,,anthropological ,,papers ,,of ,,the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history4 ,vol4 ,i1 ,part ,,ii4 ,,some ,,protective ,,designs ,,of ,,the ,,dakota4 ,,by ,,clark ,,wissler4 ,,new ,,york3 ,published by ,order of the ,trustees4 ,february1 #aijg4 ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history4 ,,publications ,,in ,,anthropology4 ,the results of research conducted by the ,anthropological staff of the ,museum1 unless otherwise provided for1 are published in a series of octavo volumes of about #cej pages each1 issued in parts at irregular intervals1 entitled ,anthropological ,papers of the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history4 ,the ,anthropological work of the ,museum is organized under two heads4 ,the ,department of ,ethnology exercises curatorial functions in ethnography1 ethnology and physical anthropology and in all archology except that pertaining to the present confines of ,mexico and the ,central ,american ,states which has been delegated to a distinct department entitled the ,department of ,archology4 ,this series of publications aims to give the results of field-work conducted by the above departments1 supplemented by the study of collections in the ,museum4 ,the editorial responsibilities are administered by the ,curator of the ,department of ,ethnology4 ,the following are on sale at the ,museum at the prices stated4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,part ,i4 ,technique of some ,south ,american ,feather-work4 ,by ,charles ,w4 ,mead4 ,pp4 #a-ah1 ,plates ,i-,,iv1 and #ad text figures4 ,january1 #aijg4 ,price1 #j4be4 ,part ,,ii4 ,some ,protective ,designs of the ,dakota4 ,by ,clark ,wissler4 ,pp4 #ai-ed1 ,plates ,v-,,vii1 and #bf text figures1 ,february1 #aijg4 ,price1 #j4ej4 ,,anthropological ,,papers ,,of ,,the ,,american ,,museum ,,of ,,natural ,,history ,,vol4 ,i1 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,some ,,protective ,,designs ,,of ,,the ,,dakota4 ,,by ,,clark ,,wissler4 ,,contents4 ,,introduction ,,shield-,,designs ,,ghost-,,dance ,,designs ,,the ,,hoop ,,the ,,whirlwind ,,the ,,thunder ,,the ,,spider ,,conclusion ,,illustrations4 ,,plates4 ,v4 ,model of a ,shield1 ,museum ,no4 #ej-bibi4 ,diameter1 #ci cm4 ,,vi4 ,shield-design on a ,cape1 ,museum ,no4 #ej-cajb4 ,width of cape1 #agh cm4 ,,vii4 ,model of a ,shield1 ,museum ,no4 #ej-edfg4 ,diameter1 #df cm4 ,,text ,,figures4 #a4 ,shield-cover with ,design #b4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by a ,native #c4 ,drawing1 by a ,native1 of a ,shield-cover #d4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by a ,native #e4 ,spider-design for a ,shield1 from a ,drawing by a ,native #f4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by the ,man who dreamed of it #g4 ,shield-design representing a ,thunderstorm1 from a ,drawing by a ,native #h4 ,model of a ,shield with ,pictographic ,design #i4 ,design on ,sioux ,shield captured by a ,fox ,indian #aj4 ,front of a ,ghost-dance ,garment #aa4 ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #aj #ab4 ,designs on the ,front of ,ghost-dance ,garment #ac4 ,designs on the ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #ab #ad4 ,front of a ,ghost-dance ,garment bearing ,dragon-fly ,design #ae4 ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #ad #af4 ,circular ,design upon a ,shirt #ag4 ,sketch1 by a ,native1 of an ,elk-mystery ,dancer carrying a ,hoop with a ,mirror in the ,centre #ah4 ,engraved ,metal ,cross #ai4 ,engraved ,bone ,object #bj4 ,whirlwind ,design1 from the ,handle of a ,club #ba4 ,whirlwind ,design1 from a ,popgun #bb4 ,whistle1 of ,bone #bc4 ,design of a ,spider-web #bd4 ,sketch of a ,robe for the ,medicine-bow ,owner #be4 ,design on a ,metal ,belt-ornament #bf4 ,design of the ,spider-web on a ,straight ,pipe ,,introduction4 ,the decorative art of the ,dakota has been treated in a preceding paper1 in which brief mention was made of religious art1 or that art in which there was a definite1 unmistakable motive on the part of the artist to represent mythical or philosophical ideas4 ,in this more serious art1 a large number of designs may be characterized as 8protective designs10 because their presence or possession is in part a protection4 ,the idea in a protective design seems to be a symbolical appeal to the source or concrete manifestation of a protective power4 ,it is not easy to get the point of view and the spirit of the faith that make these designs significant1 but from the detailed explanations of them some general idea can be formed4 ,the descriptions given in this paper are based upon the statements of ,indians1 in most cases the executers of the designs4 ,the attitude of the reader toward such a study as this is often that of concluding that the points of view set forth by a writer are universal in the tribe4 ,this leads to a great deal of superficial criticism4 ,in the opinion of the writer1 any rejection of such study because one or two or several ,indians deny all knowledge of some or all of the specific native accounts upon which conclusions are based1 is absurd4 ,we might as well test the artistic