White Buffalo Calf Woman and the Mother of Life
White Buffalo Calf Woman's legend is ancient, arising about 2000 years ago, and is central to the spiritual practices of numerous Native American nations. Various, but similar, versions of the legend of White Buffalo Calf Woman are told.
The brief story presented here is based primarily on the story of White Buffalo Calf Woman at various websites as told by Joseph Chasing Horse, Traditional Leader of the Lakota Nation.
“It was told that next time there is chaos and disparity, she would return again. She said she would return as a White Buffalo Calf. Some believe she already has.”
Words of Chief Arvol Looking Horse,
19th Generation Keeper of the
Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe
of the Lakota Nation
While two warriors were out hunting buffalo, a white buffalo calf appeared. As she approached them she changed into a beautiful young woman... which is how she came to be called the White Buffalo Calf Woman.
One of the young warriors offended her with his lustful thoughts, and White Buffalo Calf Woman asked him to approach. As he stepped forward, a black cloud descended over him and when it dissipated all that was left of him was his bones.
The other warrior fell to his knees and began to pray. The White Buffalo Calf Woman told him to return to his people, telling them she would appear to them in four days, bringing with her a sacred bundle.
And this she did, appearing to them as a white buffalo calf descending on a cloud. Stepping down, she rolled over on the ground, changing from white to black, then yellow, then red.
When White Buffalo Calf Woman arose she was once again the beautiful woman, cradling the sacred bundle in her arms.
Spending four days with the people, White Buffalo Calf Woman taught them sacred songs, dances, and ceremonies as well as the traditional ways.
White Buffalo Calf Woman instructed them to be responsible caretakers of the land and to be always mindful that the children are the future of the people.
On the fourth day White Buffalo Calf Woman left in the same manner she had arrived, telling the people she was leaving the sacred bundle, the White Buffalo Calf Woman pipe, in their care. She promised to one day return for it and to bring harmony and spiritual balance to the world.
White Buffalo Calf Woman prophesied that the birth of a white buffalo calf would be a sign that it was near the time of her return.
A beautiful, and different, telling of the story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman is provided by Matthew Richter in American Comments, a web magazine fighting racial hatred and discrimination. This version tells the story of how a woman called the Mother of Life came to become the White Buffalo Calf Woman and discusses the meaning of the pipe and the prophesy.
According to this legend a young woman, during an enemy attack on her village, saw a toddler injured and ran to cradle him in her arms and comfort him as death approached. Soon, she too was mortally wounded, and her young body crumpled with the young child still cradled in her arms.
Her spirit hurried to catch up with the child's so that she would be there to care for him when they crossed over. To honor her noble act, the Sioux gave her the name Mother of Life.
Later she appeared as White Buffalo Calf Woman to a young warrior whose troubled heart yearned for a good future for the children, a future without the prospect of continual war and divisiveness, a future of peace. White Buffalo Calf Woman advised him "to seek the vision of a mother's heart for the love of her children".
White Buffalo Calf Woman gave the pipe into his care, detailing the ways in which the people could learn to grow into responsible keepers of the pipe, cultivating peace and understanding.
One of her gifts was the suggestion that all children be taught to hold baby animals with love and caring, so that as they grow they will learn to love all the other babies of the world.
As she gave her instructions, the white buffalo calf that accompanied the woman rolled over four times, each time changing colors . . . once for each race, first white, then yellow, then red, the black, signifying that we are all members of the same family.
Laurie Sue Brockway highlights the importance of the White Buffalo Calf Woman in her delightful book, A Goddess Is A Girl's Best Friend:
Now, more than any time in history, we need the sacred feminine to balance our lives and to balance our world. We must be spiritual warriors…culling the profound and important aspects of the power of feminine wisdom and directing them toward peace within, as without, and utilizing the energies of the goddess and all mythical women and spiritual heroines to help direct the course of history.”
*In 1994, a white buffalo calf was born on a farm in Wisconsin. . . the first white buffalo born in decades.
Some believe she was the fulfillment of the prophecy that the return of the White Buffalo Calf Woman will herald the advent of an age of peace and harmony.
Goddess Symbols and Sacred Objects of White Buffalo Calf Woman
Goddess symbols, individualized for each goddess, were incorporated into the worship of the ancient goddesses, were often worn as jewelry, and also used in the household decor as talismans to seek the goddesses special gifts, blessings, or protection. A large number of goddess symbols have survived in statuary and other works of art.
Many of the goddess symbols come from the legends surrounding a specific goddess and were "characters" in her story. Other goddess symbols were derived from the rituals used in the ancient rites of worship of these pagan goddesses.
White Buffalo Calf Woman is often represented by symbols associated with her personality traits and her contribution to her people. It is not surprising that many of our icons representing Native American civilization and spirituality are derived from the ancient goddess symbols of the goddess White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Goddess Symbols of White Buffalo Calf Woman
General:
White buffalo, peace-pipe, circle (hoop), and the numbers 4 and 7
Animals:
Buffalo and bison, eagle, and hawk
Plants:
Buttercup, pulsatilla (Pasque flower), and spruce
Perfumes/Scents:
Sage, wisteria, tangerine, and rose geranium
Gems and Metals:
Agate, rose quartz, gold, silver, and red clay
Colors:
White, yellow, red, and black
