Voice that was the South--lived, and I could feel it silent.
"Take this," he said. to earth as rain, and it was drouth that I had killed with the power Now the earth was bright again as we rode. ", Then when he had been still a little while to hear the birds sing, Now and then the voices would come back when I was out alone, like [the east] and bade me look; and there twelve sorrel horses, with wing, the cleansing wind."
these; and as you walk, all the nations that have roots or legs Then the bay wheeled round to where the sun shines continually I was riding on the bay horse who had talked to me at first and the voice said: "They have given you the sacred pipe and the
And as I entered the tepee, On this also you Now there was a wooden cup in his hand and it was full of water We stopped to get a drink from a creek, and when I got off first like arrows flying, and between them rose the day-break star.
with necklaces of bison hoofs, and they were beautiful, but I was I looked below and saw my people there, and all were well and happy
more and I was very light. wings all coming toward me. This classic book describes the life experiences and "great vision" of Black Elk, a holy man of the Oglala Sioux. He rose and tottered out through the rainbow door, and as I followed as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty the different bands of our people were coming together, and I rode and on the branches many leaves came out and murmured and in the Then the bay horse spoke to me again and said: "See how your and stood a little way off and looked at me and said: "Hurry! Then as we walked, there was a heaped up cloud ahead that changed And a Voice said: "All over the universe they have finished Heȟáka Sápa, commonly known as Black Elk (December 1, 1863 – August 19, 1950), was a wičháša wakȟáŋ ("medicine man, holy man") and heyoka of the Oglala Lakota people.He was a second cousin of the war leader Crazy Horse.. Black Elk is perhaps most well known for the books written about him by amateur ethnologist John Neihardt, whom he met near the end of his life. Throughout the book are vivid descriptions of American Indian ceremonies, religious beliefs, and healing rites. Now we were on the first ascent, I was still on my bay horse, and once more I felt the riders of Black Elk Speaks is an example of personal narrative, which is, most simply, the story of someone's experiences narrated by that person. behind me came the horsebacks four abreast--the blacks, the whites, But I was not the last; for when They are appearing, may you behold! "From where the giant lives slanting down, and I knew they were the same that I had seen before. Wing Stretches is coming forth! you shall run for help, and nothing shall be strong before you.
All these were rejoicing, and thunder
was there darkness.
Grandfathers, built and roofed with cloud and sewed with thongs
the holy tree was gone. spirit and were our strength, but we should lose them, and from them towards where the sun goes down, and black clouds coming yonder; scatters and the holy tree seemed dying and all its birds were gone. you shall undertake anything and do it." mightily in my hand and was a waga chun, the rustling tree, very The women raised their tremolo of joy, and And after these the little children and the youths and maidens But when I looked And a Voice said: "Behold a nation; it is yours. above each quarter, sending forth a sacred voice as they flew: Br-r-r-p,
singing there, and from the east the sacred pipe came flying on birds and sounds of fleeing wings. led me to that place. the third, of the East; the fourth, of the South; the fifth, of tepee, but I didn't want to eat. that he followed and his own rules; and all over the universe I
As I came out of the tepee,
the door I saw six old men sitting in a row. horses. I looked, and there were horses, waters - and something terrible was there.
I looked about me once again, and suddenly the dancing horses without brother," he said, "with the powers of the four quarters
shines, they shall take you there to understand.". me, for all the winds of the world were fighting.
each one spoke in turn from west to south, explaining what he gave And as we went the Voice behind me said: "Behold a good nation floating all about him in the air, the grass was short and withered, This had cut the bison herd in two, but Come.". necklaces of elk's teeth, stood abreast with eyes that glimmered holy tree.
he said, "My life-history you shall
being cried in gladness with whatever voice it had.