sense of a city by calling in one or two persons from the street4 ,as a case in point1 the reader is referred to the remarks of ,j4 ,owen ,dorsey on the authenticity of ,bushotter's ,double ,woman4#a ,a great deal of the information received from ,indians relative to religion is largely individual1 and every ethnological field-worker must take the best of his material from the brightest men of a tribe4 ,the object of this study has been to bring together ideas expressed by various individuals more or less eminent among their people1 because all of these individual conceptions seem to have much in common4 ,the data were secured by the writer when on ,museum expeditions to the ,teton and ,yankton divisions of the ,dakota4 ----- #a ,dorsey 7,eleventh ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #dhj74 ,,shield-,,designs4 ,the circular shield was distributed over a large part of ,north ,america4 ,a conspicuous part of the arms of ,mexican warriors was 8the round1 small #8target' worn by the #8brave' on his left arm1 and made of canes netted together and interwoven with cotton #8twofold1' covered on the outside with gilded boards and with feathers1 and so strong that a hard cross-bow shot could alone penetrate them20#b but 8merely ornamental shields were also used and carried by warriors and chiefs on festive occasions only40#c ,according to the same author1 in ,pre-,columbian times some of the ,pueblo ,indians used a thick disk of buffalo-hide as a shield4 ,on the ,plains1 from the ,rio ,grande to the ,saskatchewan1 the circular shield of buffalo-hide was1 until the extinction of the buffalo1 a part of the regalia of every warrior4 ,these shields usually bore symbolic designs4 ,in many cases the designs were painted upon the rawhide itself1 and protected by a buckskin cover2 while in other cases the designs were painted upon the cover4 ,practically no shields of buffalo-hide are to be found in the hands of the surviving ,dakota2 but in social and religious ceremonies1 models or shield-covers of buckskin or cloth1 upon which are painted the designs formerly placed on shields1 are often used4 ,for purposes of study the writer secured such models of shields1 with explanations of the designs and with other shield-lore1 from persons who formerly owned buffalo-hide shields4 ,when the enemies of the ,dakota were armed with native weapons1 the shield had some value in itself1 because few arrows could get through it1 and it was of sufficient strength to ward off a blow from a club or an axe2 but even at that time the designs and medicine objects tied to the shield seem to have been regarded as of greater importance than the mechanical properties of the shield itself4 ,it was the power represented by the design to which the owner of the shield looked for protection4 ,naturally1 with the introduction of fire-arms1 shields ceased to have a real protective value2 but their designs were still looked upon as capable of affording protection against evil4 ,according to the statements of some old men who still have faith in protective designs1 the ancient shield manifested its power upon the mind of the enemy by influencing them to shoot at the shield rather than at the exposed parts of the body of its bearer4 ,but when fire-arms were introduced1 experience demonstrated that the shield was no longer a desirable object in battle1 because the same influence that drew arrows to it drew bullets also1 and in this case with fatal results4 ,from this they concluded that guns represented a mystic power superior to that of shield-designs1 but that the latter were still efficacious1 except where so overpowered4 ,this explanation is interesting1 because these men seem to have grasped the idea that the shield1 being a conspicuous object1 would attract the attention and thus the aim of the enemy2 but they confused this psychological explanation of the observed facts with a mystic conception that the magic power of the design upon the shield was the cause or force that reached out and lay hold of the attention of the enemy4 ,yet the introduction of fire-arms did not relegate the shield to oblivion2 and shield-designs are still cherished by men of the olden time1 because they represent a kind of individual totem or protective power4 ,the following descriptions of shield-designs are given with the interpretations of their owners4 ,a shield-cover decorated with feathers1 bearing a design used by a chief on ceremonial occasions1 and said by him to be the copy of a shield carried in his youth1 is shown in ,plate ,v4 ,the black border on top of the shield takes the form of the new moon1 which it represents4 ,in the centre of the shield is a well executed drawing of an ,indian on horseback4 ,the horse is in blue1 with zigzag black lines extending down the legs4 ,the blue color of the horse indicates his connection with the thunder1 or the powers of the sky4 ,the background of the shield is in yellow1 but the lower part has been worked over with green4 ,symmetrically arranged around the mounted figure are four circles of purplish color1 representing a phenomenon observed in the sky1 