Editing Lakota mythology (section)

==Notable tales==
{{See also|Iktomi}}
One story from Lakota mythology is about the adventures of Ikto'mi (viewed as a hybrid of spider and man), the trickster spider god. He is very cunning, and is known for making predictions.  Born full grown and had the body like a spider. In stories that involve Iktomi, he is usually the one that prevails since he is said to be wise and cunning.

Another was about the slaying of [[Unhcegila]], a serpent monster who wreaked havoc upon the land and devoured or killed whoever who stumbles upon her. Many warriors sought to kill her to obtain a red crystal in a seventh spot on her head which functioned as her heart, as it grants its bearer great power.<ref name="A-Z">[https://books.google.com/books?id=0MIqNXvxNNUC&dq=UNCEGILA&pg=PA48] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311204543/https://books.google.com/books?id=0MIqNXvxNNUC&dq=UNCEGILA&pg=PA48#v=onepage&q=UNCEGILA&f=false |date=2024-03-11 }}, pg. 118, ''Native American Mythology A to Z''</ref>

In one version, Unhcegila ate the family of a warrior from the Bear Clan. The warrior was told by a Weasel spirit that if he were to be devoured by Unhcegila, he could use his knife to cut his way out and free the other victims, which he did.

In another version, Unhcegila was killed by two brothers, one of whom was blind, after a medicine woman gave them several arrows. Some accounts add that the arrows did not entirely kill Unhcegila, but injured her so greatly, that she damaged the land as she writhed in pain. When she died, the Sun dried her remains, resulting in the rock formations and skeletons that are found in the [[Badlands National Park|Badlands]] (Makȟóšiča).

In a third version, Unhcegila emerged from the primordial waters to flood the land. The resulting devastation angered [[Wakinyan]], the Thunderbird, so he flapped his wings to dry the land, and shot lightning to destroy her heart, killing her. Her bones were scattered throughout the land.<ref name="A-Z" />