards the road to the afterlife. Every act in one’s life marks one’s spirit with “tattoos” that the To Win can read. She is encountered on the Spirit Road (seen as the center of the Milky Way in the sky) and throws spirits back to earth if they aren’t prepared for the next life. To Win is most likely a play on the Siouan word for aunt, Tonwin. Also known as Hihankara (Owl-Maker) — The aged Spirit who stands upon the entrance to the Milky Way, admitting the nagi who show her the proper tattoos. Those who fail her test will be liberated from existence, where their memory and spirit will fade without honor.

•Wanagi — Rejected ghost spirits who fail the test of To Win, doomed to wander the earth. There is a kind of Wanagi that has never had a mortal tether to this world, it is connected to all that the Creator has gifted in life (like the Elements, Animals and Humans.) Some Wanagi “Feed” on the emotions of mankind and thus have the significant impact of either Benevolent or Malevolent natures based on the emotions that sustain them the easiest (Spirits that are “Evil” usually are attracted to humans with Anger, Wrath, Revenge, Sorrow or Sadness in their hearts and those that are “Good” attracted to Joy, Happiness, Love and Harmony.) Because they were not blessed by the Creator with a corporeal vessel, they have a difficult time showing themselves. This leads to some Spirits taking on the appearance of an anthropomorphic Animal, an Elemental figure, an incomplete human or a monstrous human figure.

•Hohnogica — Spirits of the home & hearth.

There are also a variety of other spirits in the world. These are sometimes indifferent to humans, but may cause harm, or be convinced to help humans.

•Wi Can — The Star People

•Pte Oyate — The Underworld Buffalo People

•Aŋpo — The spirit of the dawn, an entity with two faces.

•Čapa — The beaver Spirit of labor and taxes.

•Četaŋ — The hawk spirit of the east.

•Etu — The personification of time.

•Hehaka — The male Elk Spirit of sexuality.

•Hnaska — The Frog Spirit of Holy Medicine.

•Hogan — The purifying Fish Spirit of water.

•Keya — Turtle Spirit of health, safety, and healing rituals.

•Mato — Mischievous healer Bear Spirit of passionate emotions.

•Mica — Trickster Coyote Spirit.

•Sungmanito Tanka — Wolf Spirit of hunting and war.

•Sunka — Dog Spirit of companionship and faithfulness.

•Sunka Wakan — Horse spirit. Like dog only more so.

•Wambli — Eagle Spirit of councils, hunting skills, and battle.

•Zuzeca — Snake Spirit of hidden things, concealed knowledge, and outright lies.

•Iktinike — The son of the Sun Spirit Wi, who was banished to Earth for telling lies.

•Wamaka Nagi — Souls of animals, especially of domesticated types such as dogs or horses.They accompany their owners as they go to the Milky Way in the afterlife.

•Wo Nagi — Spiritual essence of food. Lakota’s have to give due reverence and gratitude to their provisions, to ensure that the Wakanpi will not be upset.

•Very Old People — have power which can be used for evil.

•Moon Women — When on their moon, women who are easily tricked or duped by Gnaski, Anog Ite and Iktomi.

•Tunkan (Tuh-kaw) — Spirits of the rocks. They are said to play a major role in the sweat lodge ceremonies.

•The 405 Stone White Men. Described first by Frank Fools Crow. These are divided into four groups.

Compiled from many sources on 1/9/2021 by Daniel B. Garber. Copyright © 2021 Daniel B. Garber