The feather symbol in ancient Hopi designsFewkes, Jesse Walter
Religion
The feather symbol in ancient Hopi designs
Fewkes, Jesse Walter
Feathers in art; Hopi Indians -- Antiquities; Hopi Indians -- Religion; Hopi Indians -- Rites and ceremonies; Hopi art
[8] It will be seen on consultation of my article on "Dolls of the
Tusayan Indians" that there are several in which the crests of feathers
on the heads are represented by sticks with symbolic markings. In some
instances we have real feathers instead of symbols. An example of this
kind is figured on page 136, _American Anthropologist_, May, 1897.
[9] Tusayan Snake Ceremonies, plate LXXII.
[10] _Journ. Amer. Eth. and Arch._, vol. II, p. 120.
[11] See male and female lightning snakes on Walpi Antelope altar.
[12] The three arrowpoints, figure 4, represent the flint arrowpoints
which the mythic bird is reputed to have worn in its feathers.
[13] Fifteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology.
[14] Tusayan Katcinas, Fifteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of
American Ethnology. A figure of the symbolic sun disk from which the
feathers have been removed is given on plate CIV of that memoir.
[15] The bundle here figured represents eight feathers.
[16] The symbol of the feather was painted on the vase in ancient
times, whereas in modern vessels stringed feathers are tied in the same
positions. Probably the latter custom was also common in ancient times.
[17] It is believed that the religious sentiment permeated and
dominated all ancient Hopi art as well as sociology, and that a study
of the symbolism of the decorations on ancient pottery is practically a
study of religion.
Transcriber’s Notes:
- Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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