Waikan narratives are a distinct category of Winnebago
prose stories, the other being WORAK NARRATIVES.
The literal translation of waika is “what is
old;” waikan translates as “what is sacred.” As part
of the ORAL LITERATURE/TRADITION of the Winnebago,
the waikan narratives preserve part of the
Winnebago history and culture. They are considered
the myth-proper literary form of Winnebago
mythology. They are set in a primordial past, a
time in which animals talked and spirits were commonly
encountered on earth.
In Winnebago culture, waikan stories are considered
private property and are owned by a particular
person or family.Myths that are very sacred
or long can possess a high monetary value and are
often purchased in installments.As a waikan passes
from one owner to another, the storytellers skilled
in relating anecdotes add their own personal styles
and interests to the traditional stories. The liberties
taken in delivery are secondary, however, to the
traditional stories, plots, themes, and characters.
Waikan possess distinct literary characteristics,
and traditional waikan can be told only during the
winter, when snakes no longer dwell above the
ground; those who tell waikan when snakes are
aboveground risk supernatural retribution and the
wrath of their people. The action always takes
place in a past mystical era, and characters are always
of divine origin. The heroes are either spirits
or deities such as the Thunderbird,Waterspirit,
and Sun; or animal deities such as the Hare, Turtle,
or Bear.Waikan cannot end tragically, so heroes
are always depicted as immortal; they cannot die
or permanently be killed unless they are evil.
Some waikan narratives include “The Adventures
of Redhorn’s Sons,” a tale about Redhorn’s
revenge against murderers; “The Animal Who
Would Eat Men,” a tale explaining why elk have no
front teeth; and “The Baldness of the Buzzard,”
which explains how the Trickster takes revenge on
a buzzard for mistreating him.
These sacred stories are of special importance
to the Winnebago tribe and to world literature.
They are told by elders with high prestige and preserve
the rich history of Winnebago culture as it
has been passed down through the ages.
An English Version of Waikan Narratives
Smith, David Lee. Folklore of the Winnebago Tribe.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.
A Work about Waikan Narratives
Radin, Paul. The Trickster: A Study in American Indian
Mythology. New York: Philosophical Library, 1956.