which seems to have been either the halo of the sun1 or the phenomenon that passes under the name of 8sun-dogs40 ,from the description of the owner of the shield1 it appears that these four circles were associated in his mind with the medicine-hoop4 ,he stated that this design as a whole was the representation of what he saw in a dream2 that the moon with its dark color was drawn to represent the night1 because that was the time when he had this experience2 and that in the dream he saw a horse and rider appear in the sky surrounded by the four circular objects1 as indicated upon the shield4 ,it appears from his explanation1 that the association of the rings with the medicine-hoop was his own individual interpretation of the significance of his dream4 ,in the dream he could see a shield associated with these objects as they would appear in reality2 but in the design he attempted to convey an idea of what he saw in conformity with the conventional modes of representative art practised by his tribe4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a 7#ej-bigj74 ,shield-cover with ,design4 ,diameter1 #db cm4 ,another shield-cover 7,fig4 #a7 bears a bird-design1 representing to the owner the osprey 7874 ,one half of the background of this shield is in yellow2 the other half1 in light green4#d ,these two colors represent the appearance of the sky at sunrise2 the yellow corresponding to the region of the dawn1 and the green to the dark sky above4 ,the four stars symmetrically arranged are colored black for the night1 yellow for the dawn1 blue for the evening1 and red for the day2 or in other words the whole circle is represented4 ,the design of the bird presents some interesting details4 ,the lightning-symbols represent the death-dealing power conferred upon the owner of such a shield-design at the time of his dream4 ,the red marks upon the breast of the bird1 representing the national emblem of the ,united ,states1 were interpreted by the owner as symbolizing such death-dealing power in contending with soldiers4 ,the peculiar feature upon the tail of the bird represents an additional experience1 and was added to the shield about the year #ahfg1 after a successful engagement with the ,united ,states troops1 in which the owner of the shield participated4 ,according to his account1 the design on the tail of the bird is the conventional symbol of the spider-web1 but is used here to represent an experience preceding the above engagement4 ,as the war-party were moving forward1 they saw a strange appearance in the sky1 which took the form of this symbol4 ,the sight of it caused the war-party to scatter2 and the interpretation placed upon this by the owner was1 that its manifestation of supernatural power1 which was to be conveyed to them1 would cause their enemies to scatter in like confusion4 ,during the confusion into which the party fell1 the stars moved rapidly through the sky and the lightning flashed in all directions4 ,this is represented by the four corners of the design4 ,at the top of the shield is a braid of sweet-grass and a small buckskin bag containing medicines of a supposed charm-value4 ,before going into battle1 some of this sweet-grass was to be burnt1 and ritualistic songs pertaining to the shield were to be sung4 ,this having been done1 the shield was supposed to protect its owner from his enemies4 ,eight feathers1 arranged in pairs1 are attached to the shield1 and their quills are painted to correspond to the parts of the background to which they are attached4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by a ,native4 ,there is one interesting feature connected with this shield-design1 and that is the fact that some of the old men disapproved of the owner placing the spider-web design upon the tail of the bird1 because it was a mixing of supernatural manifestations4 ,the incident connected with this design was regarded by them as most extraordinary1 and as having been worthy of distinct and separate representation4 ,according to the accepted modes of interpretation1 this experience should have been represented upon a new shield4 ,the specimen shown in ,plate ,,vi is not a shield-cover1 but was nevertheless spoken of as a shield2 and the design upon it is an old shield-design4 ,the specimen is a cape 7made of cotton7 worn around the shoulders in such a way that the design could be seen upon the back of the wearer4 ,here are represented the rainbow1 the thunder-bird 7possessing in this case characteristics which indicate that it was copied from the national emblem of the ,united ,states71 the new and full moon1 and the stars4 ,it will be observed that the stars in this case are four-pointed1 similar to the design of the spider-web1 and they are regarded by the ,indians as an example of the old original method of representing them4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,drawing1 by a ,native1 of a ,shield-cover4 ,as a great many ,indians who formerly owned shields do not now possess shield-covers1 the writer secured drawings made by them of their former shields4 ,such a sketch is reproduced in outline 7,fig4 #b74 ,in the