Home › Glossary › Letter S

Sisuitl

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A Kwakwaka’wakw mythological serpent with two heads, symbolizing duality, protection, and supernatural power.

Detailed Definition
Sisuitl is a powerful Kwakwaka’wakw sea serpent with two heads and a central human face, symbolizing transformation, protection, and warrior power. It appears in masks and stories as a guardian spirit. In poetry, Sisuitl symbolizes duality, the fluidity of identity, and the dangerous beauty of the ocean, often invoked in verses about initiation, spiritual power, and the liminal space between land and sea.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sisuitl, the Kwakwaka’wakw double-headed serpent, coils through poems as the guardian of warriors and shamans; A verse describes Sisuitl’s scales deflecting bullets during potlatch raids; Poets use Sisuitl to explore duality: “One head sees past, the other future”; In ceremonial poetry, his image adorns regalia for protection; His hiss becomes a boundary in verse—warning against spiritual trespass.
Additional Notes
Sisuitl is a powerful double-headed serpent in Kwakwaka’wakw and other Northwest Coast traditions, associated with warriors, transformation, and supernatural power; its image appears on regalia and totem poles—poets should treat Sisuitl as a sacred being of immense potency, not a decorative motif, and recognize its role in rites of passage and shamanic initiation.
Also Known As
Sea Serpent Double-Headed Serpent
Skip to main content