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Image 4
Petroglyphs and Pictographs: Wyoming's Original
Artwork
Number Four: “Water Ghost Woman” –
Hot Springs County
 The
petroglyph is believed to represent “Pa waip”, a Shoshone
spirit that lives in hot springs, lakes and rivers. She is closely
related to the suite of water ghosts that are sought in visions
because they offer various powers. The depiction of breasts –
rare in Wyoming petroglyphs – suggests this figure is the
female variant of the water ghosts. She was noted for her long
hair, shown as braids in the petroglyph. Water Ghost Woman is
said to wail – note the tear streaks – to attract
men into the water for a sexual encounter where she is likely
to drown them. Because the trance experience is often compared
to drowning, the reference is likely a metaphor for a visionary
experience.
The Water Ghost Woman was especially adept at helping individuals
who had her power cure epilepsy and similar ailments. Note that
the figure near her hand is headless. It may represent the turtle
– an assistant to “Pa waip” that traveled out
on the land because she could not leave the water. Or it might
be a child because she was recognized as grabbing children and
biting their heads off.
The dogs in the scene are commonly associated with water ghosts.
However, there is no known Shoshone ethnography to link them with
“Pa Waip”.
This is the original Dinwoody petroglyph decoded or recognized
through the use of Shoshone ethnology (Loendorf 1994 and Francis
and Loendorf 2002).
Reproduction of a tracing completed by Linda Olson. Research sponsored
by Loendorf and Associates, the University of North Dakota and
the Bureau of Land Management – Worland.
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