centre is a design of the spider-web filled in with red4 ,the ground of the shield is in blue1 representing the sky4 ,above and below are circular areas in yellow1 representing clouds or heaven4 ,lightning-symbols in red connect the yellow cloud-symbols with the four corners of the spider-web design4 ,as a final suggestion relative to this interpretation1 the informant said1 8,the spider is the friend of the thunder40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by a ,native4 ,the manner in which the owner secured the shield-design represented in ,fig4 #c is as follows4 ,once when a war-party of which he was a member were about to take the war-path1 it was predicted by an old man that he would be killed in the first battle4 ,before leaving with the party1 he went to an old medicine-man for help1 and this man made him a shield bearing the design described below4 ,the bird represented is the hawk1--flying from the sky1 protected by the thunder from the hailstones that fly thick and fast about him1--and symbolizes the manner in which the owner of the shield will pass safely through the hail of lead from the enemy4 ,four pairs of hawk-feathers are arranged symmetrically on the circumference of the shield4 ,in the shield-design in ,fig4 #d1 we find a large circular area in the centre painted yellow and the surrounding portion red4 ,around the circumference of the yellow portion are black spots1 representing tufts of short crow-feathers4 ,upon the original shield1 across the top1 there was tied the skin of a weasel1 represented in the drawing by a pictograph of that animal4 ,four pairs of feathers are arranged symmetrically on the circumference of this design4 ,the design represented by ,fig4 #e is rather striking1 since an image of the spider is placed in the centre of the shield surrounded by a circle of red1 through which the numerous red lines radiate to the circumference of the design4 ,these red lines represent the web of the spider4 ,one end of a string is tied to the mouth of the spider1 with an eagle-plume at the other end1 painted yellow4 ,around the circumference of the design is a wavy blue line1 representing water4 ,the owner of this design received such a shield when a young man1 and stated that he never understood why the medicine-man who made it for him placed the blue line around it1 and for that reason he could not explain its significance4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4 ,spider-design for a ,shield1 from a ,drawing by a ,native4 ,the design represented in ,fig4 #f was dreamed of by the owner himself1 and in this dream he was presented with a shield bearing a design similar to the sketch4 ,as he was almost blind1 the sketch is very crude4 ,in it appear again the thunder-bird1 the stars1 the yellow clouds1 the red and blue lightning1 the new moon1 and the bear4 ,it was claimed that the curved double line at the bottom represented both the moon and the lightning2 the former by the colors1 the latter by its form4 ,another interesting point in this design is the representation of an eagle-feather upon the head of the bear4 ,this is the conventional way of representing a supernatural bear as distinguished from a real bear4#e ,the owner of this shield-design claimed1 that1 while he did not now and had not for years carried or kept about him a drawing of the design1 he felt it as a kind of magic presence hovering around him1 shielding him from harm4 ,he stated1 further1 that1 while he knew that other men used the symbols represented in his shield-design as the signs of particular powers and ideas1 he himself had no such interpretation2 for in the dream he saw nothing more than a shield bearing these designs1 and received no instruction or information as to their significance4 ,their protecting power to him lay in the peculiar supernatural presence which he always felt4 ,the shield-design in ,fig4 #g represents a thunderstorm4 ,at the top1 the clouds are represented in blue4 ,below this1 falling rain is represented by short irregular lines1 and the lightning and thunder by zigzag lines extending downward from the clouds on a background of clear sky4 ,this design originated in the same manner as did the preceding2 that is1 a finished shield was seen in a dream4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,shield-design1 from a ,drawing by the ,man who dreamed of it4 ,fig4 #g4 ,shield-design representing a ,thunderstorm1 from a ,drawing by a ,native4 ,plate ,,vii is the reproduction of a model of a shield made of shrunken bull-hide covered with buckskin4 ,it was collected by ,dr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,walker4 ,the design is somewhat similar to the preceding4 ,the upper part is painted in blue to represent the clouds1 and the lower part in bluish-green to represent the sky4 ,in the cloud-area is the drawing of a horse1 symbolizing a dream-horse 7probably the thunder-horse74 ,the thunder1 or power1 is symbolized by red zigzag lines extending downward from the cloud-area4 ,an eagle-feather and twelve hawk-feathers are tied to a small buckskin bag of medicine1 fastened to the shield in