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Creating Thunder: the Western Rain-Making Process

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Creating Thunder: the Western Rain-Making Process UC Merced Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology Title Creating Thunder: The Western Rain-Making Process Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7fk1p7v0 Journal Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 15(1) ISSN 0191-3557 Author Parkman, E. Breck Publication Date 1993-07-01 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Joumal of Califomia and Great Basin Anthropology Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 90-110(1993). Creating Thunder: The Western Rain- Making Process E. BRECK PARKMAN, California Park Service, Silverado District, 20 East Spain St., Sonoma, CA 95476. -I HERE are few things more awe-inspiring the northern part of the state. Two related than thunder and lightning. The mighty roar hypotheses are advanced herein. First, it is and fiery light can fill the mind with images of proposed that native Califomian rain-makers the supernatural and bring forth both fear and accomplished their tasks by ritually creating one reverence. For that reason, "celestial thunder" or more aspects of the storm (i.e., thunder, (i.e., the meteorological phenomenon) is re­ cloud, wind, or rain). Second, it is proposed corded in the mythologies of various cultures that some pitted boulders represent percussive (cf. Blinkenberg 1911; Spence 1914:126; Eliade implements used by shamans to achieve altered 1958; Willcox 1963:34; Needham 1967a; Cour- states of consciousness, a condition necessitated lander 1975:159, 162, 188, 201-203; Holtkrantz by their rain-making activities. The ethno­ 1979:260; MacKenzie 1985:1-5; Ashby 1989: graphic and archaeological data leading to these 109). Thunder is almost always personified as hypotheses suggest the "Western Rain-Making a spirit inherent in the storm, and it has been Process" described in this paper. looked upon by many cultures as the voice of a THE THUNDER GOD god, "Sacred Thunder" (a psychological phe­ nomenon). Sacred Thunder often "chose" The mythologies of ancient Europe and Asia future shamans by hitting them with lightning speak of a Creator, the "Hammer God," who (cf. Eliade 1964:19, 100). fashioned the universe with his hammer (Mac­ Celestial thunder is usually thought of as a Kenzie 1985:1-3). Known in India as Indra, the precursor to rain, and, in various mythologies, Hammer God brought rain when it was dry, and the two are associated. In California and also slew the monsters, giants, and enemies of elsewhere, communities initiated ritual means the world. In doing so, he became the God of for making or stopping rain. Sacred Thunder War. Indra's hammer was a thunderbolt, which was common in native Califomian mythologies, eventually became an axe in mythology. In and intimately associated with the weather (cf. southern Europe, the Hammer God was Zeus- Loeb 1926:301; Driver 1936:217; Foster 1944: pater (Jupiter), who wielded a thunderbolt 204; Blackburn 1975:105-107, 113, 223-224, (MacKenzie 1985:3). 273; Jewell 1987:161; Merriam 1992:69). By The Thunder God was often associated with creating "ritual thunder" (a cultural the clashing of rocks. For example, the Penan phenomenon), weather specialists may have of Indonesia believed that Balei Liwen, the invoked Sacred Thunder as an ally in their Thunder God, was made of stone, this being the quests. cause of his thunder (Needham 1967a:275). In This paper examines thunder, and its China, P'an Ku was thought to have broken the association with native Califomian rain-making primeval rocks with his hanmier (MacKenzie traditions. Although the discussion considers all 1985:2). A Hawaiian thunder god was known of native California, it is focused primarily on as Kapohakaa ("Rock Roller") (Levi-Strauss THE WESTERN RAIN-MAKING PROCESS 91 1966:96), and Shango, the thunder god of West groove boulders, known locally as "ribstones," Africa, was sometimes called Jakuta ("Stone may represent vision quest sites associated with Thrower") (Courlander 1975:188). At Obiri Sacred Thunder and bison hunting (cf. Worm- Rock, in northern Australia, the Kakadu asso­ ington and Forbis 1965:170-172; Parkman ciated Namarrgun ("Thunder Man") with an 1993a). outcrop's cupules and mortars, in which paint Lightning strikes were observed, and were pigment was prepared (cf. Welch 1982:82). utilized by rain-makers. For example, the Pima Finally, in a Blackfoot myth. Sacred Thunder of southern Arizona appear to have incorporated lived in a lodge made of stone (Harrod 1987: lightning strikes into their rock art, and prob­ 70). Eliade (1964:139) associated "thunder- ably used the sites for subsequent rain-making stones" with the concept of a solid celestial ceremonies (Hoskinson 1990:107). Lightning vault, not unlike a stone lodge. strikes were incorporated into rock art in Celestial thunder was as feared and revered southeastern