Waziya

Waziya is a mythical giant from Lakota mythology. He is considered similar to Heyoka, an antinatural deity related to doing the opposite of what is expected. He’s described as a being of the wind known as a Wakan who would blow the North winds, called Wazíyata, and bring snow. He sometimes represents the ability to take lives and is seen as the chief of bad spirits. He enjoys killing and is described as strong and cruel. Some used to pray to him but determined he did not listen and stopped. He wraps himself in a thick robe when it is warm and goes completely naked when it’s cold. He dresses in heavy furs with his favorite being wolf skins. Because of this, many women wouldn’t handle wolfskin for fear that Waziya may kill their children. He had a daughter named Ite, and a giant witch for a wife. He also had a son named waziya, who was taken away by his mother so he wouldn’t be killed by his dad, this child then later returned to work with his dad. Upon interaction with Christianity Waziya became equated to Santa Claus. In the book Turtle Lung Woman’s Granddaughter, an account describes Waziya appearing in an episcopal church to give gifts, like Santa Claus. He goes south during the Winter and North during the Summer. He constantly fights the South Winds and this along with the sun would be invoked to oppose Waziya. His footprints were large enough for several people to stand in them, and one stride could completely go over an entire hill. In one story he would take the buffalo killed by hunters. He would use an icy bow, but it was destroyed by a figure known as Star-Boy. When Waziya told Star-Boy what to do, Star-Boy ignored him and said any who pointed at him would become paralyzed. Waziya did this and both of his arms became useless. Star-Boy then cut the blanket holding the stolen buffalo and brought the meat back to the hunters in their village. Waziya’s wife sewed back up this blanket which caused heavy snow when it was shaken, which buried the village. Star-Boy used a magic fan to call the south winds which were hot enough to melt the snow, and also kill Waziya and his entire family aside from his youngest child. This baby survived and this is why we still sometimes have frost. Auroras are newborn clouds, and Waziya murders them as soon as they’re born. He then guards the place where the Aurora Borealis dances. People who were seen as rich and stingy were compared to Waziya. In myth, Native Americans are compared to the sun due to “red” skin, and white people were compared to Waziya and therefore deemed cruel and merciless.

Citations:

Red Shirt, Delphine, and Lone Woman. Turtle Lung Woman’s Granddaughter. United States, University of Nebraska Press, 2002.

Gill, Sam D., and Sullivan, Irene F.. Dictionary of Native American Mythology. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 1994.

Native American Mythology A to Z. United States, Infobase Holdings, Incorporated, 2010.

Journal of American Folklore. United States, American Folk-lore Society, 1921.

Erdoes, Richard. Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions. United Kingdom, Simon & Schuster, 1994.

Walker, James R.. Lakota Myth. United Kingdom, University of Nebraska Press, 2006.

Spence, Lewis, et al. Native American Mythology: Myths & Legends of Cherokee, Iroquois, Navajo, Siouan and Zuñi. Czechia, Good Press, 2023.