The Lakota Ritual of the Sweat Lodge: History and Contemporary Practice

by Raymond A. Bucko

Book Overview

For centuries, a persistent and important component of Lakota religious life has been the Inipi, the ritual of the sweat lodge. The sweat lodge has changed little in appearance since its first recorded description in the late seventeenth century. The ritual itself consists of songs, prayers, and other actions conducted in a tightly enclosed, dark, and extremely hot environment. Participants who "sweat" together experience moral strengthening,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803261659
• ISBN13: 9780803261655
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great insight into this multifaceted ceremony!

This book was a wonderful source of information for me to learn more about a ceremony that I'd been through countless times. The Sweatlodge is a powerful ritual on many different levels & this book sheds some light on that, especially for those of us not brought up in the Lakota culture.

Good introduction

This book was very well done. Many people who are looking for information on what to expect from sweatlodges in general will benefit from this book. The author gives a good amount of information about the history and the many different styles of the inipi ceremony. I personally have been in many different inipi (sweatlodge) ceremonies and found that there are different styles but there are a lot of common things as well. This book is well written and well worth the read. The author sticks to just the plains indians style of lodges and does not go to compare with the many different styles of sweatlodges around the country and around the world. I liked that he kept his information consistant and from the people who wanted to share it first hand. There were quite a few people who shared information that might take a lifetime of looking to find.

Good work!

Not only the most throughout chronicle of the sweat lodge ritual, but also one of the best books on contemporary Lakhota religion. Good work!

great book

I read through this book in one day. I couldn't put the book down except to make a coffee. Excellent reading.