Xwayama
Sahaptin (Yakama and related) · numen · Sahaptin (Yakama and related) traditional religion; continuing · Recorded classification
Xwayama, the golden eagle, is among the leading Animal People of the myth age, appearing as a chief and a figure of dignity in the Sahaptin narratives. In the Coyote cycle set down by Melville Jacobs, Coyote adopts Eagle as kin and then, in characteristic fashion, tricks him and takes his wives, so that Eagle is at once Coyote's companion and his dupe. Beyond the tales, the golden eagle holds the highest place in Plateau ceremonial life, its feathers the most honored of regalia, and its myth-age person carries that prestige into the stories.
Domains
- sky
- chieftaincy
Powers
- lead the Animal People
Relations
- companion: SpilyayCoyote adopts Eagle, then tricks him and takes his wives.Melville Jacobs, Northwest Sahaptin Texts (1934), 'Coyote adopts Eagle.' (primary)
Sources
- Xwayama (Eagle) is a chief among the Animal People in Sahaptin narrative; in the Coyote cycle recorded by Jacobs, Coyote adopts Eagle, then tricks him and takes his wives.: Melville Jacobs, Northwest Sahaptin Texts (New York: Columbia University Press, 1934). (primary); Eugene S. Hunn, Nch'i-Wana, 'The Big River' (1990): xwayama, the golden eagle. (secondary)