Our Four Directions
North Grandfather gives us the winter time, ice, snow and cold, also he gives us our bodies, the rocks, the trees and all we see around us. Muxumsa Wapane'wank (Moo-khoom-fthah Wah-pu-nay'wunk), Our Grandfather in the East. He was placed there to control the power of the wind. He gives forth breath and mind to the Creator's vision. He gives the spring time, the breath of life, birth and new beginnings and brings forth the light (sun rises in the east), the winds, our minds, creativity, knowledge, music and song. Huma Shawane'wank (Hoo-mah Shah-wu-nay'wunk), our Grandmother in the south. She was placed there to control the power of fire. She gave forth spirit, life and growth to the vision of the Creator. She gives the summer, warmth, growth and maturity, our inner fire and spirit, and gives fire to the sun. Muxumsa Wunchene'wank (Moo-khoom-fthah Woon-che-nay'wunk), our Grandfather in the west. He was placed there to control the power of water. He brought a watrey and softening influence to the Creator's vision. He gives us the autumn, gives us death and readies us for renewal and gives us the waters, our life's blood, healing, intuition, emotions, dreams and visions and rain. It was through these four Spirit Beings, the Keepers of the Creation, that did help the Creator to make the stars, the sun, the moon and the earth. Twelve - Sacred Number in Lenape
Culture Reference: Indians in Pennsylvania by Paul A. W. Wallace, PA
Hist. & Museum According to Lenape teaching, the number twelve is considered to be a sacred number. The origin of this teaching is uncertain according to Dr. Frank Speck. Beginning with the Turtle, an animal revered for its role in creation, there is an arrangement of 12 on its back (on the shell). There are twelve marginal scales on each side of the Turtle's back and on top are twelve plus one scales, corresponding with the twelve or thirteen moons in the Indian year. On the underside, are another 12 scales. Some of the Lenape explain the sacredness of twelve in this manner. One time the Creator came to earth to show men how to live and worship, when He returned to heaven, he took with Him twelve sumac sticks. Far up in the air, He could be seen shining, and every now and then he dropped one stick and when he dropped the twelfth, he disappeared. When this happened, they heard the heaven crack like thunder as he went into his heavenly home. Whatever reason, Lenape/Delaware used number 12 repeatedly in religious observances. There are twelve levels to heaven, with Creator living on the highest level, and the eleven lower levels were presided over by a manito or spirit who was a benefactor to man. These were lesser manitos, and they repeated man's prayers from one heaven to another, until they reached the Creator in the twelfth level. Some other references to twelve are in the First Fruits Ceremony, twelve deer were sacrificed, twelve heated stones in the Sweat Lodge Ceremony. The Annual Festival of Worship, The Big House Ceremony, lasted twelve nights. In the Big House, there were 12 carved faces adorned on the posts supporting the Big House, twelve prayer sticks were used in the ritual, tobacco was thrown twelve times into the fire, ceremony was concluded on the twelfth night with twelve songs and twelve prayers. The elders said that if you sweep the Meeting House twelve different times, you will sweep up to where our Creator is, as he is in the twelfth heaven above earth. In the Lenape/Delaware community, they had twelve "selected men". These were persons of good physique, specially gifted in a spiritual way, and took part in leading the Religious rites. These men were allowed a great deal of authority in civil life of the people. It was believed they had powers to detect untruthfulness, to prophesy and were advisors to the Chiefs. They also undertook important missions and when a wrongdoer was condemned to death by the Chief and Council, one of the "selected men" was chosen to deliver the death blow. Also, to rid themselves of evil, some men caused themselves to be beaten with twelve sticks, one after another. Other people cleansed themselves with a medicine compounded of twelve different herbs. Boys during their ordeal, fasted twelve days, and in so doing, attained magic powers, with abilities to rise above the ground and to sink into the earth, and to foretell the future. When a man died, his soul immediately left the body, but remained in the neighborhood for eleven days, and on the twelfth day, it set out on a twelve year journey, said by some to the twelfth heaven. One other point covered in the book was with the Sweating Rite, with the twelve different kinds of wood used in the construction of the sweat lodge, the twelve stones heated to greatest intensity, the twelve men in the sweat lodge. This was brought out by Rev. David Zeisberger. He also stated that the person who repeated this sacrifice twelve times is sure of his salvation. Nanapush and the Lenape Creation Story Nanapush, Grandfather of our Lenape'wak and Spirit helper of the Creator here on the earth, brought we Lenape our culture, Religion and Traditions and taught these things to us. It is said that Nanapush was born of a woman and Muxumsa Wunchene'Wank, the Grandfather Spirit in the West. Being the son of so powerful a Manito (or Spirit), it is not surprising that he too became possessed of a strong power, so that he was more like a Spirit than a man. Nanapush was most noted for his power of transformation. He could change instantly and at will into anything that he so desired. Although he could change his physical form, essentially he was a Spirit. While Nanapush was among our Lenape people, he appeared as a man and in this form he was accepted and understood. However quite frequently he appeared as a Rabbit. Nanapush taught our Lenape'wak how to make everything we would need to live in our new land, the making of clothing, homes, canoes; he taught us the principles of leadership, that we should not strive for power and control over others; he taught us how to make weapons and how to defend ourselves; taught us our way of life and wisdom, how we should live our lives, in a way that is good and taught us the greatest of virtues, generosity and kindness; he taught us how to hunt and fish, how to grow crops and harvest them, how to cook and keep food through the winter. Nanapush gave our Lenape'wak sacred medicine bundles which were to give us spiritual power to help us in times of need, he gave us the ceremonies we were to observe, taught us healing and our spiritual ways, and the importance of dream and vision. Then, when Nanapush was sure of their survival, he called our Lenape'wak to him and told them he was leaving. He told them always to remember the things and ways of life he had taught them, for then they would always live in peace and harmony with all land and life. The Old Ones say that his Spirit is with us still, and that if there comes a time when this world should end, he will come again to help guide us into a new earth. Nanapush was directed by a dream to retire into the wide expanses of the barren lands to the North, where he was to make for himself a home. So, he changed himself into a rabbit, and left, never being seen again by our People. Since that time, our Lenape'wak have never used the rabbit for food, as it is a symbol of the regeneration and continuing of life. When Nanapush arrived in the far northern lands, he found the peaceful silence and quiet contentment which he so much desired. There he built for himself a very large wikwam, a house made of ice and snow. Now, every winter, he sleeps like Maxkwe the Bear, but before going to his bed of bearskins, he always smokes his pipe. So, the next time you see the pretty colored leaves on the trees in Autumn and thick fog in the morning, you will know that Nanapush, the Great Being, Grandfather of Beings and men, is smoking his pipe and preparing to take his long winter nap. |
Among the Lenape, we honor
four directions: Muxumsa Lowane'wank (Moo-khoom-fthah Lo-wu-nay'wunk), Our Grandfather in
the North. He was placed there to control the power of rock. He gave forth solidity and
physical form to the Creators thoughts in His vision of Creation.