a manner suggesting their attachment to the mane of the horse4 ,the circumference of the shield is decorated with small feathers1 and four pairs of eagle-feathers are also arranged symmetrically around the circumference4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h 7#ej-edef74 ,model of a ,shield with ,pictographic ,design4 ,diameter1 #dg cm4 ,a shield 7,fig4 #h7 similar to the preceding represents a vision in which the dreamer was apparently supported by the thunder-horse in a contest with the mythical turtle4 ,a small bag of medicine and a pendant eagle-plume are attached to the shield1 as in the previous case4 ,feathers are again arranged in four pairs4 ,this specimen was collected by ,dr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,walker4 ,in the ,museum collection from the ,sauk and ,fox ,indians1 made by ,dr4 ,william ,jones1 is a shield captured from the ,sioux1 at the time of the outbreak of #ahff1 by a ,fox in the employ of the ,united ,states ,government4 ,the design was painted upon the rawhide1 but is now almost obliterated4 ,fig4 #i is a diagrammatic restoration4 ,the writer saw an old buffalo-hide shield in the possession of an ,assiniboine1 at ,fort ,belknap1 ,montana4 ,the design was painted upon buffalo-hide1 and was similar to that in ,fig4 #i4 ,he collected also from the ,dakota a number of drawings representing military exploits4 ,while twenty shields are represented in these drawings1 fourteen of them bear simple circular designs1 as shown in the adjoining figure4 ,this suggests that the older type of shield-decoration made use of simple circular designs4 ,this idea was supported by the testimony of a number of old men who ought to be competent to speak upon the subject4 ,of course1 there is no reason why the image of the thunder-bird1 so common upon modern shield-designs1 should not have been used in ancient times2 and the writer wishes to be understood as expressing this as an opinion based upon indirect evidence4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i 7#ej-cefi74 ,design on ,sioux ,shield captured by a ,fox ,indian4 ,diameter1 #db cm4 ,these circular designs often represented the sun1 other heavenly bodies1 or the sky1 which suggests that formerly the shield as a whole may have been considered as a symbol of the sun4 ,the survivors of shield-using days seemed to have no actual knowledge of any connection between the shield-form and the sun1 but usually expressed it as their opinion that it represented the sun1 and that the feathers represented the sun's rays4 ,this may have been suggested by the fact that eagle-feathers were sometimes arranged in a half-circle to represent the rays of the sun1 and that1 furthermore1 the rays of the sun were sometimes spoken of as feathers4 ,shield-designs could originate only in dreams and visions1 and were painted by the person experiencing them1 who prayed and sang over his work to give the shield power4 ,usually but four shields could be made from a single dream3 to make a great number was sacrilege4 ,among the ,blackfoot1 the shield was often accompanied by a ritual composed of songs and prayers2 and they possessed a few shields with such important rituals that they were distinguished from the others as 8medicine-shields40 ,there seems to have been a similar condition among the ,dakota1 for it was often said that medicine-shields were hung outside the tepees1 upon tripods1 and that during the day they were changed from time to time so as to keep them facing the sun4 ,this practice was observed by a number of ,plains tribes4 ,however1 among the ,dakota the tripod often gave place to a single pole4 ----- #b ,bandelier 7,reports of the ,peabody ,museum1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #aji74 #c ,bandelier1 op4 cit41 p4 #ajh4 #d ,in the drawings1 colors are indicated by the following devices3 red1 by horizontal shading2 yellow1 by vertical shading2 green1 by left oblique shading2 blue or purple1 by right oblique shading4 ,black and white have their conventional qualities4 ,the drawings were made by ,miss ,r4 ,b4 ,howe4 #e ,for an illustration see ,catlin1 ,north ,american ,indians 7#gth ed41 #ahdh71 ,plate #ajb4 ,,ghost-,,dance ,,designs4 ,about the year #ahij a religious movement1 generally known as the 8ghost-dance religion10 infected the ,plains ,indians4 ,the chief feature of this religion was the belief in a speedy return of the old time1 the buffalo1 and the extermination of the white race4 ,the different tribes had various ideas of their duties with respect to this new faith1 and1 with the exception of the ,dakota1 they did not manifest direct hostility to the white race4 ,this warlike people1 however1 were already greatly dissatisfied with the treatment they received from the ,government and with the difficult conditions under which they lived4 ,in consequence1 they received the ghost-dance religion as a herald of the good time which1 to their minds1 was to be secured only by war with the white race4 ,while a great many of the conditions in the immediate environment of the ,dakota have been given by various writers as causes for the