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Winalagalis is a war god of the Kwakwaka'wakw native people of
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. He travels the world, making war. Winalagilis comes from North (underworld) to winter with the Kwakwaka'wakw (formerly known, incorrectly, as the Kwakiutl). (Locher p. 24-25) Winalagalis is the bringer and ruler of ''Tseka'' (Winter Ceremonial), and imbues red cedar bark with supernatural power.
Winalagalis is associated with a magical war canoe (alternately described as made of copper, a
sisiutl
The sisiutl is a legendary creature found in many cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, notably the Kwakwakaʼwakw people group. Typically, it is depicted as a double-headed sea serpent. Sometimes, the symbol feature ...
, invisible, able to travel underground, & permanently fused with Winalagalis). He is also described as thin, tall, black, with bat-like eyes. (Jonaitis 100)
Winalagalis' ceremonies include the '' Tuxwid'' and ''Hawinalal'' warrior invincibility dances, and the ma'maka (disease thrower) dance. In the ''Hawinalal'', dancers don
sisiutl
The sisiutl is a legendary creature found in many cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, notably the Kwakwakaʼwakw people group. Typically, it is depicted as a double-headed sea serpent. Sometimes, the symbol feature ...
girdles, are pierced through back & thigh skin with skewers, and suspended from the rafters of the plank house to demonstrate invincibility & immunity from pain (Boas, "Social Organization...", p. 485).
He is announced by whistles &
bull-roarer
The bullroarer, ''rhombus'', or ''turndun'', is an ancient ritual musical instrument and a device historically used for communicating over great distances. It consists of a piece of wood attached to a string, which when swung in a large circle ...
s (the voice of Winalagalis).
See also
*
Sisiutl
The sisiutl is a legendary creature found in many cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, notably the Kwakwakaʼwakw people group. Typically, it is depicted as a double-headed sea serpent. Sometimes, the symbol feature ...
*
Dantsikw
Dantsikw (power boards) are dance props of the First Nations Kwakwaka'wakwa people of British Columbia, in Canada. These boards were employed during the Winter Ceremonials (Tseka). In the Tuxwid ("One Who Traveled") warrior ceremony, the initia ...
*
Winalagalis Treaty Group The Winalagalis Treaty Group is a group of four First Nations in Canada, First Nations band governments on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. The group was formed to coordinate and administer negotiations with the ...
References
*Boas, Franz. "Kwakiutl Ethnography." 1966. University of Chicago Press. London.
*Boas, Franz. "Social Organization and the Secret Societies of the Kwakiutl Indians." 1897. Smithsonian Institution. Washington D.C.
*Jonaitis, Aldona, ed. "Chiefly Feasts: The Enduring Kwakiutl Potltach." 1991. AMHH. Seattle.
*Locher, Gottfried Wilhelm. "The Serpent in Kwakiutl Religion: A Study in Primitive Culture".1932. E.J. Brill. Holland.
Kwakwaka'wakw godsLegendary serpentsNuu-chah-nulth mythologyWar gods