Dream-Helpers

________________________________________________

"The Dream Helper in South-Central California"

(Y. = Yokuts; O. = transitional Y.)

p.

language

term

meaning

26

C^umas^

>ati.s^wi.n

"dream helper; talisman"

 

>ati.s^wi.c^

"to dream a dream of supernatural significance; to see in a vision"

 

Kitanemuk Y.

kwac^i.muk

"dream helper; talisman"

   

>atsit [cognate with C^. >ati.s^wi.n ?]

"pet; dream helper"

 

Salinan

sotopeno / sotopni

"dream helper"

 

tis^ah^al

"talisman; supernatural power"

27

western Mono

mai'iwin

"dream helper; talisman; the power of invisible magic escape"

 

Y.

t.ipni

"supernatural power"

 

valley Y.

>anet.wal

"dream helper"

 

>anatwal

"to dream"

 

foothill Y.

>ananat.wad / >ananatswad

"to dream"

 

>ainic^

"dream helper; talisman"

dream-helper animals [no specific sequence]

p.

tribe

animal-god

significance

citation

16

?

owl

medicine man

"any man that wants to be a doctor has to follow [Owl]; he has to go out in the night. He can't be a doctor until the middle of his life"

17

Wukc^umni Y.

eagle

chief

"as a helper grants wealth"

 

Kitanemuk Y.

falcon

games

"an inveterate gambler and player of shinny"

69

Wukc^umni Y.

falcon

jail-breaking

"they would break out of any jail they were put in"

19

Wukc^umni Y.

roadrunner

obstetrics

"how to help women in labor"

 

western Mono

yellowjacket

marksman

"the power to shoot far and accurately"

 

Tubatulabal

fish

swimming

"swim all day and never be tired"

25

Wukc^umni Y.

bear

dancer

"dream helper for dancing"

30

Yaudanc^i Y.

grizzly

dance

"it drew off its skin and became human. ... a dance began."

19

C^umas^

hummingbird

agility

 
 

Tubatulabal

rattlesnake

witchcraft

 

22

Salinan

skunk

 

"poisoner"

41

C^umas^

skunk

invisibility

"no one can see you" [p. 69 "the power of invisibility"]

20

?

thunder

weather shaman

 
 

C^umas^

fire

hair as veil

"unbound his hair, draped it over his face"

 

O.

water

[omnipraesent immortality]

"is everywhere and never dies"

 

?

ghost

funereal undertaker

"shamanistic ... power ... of dispelling dreams of the dead"

21

Tac^i Y.

dwarves

 

"how to cure ghost-fright"

22

?

weasel

 

"cannibal"

24

western Mono

mountain lion

hunter

"as helper in hunting"

25

?

condor

finder

"specializing in finding lost objects"

 

C^umas^

peregrine falcon = duck hawk

"captain of a canoe"

"the head of the canoemen's guild" [p. 78 rescuing canoe during storm]

42

Wukc^umni Y.

frog

 

as opposite-gendered sibling of like-gendered parent

43

O.

hummingbird

cure

"to cure ... an illness"

69

Wukc^umni Y.

antelope

[magical suicide]

"did not live for long because there were too many rules for a person to follow"

76

Y.

live-oak

foreknower of own death

"man was told by his helper Live Oak that he was going to die that day, and he did"

 

Wukc^umni Y.

lizard

rock-climber

"power to climb right up the side of the cave"

78

Wukc^umni Y.

quail

communicate with foetus

"aiding her daughter in labor, ... "the baby heard them ...""

p. 82 "dream helpers ... are timeless supernatural forces"

p. 19 "The dream helper ... is usually an animal spirit. It might also be a personified natural force like Thunder, ... or some supernatural creature ... such as a dwarf; it might even be a plant. ... An animal as a dream helper is the spirit of one of the First People ... , who at the end of mythic time turned into the animals we know today."

p. 20 "the dog has no supernatural power at all. Power, in native thought, is most manifest in those times, places, and things most remote from man's mundane domestic sphere."

p. 21 Live-Oak as dream-helper

p. 24 "Among the Tachi Yokuts ..., supernatural power is mentioned as coming later in life to women than to men."

p. 77 "The last aid the dream helper renders its prote'ge', according to Chumash belief, is on the way to the land of the dead."

p. 21 [nondream-]helpers as fantastic beings [inhabiting waking world]

tribe

abode

denizen

Tac^i Y.

underground

"wainus, a powerful human-headed serpent"

Tac^i & Yaudanc^i Y.

pools, springs, and water holes

"six-mouthed rattlesnake"

"white water snake"

"hawk ... flying into or out of its home below the surface"

Yaudanc^i Y.

[other water]

"a long, large-eyed fish called a wetapkul confers shamanistic powers on a man by swallowing him" [also p. 30]

observances practiced

p.

#

observances (O.):-

31

1

"Tobacco must be drunk every night ... before retiring" [p. 33 "A concoction of tobacco drunk at bedtime ... stimulates dreaming."] [p. 34 "This is particularly the custom of older people."]

 

2

"Go to bed with the mind set on the ... dream desired."

