"Today is a good day to die" redefined

toni April 15, 2014

“Everything the power does, it does in a circle.” —Native American Lakota Proverb

There is a well-known misquote of Crazy Horse: “Today is a good day to die.” As such, it seems a grand statement of heroic, selfless, sacrifice in the face of an impossible feat, one from which you will likely not return. Stoic machismo. A fearless slap in the face for Death. I admit it appeals to me. Crazy Horse’s actual words translate into English as:

English: Crazy Horse in 1877 shortly before his death. Authenticity of the photo is disputed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Today is a good day to die, for all the things of my life are present.”

They are consoling words of spiritual completion and soulfulness, readiness and acceptance in preparation for the battle.

Part of the Teachings of The Great-Circle-of-Life:

“Life is a circle of birth, maturity, decay, and death. All living things follow this circle in the same cycle or path. From birth, each of us begins our journey path. Life is the path we walk and we all walk the path of this circle. True wisdom comes when we stop looking for it and start living the life, walking the path, the Creator intended for us.”

Crazy Horse was not telling his people about being brave, nor to be full of bravado and courage, but to be calm. Know that all is as it is supposed to be, life is complete in and of itself. Whatever transpires next is not in the hands of any individual, but it is all in the hands of The Creator.

Thus they went into the battle with the American 7th Calvary trusting in a power far greater then themselves knowing that what ever the outcome it would be right. Those that would pass on that day did so in completeness and those that stayed to live another day did so at the discretion of The Creator. They simply did what was next to be done.

– from: Crazy Horse Was More a Mystic

Historical note: It was an overwhelming victory for the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho, led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull. Before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had a vision in which he saw the defeat of the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer on June 25, 1876.

Sitting Bull (c. 1831-1890). Sitting Bull was a Lakota chief and holy man, famous for his 1876 victory over Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He also participated in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show (Photograph by D. F. Barry, 1885). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The U.S. 7th Cavalry, including the Custer Battalion, a force of 700 men led by George Armstrong Custer, suffered a severe defeat.