Oregon and northeastern Cali­ in the Americas as it was elsewhere in the fornia as well (Benson and Buckskin 1991). world. On much of the North American Native Califomian rain-makers occasionally continent, stories of the "thunderbird" burned the splinters of trees hit by lightning (cf. abounded (Hultkrantz 1979:50-52, 114). For Dixon 1907:470-471; Kelly 1932:202; DuBois example, the Oglala Sioux believed that Wakan- 1935:87). Tanka (Thunderbird/Creator) controlled the In California, the concept of a thunder deity waters and protected the "sacred pipe" (Brown was very widespread. Sacred Thunder was con­ 1971:39). In some areas, the thunderbirds were sidered the Creator by a number of tribes, conceived of as human-like beings who strapped including the Cahto (Creator called Tcenes), on large wings and, with arrows in hand, went Coast Yuki (Ehlaumel), and Maidu (He'lin traveling through the sky. In other areas, the mai'du) (Powers 1877:287; Kroeber 1925:155, thunderbirds were imagined to be large bird-like 216; Myers 1978; 245; Jewell 1987:161), and creatures. In either case, thunder was believed the voice of a god in others, such as the Tolowa to have resulted from the flapping of their wings and Yuki (Foster 1944:204; Giovannetti 1989: (Hultkrantz 1979:50). 519). For some of the Pomo, Sacred Thunder In many areas of North and South America, was an angry god (Kuksu) talking to them celestial thunder was personified as a supreme (Heizer 1972:15). deity (see Spence 1914:125-126, 217; Hult­ THUNDER IN CALIFORNIAN krantz 1979:194-195, 199, 221, 225-226, 260, MYTHOLOGY 266). Sacred Thunder was perceived as the God of War by many North American tribes. Just as The primary guardian spirits of Yurok the warrior was armed with a spear or arrow, so warriors were the Thunders, the sons of Sacred too was Thunder armed with his lightning (cf. Thunder (Buckley 1992:151-152). However, Tyler 1964:101; Neihardt 1979:166). This was Sacred Thunder does not appear to have repre­ especially true in the Great Plains, where sented a war god to the native Califomians, at warrior societies associated thunder with war, least during the ethnohistoric period. Certain and stone projectile points were associated with observations were made, though, such as the Sacred Thunder's lightning (see Teit 1898:39; cormection between stone projectile points and Michelson 1929:41; Parsons 1939:692; Benedict lightning. The Huchnom, for example, believed 1969:76-77; Mails 1973:270-272; Lummis that obsidian blades fell from heaven and were 1992:76). On the Northern Plains, pit-and- supernatural, while the Yuki believed that the 92 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY Creator threw small "flints" to earth (Foster Gayton 1948:279; Hudson and Underhay 1978: 1944:204, 233). The Hupa associated obsidian 142, 154). Although usually thought to have with the Thunders. Large obsidian blades were dwelled in the sky-world. Sacred Thunder also known by the Hupa as "Thunders' Stones," and resided in terrestrial settings, such as the Yurok obsidian projectile points were thought to "burn village of Kenek (Kroeber 1925:74), and at like lightning" on impact (Davis 1988:219, 221- Kenuxoitse ("Thunder's Rock"), the Hupa rain 222). In a Chumash myth. Sacred Thunder rock in Sugar Bowl (Davis 1988:218). killed the Hap (a dangerous supernatural being) There were other beliefs about thunder. For by filling its mouth with "sharp pieces of flint" example, the Bear River and Sinkyone thought (Blackburn 1975:113-114). that celestial thunder was the sound of shaman In California, Sacred Thunder was almost spirits talking or traveling in the sky-world always thought of as being male (e.g., Kroeber (Nomland 1935:170, 1938:98), and the 1907:204, 215-216; Loeb 1926:301; Driver Huchnom believed it to be the flight of an 1936:217, 1939:343; Foster 1944:204; Fowler Indian's "many-winged spirit" to heaven and Liljeblad 1986:452-453; Jewell 1987:161; (Powers 1877:144). The Wintu thought that it Merriam 1992:69). According to many of the resulted from a menstmant's violation of a tribes, he played an active role in pre-human sacred sucker place (DuBois 1935:75). The times. For example, the Yurok believed that mythologies of the Pomo and Miwok explained the world had originally been smooth and flat thunder as being caused by the rustling of bear during the primeval era, but had eventually been and deer skins (Gifford 1917:291-292; Loeb made rough and irregular by Sacred Thunder's 1926:301; Merriam 1993:22), and bears are lightning (Kroeber 1976:169). Additionally, associated with thunder in many of the northern they believed that Sacred Thunder was respon­ Califomian mythologies (e.g., Gifford 1917 sible for the origin of the blood-money settle­ 286-292; DuBois and Demetracopoulou 1931 ment, after an incident involving the death of his 296-299, 308-310, 352-355; DuBois 1935:75 son (Kroeber 1976:364). Elsewhere, the Maidu Zigmond 1980:72; Merriam 1993:22).
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