Iya
Encyclopedia
In Lakota mythology
, Iya is a storm-monster, brother of Iktomi
the spider. He eats humans and spreads diseases, and uses heads as trophies. This fact, however, does not make him bad or evil; he simply performs a duty and is considered a sacred being. He is the eye of the storm, and offers protection to those caught in his wake. The tornado, the snowstorm, the hurricane or the thunderstorm would all be considered manifestations of this deity. He travels with his storms in a fabulous tipi
painted with magical symbols, and when he appears, he is often faceless and formless. His home is said to be under the waters, where he resides with his mother, Unk.
He is considered to be the chief of the North, symbolically encompassing the spheres of winter
, famine and disease. He is the guardian of the Aurora Borealis
and holds to a rivalry against both the chief of the South, Okaga, as well as the thunderbirds
, though this is vastly exaggerated in tales told to outsiders.
He is the younger brother of Iktomi, and the pair comprises the two progeny of Inyan
, the creator, who is the head of the Lakota pantheon.
Lakota mythology
Here is a list of articles pertaining to Lakota mythology, a Native American people of North and South Dakota:#Anog Ite#Anoliy#Anpao#Canotila#Capa#Cetan#Haokah#Ictinike #Inyan#Iya#Ptehehincalasanwin #Skan#Tate...
, Iya is a storm-monster, brother of Iktomi
Iktomi
In Lakota mythology, Iktomi is a spider-trickster spirit, and a culture hero for the Lakota people. Alternate names for Iktomi include Ikto, Ictinike, Inktomi, Unktome, and Unktomi...
the spider. He eats humans and spreads diseases, and uses heads as trophies. This fact, however, does not make him bad or evil; he simply performs a duty and is considered a sacred being. He is the eye of the storm, and offers protection to those caught in his wake. The tornado, the snowstorm, the hurricane or the thunderstorm would all be considered manifestations of this deity. He travels with his storms in a fabulous tipi
Tipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
painted with magical symbols, and when he appears, he is often faceless and formless. His home is said to be under the waters, where he resides with his mother, Unk.
He is considered to be the chief of the North, symbolically encompassing the spheres of winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
, famine and disease. He is the guardian of the Aurora Borealis
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
and holds to a rivalry against both the chief of the South, Okaga, as well as the thunderbirds
Thunderbird (mythology)
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
, though this is vastly exaggerated in tales told to outsiders.
He is the younger brother of Iktomi, and the pair comprises the two progeny of Inyan
Inyan
In Lakota mythology, Íŋyaŋ was the first of the superior gods. He existed before the beginning. He then created Maka and gave it the spirit Makȟá-akáŋl , the second of the superior gods and a part of Íŋyaŋ. Creating Maka required most of Inyan's blood, which was blue, to form a great disk,...
, the creator, who is the head of the Lakota pantheon.