While writing Dark
Night of the Moon, I did quite a bit of research on the wolf and the
mythology surrounding him/her concerning their ability to shift into humans.
Would you believe, shape shifters existed in Native American legend and lore
long before they appeared in Twilight! You don't say?
Here are some interesting facts I stumbled upon concerning
shape shifting beasts, particularly wolves, when the Native American tribes
ruled the plains.
The wolf shifter in Dark
Night of the Moon happens to be a gray wolf. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is also known as the Arctic
wolf, common wolf, Mexican wolf, Plains wolf, timber wolf, and Tundra wolf. At
one time, they were the world's most widely distributed mammal, but they've
become extinct now in much of Western Europe, Mexico and the US. Their packs
have been reduced by almost one-third over the years because we've been led to
believe they prey on livestock and humans. In actuality, it's very rare for
humans to be attacked by a wolf.
Native Americans have profound respect for the wolf. To
several tribes the wolf was known as a protective spirit or totem. They viewed
the wolf as a wise fellow hunter to be respected and admired. Those who could
shift into the wolf were known as limmikin
(or yenaloosi) in many tribes. The
Navajo are best known for their shifter beliefs. They called men who could
morph into wolves skinwalkers, or yennadlooshi
which means "He goes on all fours."
According to Navajo tradition skinwalkers look physically
different from normal people – the main difference is their eyes—large and
glowing, even in daylight. It’s believed if someone looks a skinwalker in the
eyes, the creature can absorb a person and steal their skin. They could also
read minds and lure people from their homes and into the woods by imitating the
voices and cries of loved ones.
Examples of the wolf appearing throughout Native American
mythology include the following.
* The Eskimos
spoke of an old woman, Qisaruatsiaq, who was abandoned and forced to live by
herself. Eventually, she turned into a wolf.
* The Sioux
called the wolf shunk manitu tanka,
meaning animal that looks like a dog but is a powerful spirit.
* Cheyenne medicine men rubbed warrior arrows against wolf
fur to bring better luck in hunting.
* The Nootka
celebrated spiritual ties to the wolf. When someone died, they thought they
could bring a person back to life by wearing wolf clothing.
* The Cherokee
would not kill a wolf, believing the dead wolf's siblings would exact revenge.
They learned to walk like a wolf to ward off frostbite to their feet.
* The Crow
dressed in wolf skins to hunt.
* The Mandan displayed wolf tails on their moccasins, signs
of success in battle.
* Women of the
Hidatsa tribe rubbed their bellies with wolf skin to alleviate difficult
childbirth.
* The Cree believed divine wolves visited earth when the
northern lights shone during winter.
* The Ahtena
would prop dead wolves up, sometimes feeding them ceremonial meals.
* Chippewa myths tell of wolves supplying humans with food
and hides.
* The Delaware tribe thought a change in weather might be
announced through a wolf's howl.
Lakota Woman (Sioux) Myth
A woman was hurt and left behind by her people. She ran out
of food and nearly starved, but came upon a wolf den and crawled inside. At
first the members of the pack were suspicious and afraid of her, but eventually
they grew to like her. When they brought food to their pups they shared it with
her.
Eventually she was strong enough to snare rabbits and help
with the hunting. She stayed with the pack for many years.
One day the oldest wolf smelled humans coming, and strangely
the woman did too. They were her own people and she realized she must return to
them.
She reunited herself with the village very slowly and
brought with her the skills of the wolf. She knew wolf talk and developed a
keen sense of smell, allowing her to predict bad weather far in advance. She
could also alert the village when game or other humans came around.
* * *
I hope I’ve piqued your interest. If you’d like to know more
about Holding On To Heaven and Dark Night of the Moon, you can read the great
reviews on Amazon.
