The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
It seems reasonable to suppose that the few isolated effigy
mounds we have outside of Wisconsin were built to subserve a
different purpose than those in that State. Mr. Peet has made
some remarks on their probable use that seem to us to cover the
ground, and to do away with any necessity of supposing on the
part of its builders an acquaintance with Old World mythologies.
Nature worship is one of the earliest forms of worship. The
prominent features of a landscape would be regarded as objects of
worship. Thus, for example, the island of Mackinac resembles in
its outline the shape of a turtle; so the island was regarded as
sacred to the turtle, and offerings were made to it. A bluff on
the same island at a distance resembles a rabbit; accordingly, it
was called by that name, and offerings were made to it. It is
quite natural that the effigy-mound builders should seek to
perpetuate by effigy some of these early traditions.
In the case of the Big Serpent mound this point is worth
considering. The ridge on which it stands is not only in the
midst of a wild, rough region, but is so situated that it
commands a wide extent of country. In shape this tongue of land
is also peculiar. It is a narrow, projecting headland, and would
easily suggest the idea of a serpent or a lizard. “This, with the
inaccessibility of the spot, would produce a peculiar feeling of
awe, as if it were a great Manitou which resided there; and so a
sentiment of wonder and worship would gather around the locality.
This would naturally give rise to a tradition, or would lead the
people to revive some familiar tradition and localize it.”56 The
final step would be to make an effigy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account