outbreak1 the fact that these ,indians interpreted the new religion as the manifestation of a warlike spirit was probably due to the fact that they were at heart a warlike people4 ,their ideas still run toward military things4 ,as the essential idea of the ghost-dance religion was a return of the old time1 the ceremonies pertaining thereto made use of the typical objects and ideas of the past4 ,in this1 of course1 they were not entirely consistent1 since they did not discard the use of fire-arms1 and did not actually resurrect bows1 arrows1 and shields4 ,yet1 as a substitute for the protective power of the shield1 they introduced garments bearing protective designs4 ,these garments are generally known under the name of 8ghost-shirts10 and at the time of the outbreak were spoken of by white people as 8bullet-proof shirts40 ,the following are descriptions of these garments by eye-witnesses at the time of their first appearance3-- 8,all the men and women made holy shirts and dresses they wear in dance4 ,the persons dropped in dance would all lie in great dust the dancing make4 ,they paint the white muslins they made holy dresses and shirts out of with blue across the back1 and alongside of this is a line of yellow paint4 ,they also paint in the front part of the shirts and dresses4 ,a picture of an eagle is made on the back of all the shirts and dresses4 ,on the shoulders and on the sleeves they tied eagle-feathers4 ,they said that the bullets will not go through these shirts and dresses1 so they all have these dresses for war4 ,their enemies' weapon will not go through these dresses4 ,the ghost-dancers all have to wear eagle-feather on head40#f 8,i think they wore the ghost-shirt or ghost-dress for the first time that day4 ,i noticed that these were all new1 and were worn by about seventy men and forty women4 ,the wife of a man called ,return-from-scout had seen in a vision that her friends all wore a similar robe1 and on reviving from her trance she called the women together1 and they made a great number of the sacred garments4 ,they were of white cotton cloth4 ,the women's dress was cut like their ordinary dress1 a loose robe with wide1 flowing sleeves1 painted blue in the neck1 in the shape of a three-cornered handkerchief1 with moon1 stars1 birds1 etc41 interspersed with real feathers1 painted on the waist and sleeves4 8,the ghost-shirt for the men was made of the same material--shirts and leggings painted in red4 ,some of the leggings were painted in stripes running up and down1 others running around4 ,the shirt was painted blue around the neck1 and the whole garment was fantastically sprinkled with figures of birds1 bows and arrows1 sun1 moon1 and stars1 and everything they saw in nature4 ,down the outside of the sleeve were rows of feathers tied by the quill-ends and left to fly in the breeze1 and also a row around the neck and up and down outside of the leggings4 ,i noticed that a number had stuffed birds1 squirrel-heads1 etc41 tied in their long hair4 ,the faces of all were painted red with a black half-moon on the forehead or on one cheek40#g ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj 7#ej-cjec74 ,front of a ,ghost-dance ,garment4 ,length1 #abf cm4 ,as is noted by the above1 designs on these garments were made by individuals who had dreams or other unusual experiences similar to those of the medicine-men2 and it would seem from this account that the designs and objects used in the dance were in every way similar to those employed before the ghost-dance religion appeared4 ,the writer made the acquaintance of several individuals who had prepared such garments at the time of the ghost-dance1 and from them he secured reproductions with explanations as to the significance of the designs4 ,as some time had elapsed since the ghost-dance religion was at the height of its popularity1 it is possible that the more special features belonging to it were forgotten by these men1 and that they worked into the reproduced garments older and more conservative ideas4 ,however1 the writer is of the opinion1 and he took special pains to investigate as best he could1 that whatever may have been lost in this way made no important changes in either the objective character of the designs or in the ideas expressed by them4 ,as a matter of fact1 the ghost-dance in some of its milder forms is still observed4 ,some garments secured by the writer are decorated on both front and back with designs chiefly pictographic4 ,on the front of one 7,fig4 #aj7 is a large triangular space extending downward from the shoulders 7one half of which is in red and the other half in blue71 thickly dotted over with white spots representing hailstones4 ,the red represents the morning2 and the blue1 the night4 ,extending across from side to side is a large arched figure made up of red1 yellow1 white1 and green bands1 representing the rainbow4 ,above this are two four-pointed stars1 the red for the morning star and the black for the stars seen in the night4 ,there is a large green star with eight points on the dividing-line between day and night1 concerning which ,i secured no satisfactory