 

3

"Dream"

 

4

"If the dream is significant, get up and walk some distance from the house"

32

5

"There talk to the visitant in the dream, saying ... that it is accepted" [p. 48 "Among the Tachi Yokuts, the dreamer not only rises and goes some distance from the house to talk to the helper, he also smokes a little tobacco and scatters crane down ..."]

 

6

"Return to bed, but do not sleep"

 

7

"Get up in the morning ..., but do not bathe"

 

8

"Select some secluded spot outside of the village and start for it in time to arrive ... high noon."

 

9

"When there, at noon, again address the dream helper ..., asking it to come again in dreams."

 

10

"Speak respectfully to the sun, moon, and stars, when seen" [p. 48 "speak respectfully to the sun, moon, morning star ... when they first seen these each day"]

 

11

"the regulation diet"

 

12

"Drink jimsonweed"

 

13

"bask in the sun"

p. 43 animal-sequence [in dream (whence "awoke")] (southern Y.)

p. 43

"at dusk met two strangers, who took him with them into the stream, through two doors,

one formed of a snake,

 

one of a turtle.

 

... Inside their house

the otters, for such they [the 2 strangers] resumed human shape."

     

p. 44

the subsequent procedure is commemorated in a song, concerning

p. 33

"esoteric or specialized shaman's techniques" namely (southern Y.):-

 

"running in the [under]brush at night"

 

"piling up rocks"

p. 46 totem

in a dream, the dreamer may become (turn into) an animal of the same species as that dreamer's totem (Wukc^umni Y.)

talisman

p. 53 Salinan, C^umas^, & Kitanemuk: "the visionary awakes with the talisman in his hand, a gift of the dream helper."

p. 54 C^umas^: "a talisman magically obtained in this way is useless except to its owner, and it is buried with him."

p. 70 dangerous dream-helpers

Wukc^umni Y. & western Mono: "may demand the death of a man's children as the price of shamanic power."

western Mono: "a person with children might tell his dream helper "to stay away" until asked for help, in order to protect his children."

northern foothill Y.: "To be visited by a dream helper of the opposite moiety can be dangerous or even fatal."

p. 81 dream-helper in transvection [by projection in the subtle body?]

Tac^i Y.: 'would get on the [dream-helper]'s back and wrap his arms around the animal's neck. They would fly off to the place designated."

miscellaneous

California

comparative

p. 54 [Wukc^umni Y.] limik "falcon"

[<ibri^] Lemek (transliterated Lamech in Septuagint)

p. 69 "A person who dreamed of Cougar, or especially of struggling with one, would get such stength"

[Hellenic, as in Barqa] heroine Kurene "wrestling with a powerful lion" (GM 82.a), connected (GM 82.4) with legend of S^ims^o^n (Samson) renowned for strength

BALLENA PRESS ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS, No. 13 = Richard B. Applegate: ?Atishwin. Socorro, 1978.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sacred Animals of the Oglala"

(Oglala names, pp. 127-128 & 69)

p.

animal-god

significance

citation

23

tatanka (bison)

pipe-stem [= atlatl]

"piece of bison hide that is placed on the stem of the Oglala's sacred pipe"

28

hehaka (elk)

[whistle (p. 53) / bugle (p. 108)]

"his ability to bugle or "whistle" in a manner that the elk cows are irresistibly drawn to him." [p. 108 "circular mirrors (the Elk's heart)"]

69

crane

flute

""love-flutes" were carved at their lower ends to represent the open mouth of the crane."

30

tac^a (deer)

perfume

"the deer's hoof, which is believed to become fine perfume when the animal turns into a woman."

32

mato` (bear)

medicine

"eats roots from the earth and is especially fond of ... herbs in making medicine" [turnip, p. 68]

34

hoka (badger)

food

"This food ... is good for you"

 

skunk

heel

"Dakota chiefs ... had the skins of skunks tied to their heels" {cf. Kr.s.n.a with Jaras}

 

wahinhaya (gopher)

grass

"can shoot at persons in a magical way with the tip of a species of grass" {cf. shooting with kus`a-grass}

35

hanskaska (wolf)

fog

"fog appears. ... the fog lent invisibility"

37

tokala (kit-fox)

hidden things

"the fox had knowledge of underground things hidden from human eyes, and this he shared with the dreamer." {cf. Dogon fox-god Yurugu'}

38

rabbit

reflection

"the reflection of the rabbit in his own eye." {cf. Tenetehara pabid ("soul") as reflection in eye}

 

s^ogila (pronghorn)

rock

"the rocks get soft under their feet ..., but they close up behind them, leaving no trace."

40

turtle

umbilical cord

"... the turtle amulet. This amulet contained the navel cord of the newborn child" {cf. tortoise ridden by parturition-goddess Ayo-pec^tli}

42

eagle

sage (herb)

"the catching of live eagles. Men carefully wrapped the bird in sage" [p. 43 "moving ... tripods" {cf. self-moving "three-legged tables" of Hephaistos (GM 23.c)}]

43

yuha (crow)

arrow [earlier, a dart?]

"our arrows to fly as swift and straight as the crow."

44

miwatani (owl)

lost objects

"to find lost objects through his owl "spirit helper.""

