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🗺️ A place name 🌀 A spirit 👑 A powerful person
manitou

manitou

9.9
A spirit or natural power in Algonquian culture believed to live in nature
  • noun
  • /ˈmænɪtu/
  • Literature
translation icon : manitou
  • The Illinois used no word for an overarching god such as the Christian God, so they used the term Manitoua assouv, which literally meant "Great Spirit" but had been previously used to refer to the powerful manitou of the sun.

There are many names for it, Wonka Tonka amongst the Lakota, you know, Getichi Manitou amongst the Anishinabe.

Examples

  • Marquette's journal entry reveals several layers of Illinois religious practice, for the Illinois were also viewing the cross itself as a manitou.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The manitou of war, which took the shape of a bird, was invoked to bring speed to Illinois warriors that would terrify their enemies.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Hennepin tricked the elders into thinking he had the power to speak with a powerful manitou.

    Academic text (2001)

  • But mostly, and most importantly, the Illinois sacrificed tobacco by smoking with the calumet, which, for the Illinois, was itself a manitou.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Rle also noted that once someone acquired a personal manitou, usually in the early teenage years, that manitou would remain a constant companion, guide, and protector for that individual for the rest of his or her life.

    Academic text (2001)

  • He did not understand that the Illinois revered the manitou of the sun, and he assumed that their reverence equated to a Christian worship of God.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The Indigenous peoples believe that each manitou plays a significant role in nature and their lives.

  • In some cultures, a manitou is seen as a guardian spirit that provides guidance and protection.

  • He learned about the manitou during his studies of the traditional beliefs of the Algonquian tribes.

Synonyms

huaca
vsmanitou
  • Specialized
9.9

A sacred object, place, or spirit that people in Andean cultures honor

refers to a spirit in the beliefs of Algonquian-speaking North American peoples

Surface Forms

manitou singular
manitous plural

Etymology

Manitou comes from the Algonquian languages of North America, where the word manitou (also manidoo) means 'spirit' or a strong natural force. So a manitou is a spirit being or a power in nature that people respect and honor.