explanation4 ,at the apex of the triangular space are small dots of yellow1 representing the dawn2 and the sun is placed on each side of the division between day and night4 ,the new moon is represented by a black crescent4 ,on the morning-side of this design is the picture of a butterfly2 while on the night-side1 extending over into the morning1 is a picture of a peculiar figure1 which the artist regarded as a spirit-bird or man-bird1 as he expressed it1 with the medicine-hoop in his hand4 ,the other portion of the dress is covered over with small dots in various colors1 representing bullets4 ,there are also pictures of butterflies1 stars1 and buffalo-tracks4 ,on one side are two parallel wavy red lines1 and on the other two in green1 representing the lightning4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa 7#ej-cjec74 ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #aj4 ,on the other side of this garment1 or the back 7,fig4 #aa71 is the representation of a bird1 which seems to be mythical rather than realistic4 ,the background upon which the figure rests is dotted to represent bullets or hail1 as both have the same significance4 ,the lower part of the garment is the most interesting4 ,here we have four buffalo-tracks arranged in rectangular relation to represent buffalo1 and a circle or medicine-hoop 7half of which is red and half green7 with extending lines of the same colors1 representing the thunder1 or its power4 ,the idea of this association of the hoop1 or1 as it is sometimes spoken of1 the mirror1 is that this buffalo escapes bullets1 or perhaps is immortal4 ,below the sign of the buffalo is a four-pointed figure1 usually known as the spider-web design1 representing the heavens2 and below this is the rainbow4 ,two swallows are represented connected to the points in the spider-web design by lines1 indicating that they enjoy the protection of this power1 making them difficult to hit with bullets or other missiles4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab 7#ej-cjed74 ,designs on the ,front of ,ghost-dance ,garment4 ,length1 #abh cm4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac 7#ej-cjed74 ,designs on the ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #ab4 ,on another garment 7,fig4 #ab71 the triangular area at the top is entirely in red1 covered with white spots representing hail1 and bordered with wavy lines representing the rainbow4 ,this represents the rainbow in the sky4 ,the dark crescent represents the moon4 ,below is a large four-pointed star in black1 representing the night1 with a line extending over each side1 representing the clouds4 ,the small disk in red represents a bullet2 and the small green crescent1 the moon4 ,below these is the spider-web design1 representing the heavens1 over the four corners of which the lightning appears2 but in this case the design is covered with dots representing the falling of the stars4 ,near this design we find the butterfly and the buffalo-tracks4 ,the remaining space on the whole garment is covered with patches of color1 representing the hail4 ,on the opposite side 7,fig4 #ac7 are peculiar triangular designs1 the background of which is in red bordered by straight lines1 suggesting the rainbow2 while on the red background are placed the design of the moon and two circles in such relation as to suggest a face4 ,this design was spoken of as the 8moon-face20 but this seems to have been an after-interpretation1 since the artist wished to represent the medicine-hoop or mirror in the sky4 ,it seems likely that this is simply an adaptation of a head-dress used in the elk ceremony4 ,below this we have a combination which appears to be the spider-web design combined with the figure of a bird1 which is said to be the dream-figure1 representing the bird seen on a tree4 ,below this we have the moon1 rainbow1 tracks of the buffalo1 stars1 butterfly1 and a mounted warrior riding through the hail4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad 7#ej-cjee74 ,front of a ,ghost-dance ,garment bearing ,dragon-fly ,design4 ,length1 #abe cm4 ,in ,fig4 #ad1 the triangular space at the top is similar to that on the preceding garment1 and need not be described here4 ,the body of the dress is covered with dragon-flies as they appear when flying over water4 ,the stars represent reflections in the water2 and the dashes of color1 the hail4 ,the wavy green lines extending down the full length of the garment represent the lightning4 ,in this case the red at the top is spoken of as the thunder-cloud4 ,on the opposite side 7,fig4 #ae71 the triangular area with its tail-like extension represents the rattlesnake4 ,in addition we have tracks of the buffalo dragon-fly1 and butterfly1 all associated as in nature4 ,upon the sides of this garment are the designs of the lizard1 swallow1 and turtle4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae 7#ej-cjee74 ,back of ,garment shown in ,fig4 #ad4 ,the above detailed statements concerning the designs and their import do not convey their full significance as it was brought out in discussions between the writer and the men who made