Black Elk Speaks Black Elk Speaks is an autobiography and a tribal history of Black Elk and the Lakota people. Throughout the book there are many elements of symbology such as important numbers, colors and animals. Most of the symbols are shown through Black Elk’s vision because this is the time where Black Elk is being told that he is destined to be a great power and leader to his people. Because of this many of the important symbols are used in the vision to explain the importance of the vision to Black Elk.
The numbers four, six, and twelve are shown throughout the book as important numbers through Black Elks vision and the importance of the peace pipe. In this paper I will show the importance of these numbers and colors to the Lakota people. The number four seems to be a unifying source for the Lakota people. This is first shown in the first chapter with the offering of the pipe. The four ribbons attached to the pipe stand for the four directions. The black ribbon represents the West and is the source for rain. The white ribbon represents the North and is the source of the cleansing wind.
The red ribbon represents the East and is the place of the morning star and the yellow ribbon represents the South and is the place of summer and growth. “ But these four spirits are only one Spirit after all, and this eagle feather here is for that One… ” (Ch. 1 pg. 2) This passage shows that the number four represents one unit. The four directions represents one world. One Great Spirit. This is also shown in the Great Vision Black Elk had. “Then all the horses went into formation, four abreast – the blacks, the whites, the sorrels, and the buckskins…. ” (Ch. pg. 20) In the vision, Black Elk sees twelve of each group of horse who represent the four directions of the world. The horses line up with four in each line to lead Black Elk to the Grandfathers. This also represents the four coming together to create one. The four horses joined together to lead Black Elk to the Great Spirit. There are twelve horses in each group. I believe that the twelve horses are there to represent the twelve moons of the year. The twelve horses unite together I believe to represent the year. The number four and twelve are used in ways to unite.
In that way the number four does not represent corners, such as a square, but rather a circle. The four groups of horses represent the four seasons. Spring turns into summer, summer into fall, fall in winter and winter back into spring. The seasons move in a circle. Also the number four represents the four directions which are also displayed in a circle in a compass. The number four is also shown in the vision thorough the four virgins. When the four virgins and the four horses dance the village is restored to its regular nature and the people are happy again.
This shows the spiritual nature of the number four to the Lakota people. Also the number twelve denotes a circle as well through the year. January begins the year with December as the end of the year and once December ends January begins again. Whenever the number four or the number twelve are shown talked about in the book it is meant to represent a unification or a continuing loop. Through the terminology Black Elk uses shows the Lakota believed that everything, living and spiritual was connected. It is the story of all life that is holy and is good to tell, and of us two-leggeds sharing in it with the four-leggeds and the wings of the air and all green things; for these are children of one mother and their father is one Spirit. ” (Ch. 1 pg. 1) Black Elk does not call the animals “animals” but rather “four-leggeds” and he does not call human beings people but rather “two-leggeds”. This shows that to Black Elk the only distinction or difference between people and animals is number of legs.
As the quote shows, Black Elk sees all living creatures as part of the same entity and that they are all united in the Great Spirit. Also Black Elk does not All living creatures come from the great spirit therefore, no living creature shall be placed above another by being called Human and no living creature should be placed below another by being called animal. In Black Elk’s mind all creatures are equal and should be treated equally Even though the Lakota believe that all creatures are created equally, the eagle is shown throughout the book as being important or sacred to the Lakota.
In first chapter when Black Elk is explaining the different parts of the pipe, he explains that the eagle feather is mean to represent the unification of the four corners of the world in the Great Spirit. During Black Elks’ vision, the fifth Grandfather turns into the spotted eagle and tells Black Elk that he will have a special relationship with the birds. The sixth Grandfather gives Black Elk the name Eagle Wing Stretches. Because the eagle represents the Great Spirit and great power it is easy it believe that the Grandfathers are giving Black Elk as high seat of authority over his people.
It can also be argued that because the Grandfathers have given Black Elk the name Eagle Wing Stretches that he is could be divine as well, an arm of the Great Spirit’s power or a prophet of the Great Spirit himself. There are four colors that are very important to the Lakota people. They are red, black, white, and yellow. These colors are represented throughout the book as representations of life, death, growth and newness. The first representation that we see of the colors is in the first chapter through the anecdote of the two scouts who saw the woman in white.
When a white cloud covered the foolish thinking man he was left as nothing but a skeleton and worms. White I believe represents death. White is meant to represent the North where the cleansing winds come. The North represents winter and all living things die in the winter. The trees lose their leaves, there is no grass, and the animals all flee to the South or go into hibernation. Therefore, life seems to die. Also the first time that Black Elk saw a white man he thought they were severely sick. This also shows that white represents death because Black Elk believed that the men where close to death because they were white.
Red represents the renewed life. In Black Elk’s vision, he sees that his people are lying around the village dying. “ So I took the bright red stick and at the center of the nation’s hoop I thrust it into the earth. As it touched the earth it leaped mightily in my hand and was a waga chun, the rustling tree, very tall and full of leafy branches…. ” (Ch. 3 pg. 27) The red stick brought the life back to the village or renewed the life in the village. Red also represents the east and the morning star. The sun is the morning star and rises in the east. At nighttime, life “dies” because much of the life goes to sleep and the world becomes still.
With the rising of the sun, life is renewed because the people and the animals awaken. Black, which is also shown as blue, represents power. The blue man in the vision is standing in the flaming river being attacked by troops of other colors from every side. The blue man defeats all the troops and remains standing. Black Elk is the only one who defeats the blue man showing the power the Grandfathers have given to Black Elk. Also the first Grandfather gives Black Elk a cup that is filled with the blue sky. This cup is meant to represent that Black Elk was given the power of the Grandfathers to lead his people.
In the vision on the fourth ascent, Black Elk sees his people fleeing from a large black cloud. When Black Elk sees this he says that a song of power overcame him and when he sang his song a voice told him that nothing will stand strong before him. This means that he will have more power than anything else in the world and that nothing in the world can defeat him. There are many important symbols throughout Black Elk. The meanings of these symbols help express the overall meaning of the text. What the readers are meant to take away from Black Elk is native people have different world views from the European people.
Native people believe in the circular nature of life instead of the linear version the European people believe in. The numbers, colors and living things shown in Black Elk. White represents death while red represents new life. The number four represents the circular form of the four directions. And all living things are from the Great Spirit. People are also suppose to take away the similarities between the native world and the European world. The spiritual nature and the importance of the divine are shown in both worlds. Black Elk is trying to show people that his life was not much different from any other person’s life.
