A FINAL UNDERSTANDING: WAKANDA & WAKAN (Thunders & Snakes)

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Appreciating all the input from everyone, as each added more illumination of the entities involved.  Then, a look into the oral literature of the IOM  and HO (Winnebago), revealed the ancient relationship of two holy beings -- the Thunderers and the Water Spirits.  Each balancing the other as the former arrives from the Heavens and the latter arrives from within the earth.

     [NOTE:  Wakánda = God.  (It may be noted the similarity of the word - Wakánda – and the words Makán (medicine) and Wakán (snake).  The shared root of the words is " kán " (holy; sacred; consecrated; mysterios).    The term Wakánda is from:  " wa- (something, someone, the actor of the action, making the noun from the verb), -kán-(state of being ' -kán-'; -da (a locative, to be located in a place (a hill, a river, the sky).  Wakanda (is) someone or something so ancient and beyond comprehension that is locatable in a direction, or  in a place". (LMF).   


The traditional oral literature tells that:
    
The symbolic representations are actually clear and strong in the oral literature, as the Thunder Beings and the Water Spirits belong to the oldest level of oral traditions.  It is the opposition between two divine beings in the Ioway, Otoe-Missouria social structure, the "Chéxita" (Thunderers) and their arch-enemies, the Water Spirit,  called "Ishéxi" (Horned Water Panthers).  Among the Hochank (Winnebago) there is a Wakandja (Thunderbird Clan) which is the largest and most important of all their clans, and so was the lead of the Sky Clans.  There is also a Wakdjexi (Water Spirit Clan} who seem to lead the Earth Clans.  That the latter is a clan is interesting in the fact that the Water Spirits are considered by both the Ioway, Otoe-Missouria and Hochank (Winnebago) to be a continual enemy of  humans and the Thunderers.  They are considered to be capable of good or evil, so they are to be feared.  At the same time, they may be gallant and are capable of confering great blessings on man..  The two entities reflect the opposing balance between the Heavens and Earth, a dualism that is reflected throughout the Ioway, Otoe-Missouria and Hochank clans, kinship, society, spirituality and in the utilitarian arts and crafts of the people. (JGT) (PR).  


I believe this new information puts into perspective the relationship of words that share the root "-kan" (sacred, consecrated, mysterious).
jimm

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