Character guide

Iktomi

major

Also known as Poor Iktomi, wily Iktomi, Old Iktomi, The Iktomi, old father badger, old Iktomi, father Iktomi, Ikto

Iktomi lives alone in a cone-shaped wigwam, dressed finer than any Dakota brave yet friendless, since his conceit and heartless laughter drive away everyone who admires his fringed leggins. Hungry and scheming, he bundles dry grass into his blanket and lures a dancing flock of wild ducks with the promise of a song and a story. His mischief sets the whole tale in motion, and his vanity is the flaw every listener waits to see punished.

Manštin

supporting

Also known as gallant Manštin

Manštin moves through the plains as a noted hunter and self-declared friend to the Dakotas, quick with a bow and quicker to act when a child is in danger. After slaying Double-Face, he wins the parents' trust and then performs a strange, tender magic, drawing their baby up to full manhood and marking him as a brother. His curiosity and skill carry him onward toward a blind grandfather's hut, where the story's next test of generosity begins.

The Stranger

supporting

Also known as the stranger

The stranger appears on the winding footpath just as the ducks' dance reaches its height, staggering under a bundle too large for his frame and propped up by a willow cane. When the curious drummers beg him to stop and show what he bears, he deflects them with teasing refusals, nudging his own sides as he hurries on. His refusal to be seen keeps the flock guessing and sets the tension that Iktomi's scheme will soon exploit.

Patkaša

minor

A character mentioned in the stories, likely a spirit or animal figure.

The Ducks

minor

Also known as the Ducks Iktomi

Ducks that interact with Iktomi in a tale about trickery.

The Fish

minor

Also known as The Fish

A fish character that appears in a story, possibly as a victim of trickery.

The Dragonfly

minor

Also known as The Dragonfly

A dragonfly character that appears in a narrative role.

The Turtle

minor

Also known as The Turtle

A turtle character that appears in a story, often as a slow but wise figure.

Iya

supporting

Iya belongs to the older, hungrier layer of Lakota storytelling, a giant whose appetite is aimed at whole camps rather than single wanderers. Where Iktomi's mischief is petty and comic, Iya's presence raises the stakes to survival, forcing the people in these legends to rely on courage, cunning, and each other. The monster's shadow gives the collection its sense of real danger beneath the trickster's jokes.

Grandfather

minor

An elder character who appears in some tales as a wise figure.

Han

minor

A character mentioned in the stories, possibly a spirit or animal.

Inyan

minor

A rock or stone spirit from Lakota mythology.

The Grasshopper

minor

Also known as the Grasshopper

A grasshopper character that appears in a story.

The Dakotas

minor

Also known as the Dakotas

The Dakota people, referenced as a group in the stories.

Dakota

minor

Also known as Koda Ni Dakota

A character or personification of the Dakota people.

Double-Face

minor

Also known as Old Double-Face, cruel Double-Face

A two-faced monster character in Lakota legend.