On another garment (Fig. 12), the triangular area at the top is entirely
in red, covered with white spots representing hail, and bordered with
wavy lines representing the rainbow. This represents the rainbow in the
sky. The dark crescent represents the moon. Below is a large
four-pointed star in black, representing the night, with a line
extending over each side, representing the clouds. The small disk in red
represents a bullet; and the small green crescent, the moon. Below these
is the spider-web design, representing the heavens, over the four
corners of which the lightning appears; but in this case the design is
covered with dots representing the falling of the stars. Near this
design we find the butterfly and the buffalo-tracks. The remaining space
on the whole garment is covered with patches of color, representing the
hail. On the opposite side (Fig. 13) are peculiar triangular designs,
the background of which is in red bordered by straight lines, suggesting
the rainbow; while on the red background are placed the design of the
moon and two circles in such relation as to suggest a face. This design
was spoken of as the “moon-face;” but this seems to have been an
after-interpretation, since the artist wished to represent the
medicine-hoop or mirror in the sky. [It seems likely that this is simply
an adaptation of a head-dress used in the elk ceremony.] Below this we
have a combination which appears to be the spider-web design combined
with the figure of a bird, which is said to be the dream-figure,
representing the bird seen on a tree. Below this we have the moon,
rainbow, tracks of the buffalo, stars, butterfly, and a mounted warrior
riding through the hail.
[Illustration: Fig. 14 (50-3055). Front of a Ghost-dance Garment
bearing Dragon-fly Design. Length, 125 cm.]
In Fig. 14, the triangular space at the top is similar to that on the
preceding garment, and need not be described here. The body of the dress
is covered with dragon-flies as they appear when flying over water. The
stars represent reflections in the water; and the dashes of color, the
hail. The wavy green lines extending down the full length of the garment
represent the lightning. In this case the red at the top is spoken of as
the thunder-cloud. On the opposite side (Fig. 15), the triangular area
with its tail-like extension represents the rattlesnake. In addition we
have tracks of the buffalo dragon-fly, and butterfly, all associated as
in nature. Upon the sides of this garment are the designs of the lizard,
swallow, and turtle.
[Illustration: Fig. 15 (50-3055). Back of Garment shown in Fig. 14.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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