On the whole, it
may be safe to consider the sun as the Siouan arch-mystery, with the
mythic thunder-bird or family of thunder-birds as a sort of mediate link
between the mysteries and men, possessing less power but displaying more
activity in human affairs than the remoter wakanda of the heavens. Under
these controlling wakandas, other members of the series were vaguely and
variably arranged. Somewhere in the lower ranks, sacred animals--especially
sports, such as the white buffalo cow--were placed, and still lower came
totems and shamans, which, according to Dorsey, were reverenced rather
than worshiped. It is noteworthy that this thearchic arrangement
corresponded in many respects with the hierarchic social organization of
the stock.
The Siouan thearchy was invoked and adored by means of forms and
ceremonies, as well as through orisons. The set observances were highly
elaborate; they comprised dancing and chanting, feasting and fasting, and
in some cases sacrifice and torture, the shocking atrocities of the Mandan
and Minitari rites being especially impressive. From these great
collective devotions the ceremonials graded down through war-dance and
hunting-feast to the terpsichorean grace extolled by Carver, and to
individual fetich worship. In general the adoration expressed fear of the
evil rather than love of the good--but this can hardly be regarded as a
distinctive feature, much less a peculiar one.
Some of the mystery places were especially distinctive and noteworthy.
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