A shaman woman for the tribe that first came to American land around 14,000 BC. Atsula does not believe in the gods, but in the power of the human heart. She rebels against the wooly mammoth god Nunyunnini, then dies as a sacrifice so that her people can reach America safely. Gaiman hints that Sam Black Crow is a reincarnation of Atsula.
Atsula Quotes in American Gods
The American Gods quotes below are all either spoken by Atsula or refer to Atsula. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the William Morrow edition of American Gods published in 2013.
Coming to America. 14,000 B.C.
Quotes
"Gods are great," said Atsula, slowly, as if she were comprehending a great secret. "But the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return . . ."
Related Characters:
Atsula (speaker), Nunyunnini
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Atsula Character Timeline in American Gods
The timeline below shows where the character Atsula appears in American Gods. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Coming to America. 14,000 B.C.
A holy woman named Atsula performs a sacred ritual with the elders of her tribe. Each elder takes turns wearing...
(full context)
...and walks east, crossing the land bridge and arriving at the base of ice cliffs. Atsula tells the tribe that she will die at the base of the cliffs, offering the...
(full context)
Atsula dies just as she said, and the tribe reaches the new land and settles in...
(full context)