Ancient Stories of Devil’s Lake The Story of Devils Lake By Ulysses S. White, Winnebago Indian, of WI Rapids, WI Photo By: S. Lipe - from 2011 photo contest
The stories of the natural history and the human history of Devil’s Lake go far back beyond our familiar modern history, before western settlement, before the European immigrants, back to the time of the Native Americans and to a time when stories were kept as oral traditions, passed carefully from generation to generation. Here are three Devil’s Lake stories from the Ho Chunk Nation.
Stories courtesy of “Hocak Worak,” the newsletter of the Ho Chunk Nation, vol XXVI, issue 2, 2012. Thanks to Tracy Pecore.
Devils Lake Legend Letter Written by Mitchell Red Cloud, Black River Falls, WI, to
Mr. Walter Bubbert, Milwaukee, September 29, 1943 “According to Winnebago legends the lake was called “Day-wa-
ka-chunk-la”, meaning “The Sacred lake”. There are some very interesting myths regarding this beautiful body of water. One is of a man and a woman who were caught in a storm while crossing the lake. Sometime later the bodies were found near what is now Prairie Du Chien. So the Indians believed that there is an outlet from the lake to the Wisconsin River.
I wondered at a time when I climbed the east bluffs last spring
where the hole could be. “The Water Spirits” or “Wa-teexi” were, according to Winnebago belief, deities placed here on earth with supernatural powers of giving of endowing long life to the earth inhabitants and also had power in governing the weather and the days of the year. The creator of earth is “Mo-oo-la” and “Wa- kanda”. “Wa-kon-ja” is the “thunder bird”.
Water Spirit Legend Another Indian legend of this lake, obtained from a former
Winnebago Indian resident of the region, states that a quarrel arose between waterspirits or underground panters (Wa-kja-kee-ra) who inhabited its depths and the thunderbirds.
The latter, flying above its surface hurled their great eggs (thunderbolts) into the waters and on the bluffs. The fight continued for days. The falling eggs tore down the trees and split off great pieces and masses of rock and the present tumbledown and cracked rocky surface of the surrounding bluffs stands as evidence of this great struggle.
The thunderbirds were finally victorious and flew away to their homes in the North. No Indian dares approach the lake for a long time. The waterspirits were not all killed and some remain in the lake to this day.
The Winnebago formerly had their winter quarters on the north shore of Devils Lake, 3 miles south of Baraboo. In those days a young Winnebago went on a fast. Then fasting was the only thing they depended on. In fasting, the Indians put up a wigwam out where no one could bother the person who was fasting. As a general rule no one was allowed to visit it, excepting the old men, warriors and medicine men, or those who had experience in fasting and had been blessed by some spirit. These can advise him. He fasts in order that he may be blessed by certain spirits and become a warrior or medicine man among his people. Fasting months are December, January, February and March. In the summer time the Indians fast just as the corn is ripe.
This particular young man and his people put up a wigwam on the south shore of the Lake, where the C. & N.W. Ry. Tracks now are. He was blessed by a water spirit. This spirit told the young Winnebago to come to the Lake, that the water spirit would there show himself to him on a certain day. He would tell him what medicine to use to heal general sickness, what war paint to use, etc.
When the day came the young Winnebago came to the lake near the place where was fasting, on the southeast shore of the lake. The day was clear, nothing but blue sky above. At noon the water of the lake began to move and become wavy. Then the water spirit appeared and the waters became quiet.
There was a small cloud moving towards them from the west.
Just as soon as this cloud came above them a streak of lightning from the sky struck the water spirit and he was raised from the water; all of the water coming up with him like gum or syrup. From this the water spirit could not separate himself. A thunder bird did the striking, the thunderbird and the water spirit being enemies; they struggled for some time, pulling each other four times into and above the lake.
The Thunder bird said to the young man, “My Brother, shoot this
water spirit for me. He is getting me exhausted. He may take my life. I will bless you with everything I have control of above and on the earth.” (These Winnebago were a thunder clan.)
The young Indian had a bow and arrows but he was confused because each of them wanted him to kill the other. The water spirit said, “Don’t shoot me.
If you shoot me don’t ever come near any
water on this earth. This Thunder bird should have blessed you long ago. He knows that you were fasting all winter.” The Thunder bird said, “Don’t mind him. He is not the only one who has water.
I
have water too.” But finally the young Winnebago shot the Thunder bird who was
drawn down until he could be heard under the water. Then a great thunder storm came from the west and lightning struck all around the lake bluffs. The cliffs were all struck, and the rocks rolled down as we now see them. The young man received many blessings from the water spirit. This is the reason why the Winnebago call this lake by a name meaning holy lake or sacred lake. But the white people call it Devils Lake.
-February 17, 1930
43
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