The Wanąǧi Mónąc

by Richard L. Dieterle


The Wanąǧi Mónąc are a group of spirits who go about in the form of ghosts (wanąǧi). They may visit feasts when offerings are made to them. They are the servants of the Ghost Chief who has power over all ghosts. They can grant some powers of war and longevity when they appear to vision seekers. It was thought that they were also to be instrumental in returning ghosts back to this world in connection with the Ghost Dance.1


Links: Ghosts, Spirits.


Stories: mentioning the Wanąǧi Mónąc: Ghost Dance Origin Myth I; mentioning ghosts: The Journey to Spiritland, The Four Slumbers Origin Myth, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, Holy One and His Brother, Worúxega, Little Human Head, Little Fox and the Ghost, Pete Dupeé and the Ghosts, The Lame Friend, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, Hare Steals the Fish, The Difficult Blessing, A Man's Revenge, Thunder Cloud is Blessed, Two Roads to Spiritland, Sunset Point, The Message the Fireballs Brought; mentioning the Ghost Dance (Wanąǧí Waší): Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II.


Notes

1 R. G., Ghost Dance, in Paul Radin, Winnebago Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1909?) Notebook #79: 1-5.