Does anyone know the Sioux word for shapeshifter or werewolf? ?

Question

Does anyone know the Sioux word for shapeshifter or werewolf? I am writing a paper on Native American (in particular Plains Indians) mythology, but I cant seem to find a good resources for this topic. Thanks!

Answer 1

ta tanka

Answer 2

I looked it up on this site nothing came up.You can contact them and they can assist you.  http://fmdb.cla.umn.edu/dakota/default.h... (search database)

Answer 3

uhmmmmmmmmm, tatanka means buffalo, nothing to do with shape shifting.

While there are many stories of people shape shifting in Native American cultures, I am haven't heard of any words for shape shifter.  

In the Navajo culture, shape shifters were looked at as witches, and in that culture, witches were pure evil.

Sorry I couldn't have been more help.  Maybe someone else will be.

Answer 4

Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes or wolfmen, are mythological humans with the ability to shapeshift into wolves or wolf-like creatures, either purposely, being bitten by another werewolf or after being placed under a curse. The medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury associated the transformation with the appearance of the full moon; however, there is evidence that the association existed among the ancient Greeks, appearing in the writings of Petronius. This concept was rarely associated with the werewolf until the idea was picked up by Gervase. Shape-shifters similar to werewolves are common in tales from all over the world, though most of them involve animal forms other than wolves.

Werewolves are a frequent subject of modern fictional books and films, although fictional werewolves have been attributed traits distinct from those of original folklore, most notably the vulnerability to silver bullets.[2]

Answer 5

"Windigo", perhaps.

Dictionary.com:

1.(in the folklore of the Ojibwa and other Indians) a cannibalistic giant, the transformation of a person who has eaten human flesh.

The Ojibwa lived as far west as Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

Answer 6

The closest tribe (locality wise) to the Sioux that I know the word is the Navajo (Dine) word 'Yeenaaldlooshii' which is also known as a skinwalker. You will probably have to hit the library for this one.

These might help:

http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/...

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=www...

If this site is correct about it being Sioux then icathcart, just below me, got the right answer!

http://www.babynames.com/name/WANETA

Answer 7

Waneta is Native-American, don't know if it's Sioux or not, but it means "shapeshifter.