The Sacred Pipe (or Chanunpa)
photo racine.ra.it
Channunpa or the sacred pipe, a religious object is extraordinary filled with symbolic meanings and that links all the religion of the Lakota Sioux Indian tribe of Crazy Horse that stopped the "whites" in Little Big Horn.
This is the Sioux legend that says the source.
long time ago, two beautiful young Lakota were chosen by their tribe to find out where they were bison. While the men were crossing the territory of the buffalo, they saw someone in the distance walking toward them.
Since they were always cautious for fear of enemies, hid behind some bushes and waited. Now the figure had reached on a slope. To their surprise, the figure walking toward them was a woman. In fact, the Great Spirit Wakan Tanka (Wakan Tanka was the strength, the mystery, the great spirit that was behind everything, there will be places where aproffondirò its important figure) was sent to Earth the goddess to bestow on humanity the whop sacred pipe.
Having approached, he stopped and looked at them. They understood that he could see them, even where they were hidden. The His right arm was carrying something that looked like a stick in a bunch of herbs. Her face was beautiful.
One of the men said, "It's the most beautiful I've ever seen. I want to be my wife. "
But the other man replied:" How can you have such a thought? It is extraordinarily beautiful and holy, much more than an ordinary person. "
While away, she heard them talking. So he said, "Come. What do you want? "
L 'man who had spoken first went up to her and put his hands on her. Instantly, from somewhere up there, it was a tornado. Then rose a mist, which covered for a moment the 'man and woman. When the mist vanished, the other man also saw the woman with the bundle on his arm. But his friend was a pile of bones at his feet. (a clear allusion to 'wrath of the spirits if they are not respected).
L 'man stood up silently for fear of that marvel. Then the nice woman said to him: "I belong to the people of Buffalo. I was sent on this earth to talk to your people. You now you make a very important mission. You have to go to your boss and tell him to build a tent whose door should look to the east. The place of honor will sprinkle of sage and behind the fire pit will accommodate a bison skull. Arrive at dawn to the village. "
Everything was prepared in accordance with what was requested from the goddess of the dawn on time whop that made its appearance in the village greeted by a large crowd. He carried a torch in his right hand and a stove pipe in the left red, the gifts were wrapped in bundles of sage. She took the bundle of plants from the gift he was carrying. The gift was a pipe made of red stone. On it was carved profile of a very small calf Bison. He went into the types and sat in the place of honor said that the Great Spirit was very pleased with the Lakota, who consider them loyal and reverent, and, therefore, had been selected to receive a pipe that she had brought for the good of all humanity. (deity known to be good and can give happiness to those who deserve it, from this point of view to think of God "Western", even though the type of religiosity is different).
Such a pipe to Toro that walks in feet and taught him the prayers that had to act. "When you pray the Great Spirit, you use this pipe during the ceremony. When you are hungry, remove the pipe from its packaging and place it in the air. Then the buffalo will be where men can easily hunt and kill. Thus children, men and women eat and be happy. "
The beautiful woman also told him how people should behave in order to live peacefully together. He taught him the prayers that were said when they turned to their mother earth. He explained also how they should decorate themselves for ceremonies.
"The Earth," she said, "is your mother. So, for special ceremonies, you decorate your Earth: black and red, brown and white. These are also the colors of the Bison. Above all, remember that this is a peace pipe. The fumerete before all ceremonies. The fumerete before making treaties. Introduce peaceful thoughts in your minds. If you use it to pray to the Great Spirit and Mother Earth will be sure to receive the gifts you ask. "
remained in the village four days before leaving lit the pipe and offered it to the sky, the earth, to the four winds, I smoked a puff and passed it to the head. Finally, she left the tent and the whole village was there to look at her out of the 'opening of the circle stood for a moment, and touched the Earth. In a moment turned into a black calf Bison. Yet touched the ground and then took the form of a bison calf red. A third time he touched the earth and became a brown calf. The fourth and last time turned into a white bison calf, white, without a stain. Then he walked away toward the north and disappeared over a hill.
Toro walks What Standing kept the peace pipe carefully. Muster all children of the village and broke the beam that wrapped the pipe would repeat the lessons that were taught to him by the woman. And he used it in prayers and other ceremonies until they had more than one hundred years.
When he became weak, had a big party. During this festival gave the pipe and the teachings of a man worthy. Similarly, the pipe has been passed on from generation to generation. "As long as the pipe will be used," the beautiful woman said, "your people will live and be happy. As soon forgotten, the people perish. "
The Sacred Pipe is divided into two parts, the torch made with the maple tree that symbolizes life and the stove, made of a special stone of reddish color that is found only in the current Minnesota Inian called Sha, simbleggia what it is, the world.
The "duality" of Chanunpa is equally sacred, it represents the union of many "opposites" as the material world and the spiritual world, male and female, heaven and earth. When the Sacred Pipe is not used, the two parties should be strictly separated and stored for good in buckskin (or deer) decorated.
pens used to merge the two parties are the birds, so they too can carry their prayers to Wakan Tanka. The bison carved in stone symbolizes all the beasts of the bowl game and indispensable for the life of the natives.
Many people know this' sacred object as a "peace pipe", it is true can also be used for this but not only, as you have noticed is an indelible signature, an object of prayer but also a sacred nature of all that surrounded these people and that allowed them to live in complete harmony with the "goddess" nature which in turn gave them all that was necessary for life.