45

lark

word

"Many a word the lark utters an Indian can understand."

 

swallow

cloud

"the "riders in the cloud" gave him a swallow charm (wotahe)."

 

meadow lark

voice

"A voice is in the air." [praeternatural?]

 

woodpecker

storm

"to speak to the Thunder."

46

moth

whirlwind [Umi, p. 87]

"The actual cocoon ... was regarded as a perpetual prayer to the power of the Whirlwind."

48

iktomi (spider)

eclipse

"It is Iktomi who often hides the faces of the Sun and the Moon." [p. 49 spider "courting robe" for "catching" prospective spouse {cf. net of Hephaistos for catching in his wife and her paramour}; spider's eggcase "bundle" {cf. Kongo usual inclusion of spider's eggcase in bags repraesenting deities}] [p. 67 "Hoops were carried with imitation spider's nets in the center" {cf. "dream-catcher"}]

83

dragonfly

one's self

"man ... as ... the dragonfly, whom he venerated as having the power to escape a blow .. a power which the Indian covets."

p. 71 "The term "Wakan-Tanka" ... was considered too sacred to be spoken except with due reverence and at a proper time." {cf. YHWH}

p. 53 "a vision or dream experience of an animal or bird ... is normally required to "capsulate" the experience in a "fetish.""

p. 37 when encountered "in a dream," the dream-"animal" is "a wise spirit"

p. 6 the world which is gone into in dreaming is "the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. That is the real world that is behind this one, and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world."

p. 66 "doing was like a shadow cast upon the earth from yonder vision in the heavens" {cf. Platonic "myth of the cave"}

directional colors

direction

p. 66 lightning & hail

p. 93 bird

west

black (mask)

black / blue-black

north

white (geese)

white

east

sorrel

red

south

buckskin

yellow

Joseph Epes Brown: Animals of the Soul. Element, Rockport (MA), 1992.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pawakan of the Kiristinon (Cree)

ahcak ("soul")

p. 76 "The pawakan, literally, dream image, is an individuated ahcak being with whom persons understand themselves to experience recurrent communication in dreams."

This would be the "dream-helper".

communion

p. 78 "the animal through its puagan would tell the man if it wished to be killed or not. He would not kill that animal unless it wished to be killed and told him so."

contrast Christians, who devour their god without asking permission !

Jesus prayed: "if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39), and "take away this cup from me" (Mark 14:36); therewith asking not to be slain. But Christians habitually defy the express wishes of Christ!

"nest"

p. 83 treehouse-type platform for sleeping upon (in order to dream of animal-deities) is designated waciston 'bird's nest'

in mythic terms: that of [Persian] Sam and of the [Chinese] 'Nest-builders'

south

p. 87 "men and women who become doctors dream of Sawanis, the spirit of the south wind and cardinal direction" = [Algonkin] S^awani "southerner"

cf. [Skt.] s`wan = [Persian] swan "hound", the pet who is to lead the soul of its dead owner southward to the abode of [Zaratustrian] Yima = [Vaidik] Yama

fylga

p. 98 dream: "Far ahead of me a woman is walking, wearing an old-time Cree dress. She keeps pace with me, this woman, maintaining the same distance between us. ...

dream wherein "the woman who was higher than the mountains as she walked must be his hamingja" (Vi`ga-Glu`ms Saga, IX -- RH, Ch. V)

I walk toward her. Just then she begins removing all her clothing. She stands there naked."

valkyrja is a "spirit-wife" (HG, 3)

RH = http://www.normannii.org/guilds_lore/lore/roadtohel/chapter_05.htm

HG = http://www.hrafnar.org/norse/hyge-craeft.html

tripun.d.ra

p. 118 "bear skulls are sometimes painted with horizontal stripes across the forehead."

this is the [Skt.] tri-pun.d.ra

holy communion

p. 122 "Eating animal flesh effects communion between human and animal pawakan, and ... When one eats in compliance with one's dreams, ... the pawakan is pleased and helps the man with further blessings."

this is similar to the effect of the Tantrik communion

bestiality

p. 128 among the Beaver Indians of Athabaska, "sexual relations with animals are represented as hunting ritual."

would this be on account of the [Norse] fylgja "fetch" being regarded as the animal-form taken by the val-kyrja ?

inclining post

p. 138 "This Hairy Heart old man owns a staff ... Then, when he sings, this staff is able to incline toward that place where the people are hiding."

cf. C^oktaw migration-myth: inclining of staff to suggest direction for travel

eat-all feast

p. 217 "feast which they call "eat-all" for no one is permitted to leave until he has swallowed everything."

"Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat ... ALL OF IT" (Matthew 26:26-27) "For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are ALL partakers of that one bread." (1st Corinthians 10:17)

closet

p. 238 "At the feast, all the holes in the covering of the lodge ... were carefully closed so that the spirits of the beasts whose flesh was being consumed would not go out and in consequence, fail to return in the others of their kind to be reborn."

pray in "closet' (Matthew 6:6), whisper "in closets" (Luke 12:3)

Robert A. Brightman: Grateful Prey. U. of CA Pr, 1993.

------------------------------------------------------------------------