The Lakota Sioux had their dandies who caught the attention of girls, but each male was careful to use powers of the supernatural in courting. Shamans, skilled in giving prescription for their proper use, found a source of income in matters of sexual attraction. The most used love medicine was the fragrant plant known as bee balm, bergamot, or horsemint , but called Elk Medicine by the Sioux. Medicine men like Buffalo Horn Chips or Woptuha, fashioned rawhide amulets of elk figures for attracting women. The most powerful source for romance was the cedar love flute, available from men that were Elk or Buffalo Dreamers. The fee for such a flageolet and love song was usually a fine horse.
The music was composed by a shaman, according to instructions received in a dream, and was conveyed as an essential part of the sale of a flute. Having mastered the music appropriate for enchanting a woman, a young man would play a magic tune near her lodge to entice the girl of his choice. If properly executed, the music was irresistible, according to Leader Charge:
“Some flutes were so powerful that a girl, hearing the melody, would become so nervous that she would leave her tipi and follow it. Many flutes had such power that if a man should touch a woman with it, she became so entranced that she would go with her lover anywhere. Frequently he would escort her to the Shaman who made it. Here the Shaman would blow the smoke of herbs in the woman’s face and give her medicine to revive her. When she realized where she was, she considered herself a married woman. Such a marriage was looked upon as an elopement.”
This courting flute was made from a split cedar piece, channeled out except for a 1/4th inch section under the block. Here there was a hole made before and after a solid section and a carved wooden piece, called “a bird”, tied securely with buckskin, covering a narrow slot underneath. When blown, air passed through the first chamber, under the tied piece and then to the last chamber. These were made with either 5 or 6 holes to produce a love song, using fingering holes closed or left open. Sometimes there was a hole near the end of the flute, as shown below on this old flute. After completion of carving, the two halves were joined with hide glue, sinew-wrapped and buckskin tied. If the flute leaked air along its glued sides, buffalo intestine was stretched over the flute to dry, sealing leaking air.
The love flute resembled the outstretched head and pointed beak of a flying whooping crane, calling to females. The mouth of this old flute has red ochre inside its beak and at each burned-out finger hole, with green-ochred sides. The wooden block atop the flute often was shaped as horse, considered a great lover. On some flutes, as the one shown below, it resembles the head and upright tail of a grouse or prairie chicken strutting to attract the attention of hens.
When this flute is played and fingers cover all six holes, the lowest note is produced. An old Lakota courting flute tune translates: “My Heart’s Desire”. The fingering to play this song is given below with black representing covered holes, white as open. The top holes in the diagram are the farthest away from the flute player.
The passionate sound of a flute can be heard in background music of Franz Brown’s video (offered in four languages) on the Museum page of siouxreplications.com and there view Chips’ Elk Medicine effigies.
The other wind instrument of the Lakota was often called an Elk Whistle, although it does not look like an elk, nor sound as one. This whistle was carved without splitting the two halves, as the flute, and the elongated and delicate beak was shaped by steam. This flageolet could be made by an Elk Dreamer or the Dreamer of Double Woman. These were believed to have influence over women and considered very Wakan (Holy). Also its power could be used for the Water Spirit to call for rain because its head and beak were fashioned to resemble a shore bird, such as an avocet. This waterfowl spends its life near water and, when the whistle is blown, offers a shrill” tweak”.
During the so-called Dust Bowl era of the Dirty 1930s, there was virtually no rain for many years. This Elk Whistle was blown often in desperation to beg for rain. After years of supplicating the Thunder Being (Wakinyan) for moisture, its maker feared that instead of rain, the calls made the Water Spirits annoyed or angry to do the opposite and cause rain to cease.
To demonstrate this whistle would not be used again, to avoid the consequence of the Thunder Being hurting the blower by a strike of lightning, this whistle was “silenced”. Its hollow chamber was tightly plugged, and now a century later, the wedged cloth pulled out.
This whistle was skillfully carved from one piece of ash and bored. It does not have a wooden block above two air holes, like the flute, but has a short piece of metal that covers the first hole and under it a slight channel for air to pass. The red, beaded hair scalp comes from the mane of a gray horse, resembling a human scalp. The horse was associated with the Thunder Being because a running herd sounds like thunder. The eyes are brass tacks. The sew-down porcupine quillwork and edge beading are to please the Water Spirit. The brass bells represent Hail of the Thunder Being. When the whistle is picked up, its tinkling bells alert Wakiyan that it is being summoned.
To hear and see a Cedar Courting Flute and Elk Whistle, watch the documentary in the Museum page, titled “Indian Musical Instruments”, by Reginald Laubin.
By Larry Belitz, Plains Indian Material Culture Consultant
March 15, 2024