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The Vision of Black Elk
Black Elk was a great Soiux Indian Chief and medicine man who had several visions about the future of mankind on the earth, and his place in the cosmic universe. Follow the visions of a great Shaman.
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Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux Indian Chief and Medicine Man, had several visions in his life that helped his people through many misfortunes, but his greatest vision was his first journey into the spirit world, which had occurred when he was but a young child.
In 1931, the aged Black Elk recalled his vision for poet John G. Neihardt. Standing Bear, Black Elk’s childhood friend illustrated his vision in a series of paintings (*details about paintings on my site) For many years voices of the spirits had cried out speaking to Black Elk, but at the age of nine he fell sick and a great fever overtook the child. The boy laid near death for twelve days. During this time, the visions occurred. This is the vision as Black Elk related them in his own words.
Lead by two guides with flaming spears Black Elk ascends on a cloud to visit the spirits. “I could see my mother and my father yonder,” he recalled, “and I felt sorry to be leaving them. They took me to a world of cloud… a great white plain with snowy hills and mountains.” Inside a great tepee adorned with a rainbow at its entrance Black Elk was presented to the six Grandfathers, the most powerful spirits of the world; the spirits of the east, west, north, south, above the land, and below he said, “I shook all over with fear, for these were not old men, but the powers of the world. They looked older than men can ever be,” he said, “Old like the hills, like stars.” The Grandfathers taught Black Elk about the spiritual values of the life, and presented him with symbols of their powers; A cup of water and a sacred bow that can make life, or destroy it; The healing herb and the cleansing sacred wind; the peace pipe and the herb of understanding; the hoop of the world, symbolizing the universe, and the flowering stick, the symbol of the sacred tree of life. Then Black Elk was lead to the center of the earth, where he was shown “the goodness and the beauty and the strangeness of the greening earth…. The spirit shapes of things as they should be… the shapes of all shapes as they must live together like one being.” From the center of the hoop of the world, Black Elk surveyed each quadrant of the universe and the objects that symbolize the powers of each.
When his walk with the Grandfathers had come to an end, the oldest of the Grandfathers said to him, “Go back with power from the place from whence you came.” Black elk returned to his village, his illness was cured, but he had changed forever. The lightheartedness of childhood had passed away, and he spoke with the voice of one who speaks with the knowledge of the ages. Black Elk went on to become one of the greatest Soiux Leaders of all time, and one of the greatest visionaries of all time.
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