| Beliefs related to Winter | |
The White Owls
According to Arapaho mythology, the White Owl and the Thunderbird are always
doing battle. The White Owl represents the night, the winter, and the snow,
while the Thunderbird represents the day, the summer, and the rain. In some
versions of the story, the White Owl wins, while in others, the Thunderbird
is victorious.
The Arapaho equivalent of "Jack Frost" is nóókubéé3ei, "white owl," and the Mummy Range in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado is known as nóókubéé3eino' "white owls." Right next to this range to the west, however, is boh'óoóné3esóó' "thunder pass" (modern Lulu Pass), and right nearby is the place known to the Arapahos as nohúuxóne' "the eagle's nest" (modern Nokhu Crags, borrowed from the Arapaho word). But just beyond this is niicííbiicéí'i "it is never summertime" (the Never Summer Mts, whose name was also borrowed from the Arapaho). So perhaps the winter and the summer are still doing battle there across the landscape.
The Northern Lights
The Northern Lights were believe to predict storms, and were also sometimes
seen as a bad omen. Some reports tell of the Arapahos shooting arrows into
the sky to drive away the Northern Lights, and they also burned ceremonial
incense when the lights appeared. (Link to more information in the section
on astronomy and the heavens.)
Sun Dogs (heneene3ebeihit = "the sun has dogs about it")
Sun Dogs are an atmospheric phenomenon, whereby rainbow-like objects appear on each side of the sun, often as a result of either clouds or very light snow. They can also form among clouds occasionally, as in the picture above. The Arapahos believe that Sun Dogs indicate coming cold weather. They say that these lights are the sun lighting a campfire to keep warm (hoonóúhut = "it is warming itself" or niiwóttonóúhut hiisíís = "the sun is making a fire for itself"). The month of February is "the month of sun dogs."