CONCOW MAIDU LEGENDS/ 'Mask of Woctolly' / FIGURATIVE CERAMIC SCULPTURE/ Clay Art by Eric Whollem/ The story of the salmon merman shaman of the Middle Fork of the Feather River/ OXIDES ON WHITE EARTHENWARE CLAY

Mask of Woctolly

2004

by Eric Whollem

oxides on white earthenware clay

with ceramic beads

and flax cord

Collection of the artist

PHOTO COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Woctolly the Salmon Merman of the Feather River

Previously on this blog I posted a ceramic sculpture which

depicted the Mother of Woctolly. A link to this post can be

found below, which may be of interest to many because it

contains information about salmons as they are featured in

shamanic traditions from a number of world cultures. Woctolly

was a salmon shaman.

The story of Woctolly is well known among the Concow Maidu

Indians of Butte County, California. Various spellings can be

found of Woctolly's name. Sometimes one sees 'Waktali.'

The Nisenan Maidu who live further south also have versions of

his story. And I met a shaman of the Cato Indians of the Coast

Range  (across the Sacramento Valley) who told me that Woctolly

is known among his people as well. The Cato have a  painting of

Woctolly on the walls of their sweat lodge.

THE LEGEND OF WOCTOLLY

It is said in Butte County that Woctolly was found one day caught

in the salmon nets of people fishing on the Middle Fork of the

Feather River. He was a man who was half salmon and half human.

The fishermen took him into camp, where he proceeded to cause

much mischief. He was a trickster. Among his abilities was the

power of flight. It is said by some that Woctolly was a shaman,

or 'doctor' as is said among the Concow Maidu.

MAGICAL DREAM FLIGHT

I have talked to a Maidu shaman who told me that magical flight

in dreams was of major importance for a doctor, as knowledge of

dangers to the people are often best discovered through dream

knowledge. The head shaman~or 'yeponi'~is the doctor who has the

most power in his dreams.

_______________

Readers interested in more of my posts about the CONCOW MAIDU might want to check out:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/maidu%20indians

THE SCULPTURE BELOW

REPRESENTS THE

MOTHER OF WOCTOLLY

SALMON MOTHER

My post on THE MOTHER OF WOCTOLLY and SALMON MAGIC can be found here:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/2010/02/mother-of-nereids-figurative-ceramic.html

A video dealing with the Concow Maidu.                     

Another Maidu video.                                

My posts on SHAMANISM discuss practices found in various cultures:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/shamanism

More of my CERAMIC SCULPTURES can be found on these posts:

http://artblogericwhollem.blogspot.com/search/label/ceramic%20sculpture

*

MYTHOGRAPHIC ART

Mythology

Dreaming

Shamanism

*