Sweat lodge

The sweat lodge, or Inipi ( Lakota: they sweat ) was widespread among the Indians of North America as probably in many other nations of the northern hemisphere and served the preparation of ceremonies of purification and physical health maintenance and healing of disease. In the Lakota Inipi one of the Seven Rites of the Holy pipe and is still performed.

Construction of cottage

A Native American sweat lodge can - depending on the strain - have various forms: from a simple covered pit in the ground over rectangular flat wooden houses, small round mud huts, additions to homes up to the most votes in the presence of a dome shape made ​​of wicker, originally from the plains Indians, especially the Lakota was used. In this traditional form of the sweat lodge is built in a ritual process from willow rods or hazel rods. The rods are inserted into the prepared holes, arranged in arcs and rings connected by four dome-shaped with each other ( Lame Deer version). In the middle of the hut a hole for the hot stones dug. The excavated soil to accumulate near the entrance or in the middle on the way to the fireplace on a "holy hill " or altar. In the Lakota tradition, the fire pit is six steps away and is connected by a path with the cottage. The fire represents the sun, the cottage for the earth receives from the sun energy. The stones for the ritual are called " seeds of Grandfather Sun." For a cleansing ritual a certain number of stones are among the Lakota used mostly 32 and for a healing ritual 64 For Use one discovers a skeleton with the skins or blankets. A Lakota sweat lodge is about 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 m) tall and has 7-8 people place, but there are also much larger sweat lodge up to 25 people, for example, when the sun dances.

The Schwitzhüttenbau subject differentiated rules and vary greatly on the choice of the place of the observance of the directions, the number of used wooden sticks and the symbolic representation of elements, planets, and the balance of power. Thus, in the Lakota example 12 used willow branches for a Familienschwitzhütte while a hut made of 16 bars for the healing rituals of medicine men are provided. The entrance is located at the Lakota on the west side, with many other tribes on the east side, sometimes on both.

Each cottage part has a special meaning. In the Lakota tradition, the four rings represent the four creation phases of the higher spirits of Confederate minds of the subordinate spirits and low spirits, which are then assigned to the holes of the willow rods in detail (sun, movement, earth, stone, moon, Wind, satisfaction and harmony, bison, bear, compass, spirit, mind and matter ). In the center of the dome then 104 tobacco bags are hung in the colors of the compass. An important ritual object in a Lakota Hut is the Sacred Pipe.

Fire and Stone

The fire is a fire layer. Thick branches are stacked square and crosswise in several layers. In the middle layers 15 to 20 cm large stones are placed, and are covered by further layers of wood. The resulting stack of wood measures about 1.2 × 1.2 m and is about 1 m high. The fire brings in about two to three hours, the stones in the dark visually recognizable glow. It must then be received at least another two hours during the ceremony. For this, an appropriate supply of wood is required. The stones should be as dry as possible ( no river stones), so they do not tear dangerous in the heat, and do not contain substances that evaporate under heat - limestone, for example, is completely unsuitable.

Ritual

For the sequence of Schwitzhüttenrituals a ritual leader is responsible, who interprets the rules and meanings and it can vary. Also the places in the sweat lodge, have a meaning in healing rituals and are associated with various human problems. During the Schwitzhüttenrituals the selected stones are heated in a nearby fire pit, supported by the fire keeper in the sweat lodge, sprinkled with herbs and doused with water. This repeated process accompany intense prayers, sometimes drums and vocals.

The ritual begins with the joint preparation: looking for wood ( for a large ritual fire that must burn for several hours at full), looking stones, close the sweat lodge with blankets, prepare fireplace, wood and stones stack workmanlike. The keeper of the fire or fire man is the second master of ceremonies and is responsible for building, igniting and maintaining the fire and later for transporting the stones and the protection of the ceremony from outside. He makes a responsible, hard and sweaty work. The ignition of the fire is accompanied by the group with drums, singing and prayer.

( Until the fire has brought the stones to glow ) After a pause starts the actual sweat lodge with a ritual cleansing of the participants by smoking. Before entering the sweat lodge then the clothes are stored and placed jewelry and offerings on an altar.

The ritual in the hut begins with the invitation of the ancestors and spirits, their supporting energy contributes to success. Then usually followed by four rounds, each round with a theme, after the Lakota way:

In the various rounds of a different number of infusions is made: in the first round four, seven in the second, in the third ten, and in the last round "infinitely " many infusions.

Sweating and praying to an outer and inner purification and reunion with the spirit effect, that man is born again. The sweat lodge with its dome resembles the belly of a pregnant woman lying on the ground after the traditional explanation. Thus, the participants return to the abdomen of the mother and the mother earth and experience the ritual called an energy cleansing, renewal and re-creation of their life energy.

The sweat lodge is to be neither during nor leave between rounds ( compared to a pregnancy which indeed can not be simply " leave "). Some traditions allow an exit between rounds. In the Absarokee the hut should only be exited in the second round. At the beginning of the third round of a Lakota sweat lodge ritual head each participant is then sufficient drinking water. In " Medical sweat lodges " to which the participants are not allowed to lie down. This can cost a great effort, because it is in the sweat lodges usually extremely hot.

The sweat lodge was mainly brought by members of the tribe of the Lakota, but also from other traditions to Europe, where they are increasingly attracts interest since the 1990s. The first sweat lodges in Europe were probably 1982 and 1983 instead of in the course of shamanism conferences in Alpbach ( Tyrol).

In order to be able to conduct a sweat lodge after the Lakota tradition, it requires an authorization by a Lakota Indians. However, it is in some Indians very controversial whether outside America ever sweat lodges should be made, and still controversial whether white sweat lodges should guide. On the other hand, it is advocated because the ritual should be open to all. Furthermore, let Schwitzbadtraditionen worldwide and numerous archaeological finds in northern Europe (especially in Ireland and Finland) suggest that Schwitzhüttenkonstruktionen were used for ritual purposes in other cultures.