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Information about Heyoka

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Heyoka, approximately translated from Lakota, means ‘contrarian’ or ‘sacred clown’.

Heyoka are thought of as being backwards-forwards, upside-down, or contrarian in nature. This spirit is often manifest by doing things backwards or unconventionally--riding a horse backwards, wearing clothes inside-out, or speaking in a backwards language. For example, if food were scarce, a Heyoka would sit around and complain about how full he was; during a baking hot heat wave a Heyoka will shiver with cold and put on gloves and cover himself with a thick blanket. Similarly, when it is 40 degrees below freezing he will wander around naked for hours complaining that it is too hot. A unique example is the famous Heyoka sacred clown called "the Straighten-Outer":
He was always running around with a hammer trying to flasten to flatten round and curvy things (soup bowls, eggs, wagon wheels, etc.), thus making them straight
John Fire Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions 1972: 250

During the Sun Dance, a Heyoka sacred clown may appear to tempt the dancers with water and food and to dance backwards around the circle in a show of respect. If a dancer looks into the mirrored eyes of the Heyoka, his or her dance is finished.

Heyoka tradition

The Heyoka symbolize and portray many aspects of the sacred, the Wakan, in a rather unique way. Their satire presents important questions by fooling around. They ask difficult questions, and say things others are too afraid to say. By reading between the lines, the audience is able to think about things not usually thought about, or to look at things in a different way.

Principally, the Heyoka functions both as a mirror and a teacher, using extreme behaviors to mirror others, thereby forcing them to examine their own doubts, fears, hatreds, and weaknesses. Heyokas also have the power to heal emotional pain; such power comes from the experience of shame--they sing of shameful events in their lives, beg for food, and live as clowns. They provoke laughter in distressing situations of despair and provoke fear and chaos when people feel complacent and overly secure, to keep them from taking themselves too seriously or believing they are more powerful than they are.

In addition, sacred clowns also serve an important role in shaping tribal codes. Heyokas don’t seem to care about taboos, rules, regulations, social norms, or boundaries. Paradoxically, however, it is by violating these norms and taboos that they help to define the accepted boundaries, rules, and societal guidelines for ethical and moral behavior. This is because they are the only ones who can ask "Why?" about sensitive topics and employ satire to question the specialists and carriers of sacred knowledge or those in positions of power and authority. In doing so, they demonstrate concretely the theories of balance and imbalance. Their role is to penetrate deception, turn over rocks, and create a deeper awareness.

For people who are as poor as us, who have lost everything, who had to endure so much death and sadness, laughter is a precious gift. When we were dying like flies from white man's disease, when we were driven into reservations, when the government rations did not arrive and we were starving, watching the pranks and capers of heyoka were a blessing.
- John (Fire) Lame Deer, quoted in Seeker of Visions 1972: 250

Wicasa Wakan means Holy man, not "Medicine man" or "shaman" (a term of Siberian origin). This is an important distinction. A Lakota medicine man is called pejuta wacasa.

Thunder dreamer

It is believed among the Lakota that if you had a dream or vision of birds you were destined to be a medicine man, but if you had a vision of the Wakinyan Thunderbird, it was your destiny to become a heyoka, or sacred clown. Like the Thunderbird, the heyoka are both feared and held in reverence.

When a vision comes from the thunder beings of the West, it comes with terror like a thunder storm; but when the storm of vision has passed, the world is greener and happier; for wherever the truth of vision comes upon the world, it is like a rain. The world, you see, is happier after the terror of the storm... you have noticed that truth comes into this world with two faces. One is sad with suffering, and the other laughs; but it is the same face, laughing or weeping...... as lightning illuminates the dark, for it is the power of lightning that heyokas have.
-Black Elk, quoted in Neihardt 1959: 160

The Heyoka are healers and have many functions, for example healing through laughter and awakening people to deeper meaning and concealed truth and to prepare the people for oncoming disaster with laughter.

Heyoka in popular culture

A recurring theme in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods is the appearance of the Thunderbird in the dreams of the protagonist, Shadow. This is one of the events that leads to his role as a "Heyoka" who helps usher in a drastic change between the gods of the Old World and those of the New World.

References

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Lakota (IPA: [laˈkˣota]) (also Lakhota, Teton, Titonwon) are a Native American tribe. They form one of a group of seven tribes (the Great Sioux Nation) and speak Lakota, one of the three major
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Clowns are comic performers, stereotypically characterized by their colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, and unusually large footwear. Clowning, in its most basic form, can be described as one form of drama without a fourth wall, however there are other types of
..... Click the link for more information.
Lame Deer, (in Lakota Tahca Ushte;[1][2] 1900 or 1903-1976, sources differ), also known as John Fire, John (Fire) Lame Deer and later The Old Man, was a Lakota holy man. He belonged to the Heyoka society.
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The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by a number of native americans. Each tribe has its own distinct rituals and methods of performing the dance, but many of the ceremonies have features in common, including dancing, singing, praying, drumming, the experience of visions,
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Wakan may refer to:
  • "Wakan" meaning "powerful" or "sacred" in the language of the Lakota Sioux
  • "Wakan," the original Lakota name for the Rum River of Minnesota
  • Wakan Tanka

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Lame Deer, (in Lakota Tahca Ushte;[1][2] 1900 or 1903-1976, sources differ), also known as John Fire, John (Fire) Lame Deer and later The Old Man, was a Lakota holy man. He belonged to the Heyoka society.
..... Click the link for more information.
Wakan may refer to:
  • "Wakan" meaning "powerful" or "sacred" in the language of the Lakota Sioux
  • "Wakan," the original Lakota name for the Rum River of Minnesota
  • Wakan Tanka

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Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world. There are many variations in shamanism throughout the world, though there are some beliefs that are shared by all forms of shamanism:

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Thunderbird is a mythological creature common to Indigenous peoples of North America. It is a popular concept in northwestern coastal artwork of indigenous origin, often appearing on totem poles.
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Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa) (c. December 1863 – August 17 or August 19, 1950 (sources differ) was a famous Wichasha Wakan (Medicine Man or Holy Man) of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). He was heyoka and a second cousin of Crazy Horse.
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Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman (November 14, 2004)
Born: November 10 1960 (1960--) (age 47)
Portchester, Hampshire, England
Occupation: Novelist, comics writer, screenwriter
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American Gods

Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author Neil Gaiman
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Fantasy novel
Publisher William Morrow
Publication date June 19, 2001
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Thunderbird is a mythological creature common to Indigenous peoples of North America. It is a popular concept in northwestern coastal artwork of indigenous origin, often appearing on totem poles.
..... Click the link for more information.
Clowns are comic performers, stereotypically characterized by their colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, and unusually large footwear. Clowning, in its most basic form, can be described as one form of drama without a fourth wall, however there are other types of
..... Click the link for more information.
Clown society is a term used in anthropology and sociology for an organization of comedic entertainers ("clowns") who have a formalized role in a culture or society.

Description and Function


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Tales of the Beanworld is an independently published comic book, created by Larry Marder. Beanworld features stories about the life and times of a host of "bean" characters including Beanish and Mr. Spook.
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