Unlike the most of their other gods, he
is beneficent and kind; yet they worshiped him (in the sun-dance) in the
most dreadful manner. See _Riggs' Tahkoo Wakan_, pp. 81-2, and Catlin's
_Okeepa_. The moon is worshiped as the representative of the sun; and in
the great Sun-dance, which is usually held in the full of the moon, when
the moon rises the dancers turn their eyes on her (or him). _Anpetuwee_
issues every morning from the lodge of _Han-nan-na_ (the Morning) and
begins his journey over the sky to his lodge in the land of shadows.
Sometimes he walks over on the Bridge (or path) of the Spirits--_Wanage
Ta-chan-ku_,--and sometimes he sails over the sea of the skies in his
shining canoe; but _somehow_, and the Dakotas do not explain how, he
gets back again to the lodge of _Hannanna_ in time to take a nap and eat
his breakfast before starting anew on his journey. The Dakotas swear by
the sun, "_As Anpetuwee hears me, this is true!_" They call him Father
and pray to him--"_Wakan! Ate, on-she-ma-da_"--"Sacred Spirit,--Father,
have mercy on me." As the Sun is the father, so they believe the Earth
is the mother, of life. Truly there is much philosophy in the Dakota
mythology.
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