I recently read this article on the Native American boogeymen known as skinwalkers, and thought they may be of interest to the group for their similarities to doppelgangers. A good, creepy read, regardless.
We don't really think of them as boogymen...we see them as mystical people. Usual people escaping from something used the animal spirit to manifest themselves so they can run from something or exact revenge or justice. Many of our traditional storytellers won't tell skinwalker stories by the way.
Thanks for the clarification, Trina. By boogeymen, I meant it in the generic notion of "spooky entities." I had not heard of Skinwalkers before reading that article. Why is it your traditional storytellers avoid tales of them?
From what my friend told me, and she is our recognized storyteller, its kinda like you don't want to invite that idea into existance. It has heavy karma. Tim Tingle who is a storyteller does tell a story of a walker that acts as a protector and guardian in his the skin walker is a panther/cougar. A lot of the stories I've heard is the walker turns into a bird and flies away to keep from being caught. But that article does have similar ideas to what I've heard like the walker being evil in some manner. I must say it creeped me out because many of the places the author menntioned I know of those areas.
From what my friend told me, and she is our recognized storyteller, its kinda like you don't want to invite that idea into existance. It has heavy karma. Tim Tingle who is a storyteller does tell a story of a walker that acts as a protector and guardian in his the skin walker is a panther/cougar. A lot of the stories I've heard is the walker turns into a bird and flies away to keep from being caught. But that article does have similar ideas to what I've heard like the walker being evil in some manner. I must say it creeped me out because many of the places the author menntioned I know of those areas.
I've heard of a lot of storytellers and superstitious folk not wanting to even utter the name of certain entities because of that general idea.
Out of curiosity, does your friend tell wendigo stories? Are any other kinds of stories off limits? I'm just a big fan of folklore, stories and culture. I love learning about that stuff.
I think the movie Wolfen had some skinwalker folklore in it, although probably inaccurate.
Thanks for the information, Trina.
A lot of the stories I've heard is the walker turns into a bird and flies away to keep from being caught.
The owls are not what they seem.
Here is a particularly interesting bit from the article (which contains a lot of other parallels between the skinwalkers and the doppelgangers on Twin Peaks):
"For those who are not familiar with the concept of Skinwalkers, they are creatures that feature in Native American lore, in particular amongst the Navajos of the southwestern United States, amongst who they are called the yee naaldlooshii, which translates roughly into “with it, he goes on all fours,” as well as in comparable legends amongst the Hopi, Utes, and other southwestern tribes. These entities are said to be exceptionally powerful shapeshifting witches or medicine men who have achieved vast supernatural powers such as supernatural strength, speed, and the power to change into the form of other people, animals such as coyotes, wolves, foxes, eagles, owls or crows, or also horrifying half-animal beasts. To become a Skinwalker, it is said that it is necessary to perform some act of pure evil, often killing a beloved family member, and that once transformed they seek to create suffering and fear, to sow terror, upon which they draw power."
Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah"?
I like to maintain a healthy level of scepticism regarding the supernatural, but after reading this I found it hard to believe that the family was making it all up.
Several members of my family are psychic or mediums. And I have many friends who are as well. You certainly don't have to believe me, but there are many mystical things, both wonderful and strange, at play in this world. My general advice to 'novices' is Don't Mess With Things You Don't Understand. And better to keep your thoughts steered towards the good stuff, towards the Light, as it were.
There are some parallels to ancient Celtic beliefs in the "Sidh", who live in forested areas in Ireland (The english word "Banshee" comes from the Gaelic Ben-Si'de: woman of the fairies). My ancient ancestors considered the Sidh to be powerful mystical beings, and you did not enter their territory at night. I don't often speak about Native Americans, out of respect for my distant cousins who come from the Chickasaw nation. It is a lesson in terrible darkness when one branch of your family tries to wipe out another branch.
We are Muscogeean linage so many tribes and regions have certain similarities but also big diffences as well. This is one of the few instances where I've seen owls portrayed as we see them..omens. You are right about the not mentioning certain things. To put it in a positive light elders tell us that our words and thoughts manifest things so you want to keep your thoughts and words "sweet". And no those types of stories are not shared.
Thanks for sharing, Trina.
Sorry if I came off as disrespectful at all. I just get excited about learning and sometimes forget about how sacred some things are to some people.
No no disrespect taken!!
No no disrespect taken!!
Oh good.
I hope you don't mind, but I have one more silly question...
How does one protect themselves against these kinds of entities (other than not mentioning them) if you're not supposed to talk about them? I mean, how do you learn about how to avoid them and protect yourself?
Is it a matter left up to a few elders or maybe a shaman, to keep members of the tribe protected at all times?
Fire walk with