Spiritual Rituals
Enlisting the aid of a medicine man to facilitate a vision was imperative. After witnessing his distress, the parents of Black Elk called upon the aid of Black Road. According to DeMallie and Parks, “these holy men and women were religious specialists who gained their knowledge through direct contact with the wakan beings in dreams or visions, and they became themselves conduits through which this wakan power flowed.” Wakan power represented the unknowable. The holy men functioned as the conduit for the unknowable facets of the universe, and provided much needed guidance. In her book on the vision quest, Kathleen Dugan asserts that “it was only when he submitted it to the elders of the tribe that he became aware of its implications.” Black Road told the youth it was time to perform the “vision for your people upon earth” (Neihardt). This action facilitated the movement from the personal to the public realm.
The vision was supported by communal organizing principles. Black Elk was encouraged by the holy man to perform the ceremonial horse dance (Neihardt). It was believed that the power of the vision could inflict harm if not dealt with through the proper rituals. He must first perform the vision quest, an imperative part of Lakota life where anyone was free to seek a vision. The holy man enlisted reminds the seeker that “he stands powerless and small before the Great Mystery” which shows humility, a very important characteristic for the dreamer (Dugan). Then the “lamenter” must undergo inipi – a purification ritual performed at the sweat lodge (Dugan). Black Elk’s participation in a vision quest served to clarify his unsolicited vision. Recovering a vision from the Great Spirit “bore with it the assurance of support and power” (Dugan). These rituals provided an essential framework, giving his vision a mode of expression.
These rituals ensured that the seeker would be open to the voice of the sacred. Black Elk prepared himself in the ritual way, not eating and purifying himself in the sweat lodge, “which both cleansed a person’s body and spirit and prepared him to participate in other rituals” (DeMallie & Parks). He taught the medicine men the songs of his visions while outside, there was “low thunder rumbling." They “knew the thunder beings were glad and had come to help us” (Neihardt). The successful completion of a ritual dance fostered the healing of the sick. The dance infused the lagging spirits of the people, a visible and positive result of his vision. Black Elk felt that “everything seemed good and beautiful now, and kind” after this release (Neihardt). The participation of medicine men, elders and the community all vindicated his vision, relieving Black Elk of his worrisome indecision. He became a person of stature in the ways of knowledge, while ever remaining humble.
Read more:
Black Elk, Lakota Visionary
Black Elk and John Neihardt
Black Elk's Vision
Mediator between realities
Spiritual Rituals
The Life of Black Elk
Influence of Black Elk
Recommended Reading and Photo Credits
About the Author