these garments4 ,in the first place we find on them symbols to be described in another section of this paper2 namely1 the spider-web designs and the medicine-hoop4 ,it will be seen that in most cases the living creatures represented are those that seem to have power to escape the hailstones1 because1 as they say1 no matter how severe the hailstorm may be1 no one observes their dead or maimed upon the ground3 therefore they assume that these creatures possess some extraordinary power1 or receive the attention of some protective power4 ,the bird represented does not seem to be the thunder-bird1 as is usually the case in ,dakota art1 but such species1 usually birds of prey1 as soar above the destructive range of the hail4 ,the lizard and the turtle are spoken of as animals of great power1 since they are killed with great difficulty1 from which it follows that they also enjoy the protection of some power4 ,this we may generalize by saying that the ,indian placed upon these garments representations of living creatures that1 according to his observation and experience1 were seldom hit by missiles1 or that possessed great vitality1 making it difficult to kill them4 ,placed on the garments1 they express a prayer1 a hope1 or an actual realization1 on the part of the wearer1 of the protective power by which these creatures are enabled to survive4 ,the triangular designs at the top of these garments were spoken of as shields1 the idea being that they were in some measure shield-designs1 and performed the same function as did those upon shields in former times4 ,mr4 ,mooney expresses the opinion that the protective designs on garments used in the ghost-dance religion were not aboriginal with the ,indian4 8,the protective idea in connection with the ghost-shirt does not seem to be aboriginal4 ,the ,indian warrior habitually went into battle naked above the waist4 ,his protecting #8medicine' was a feather1 a tiny bag of some sacred powder1 the claw of an animal1 the head of a bird1 or some other small object which could be readily twisted into his hair or hidden between the covers of his shield1 without attracting attention4 ,its virtue depended entirely on the ceremony of the consecration1 and not on size or texture4 ,the war-paint had the same magic power of protection4 ,to cover the body in battle was not in accordance with ,indian usage1 which demanded that the warrior should be as free and unincumbered in movement as possible4 ,the so-called #8war-shirt' was worn chiefly in ceremonial dress-parades1 and only rarely on the war-path40#h ,this statement1 however1 suggests that ,mr4 ,mooney based his opinion upon objective evidence1 while the opinion expressed by the writer is based upon subjective evidence4 ,a comparison of the interpretations of shield-designs and ghost-dress designs seems to leave little opportunity for any other conclusion than that the protective designs used in the ghost-dance were essentially the same as those used in former times upon shields and other objects4 ,the garments may be foreign2 but the idea of protective designs is most certainly not peculiar to the ghost-dance religion1 since it was widely distributed among ,american tribes1 and associated with ceremonial objects that were in use at least a century before the ghost-dance religion appeared4 ,if the writer had no other information at hand than that furnished by ,mr4 ,mooney in his comprehensive study of the ghost-dance religion1 he would be inclined to regard the whole as the manifestation of aboriginal religious ideas in response to a single foreign conception2 namely1 that of the coming of a messiah and the destruction of the present order of the world4 ,the way in which the ghost-dance ceremonies were performed1 the ideas expressed in the songs1 the things the priests dreamed of1 and the objects used in the ceremonies1 are so characteristically ,indian1 that no other interpretation seems possible4 ,however1 in the present connection we are concerned with these designs as types of the universal primitive expression of belief in the presence of a guiding personal agency that looks into the affairs of men4 ----- #f ,george ,sword1 on ,ghost-dance ,religion 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #gih74 #g ,mrs4 ,z4 ,a4 ,parker 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #iaf74 #h ,mooney 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #gij74 ,,the ,,hoop4 ,the circle1 or more properly the hoop1 is a very important religious symbol among the ,dakota4 ,one form of it appears in the great hoop-game described by ,louis ,meeker1#i and later by ,dr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,walker4#aj ,this hoop is usually about two feet in diameter1 and notched so as to divide the circumference into quadrants4 ,while this hoop-game seems to be a true gambling game1 it could be and was sometimes played as part of a ritualistic ceremony the object of which was to bring the buffalo4 ,it is interesting to note that this large hoop is similar to the sacred wheel used by the ,arapaho in the sun-dance4 ,at the time of the ghost-dance outbreak among the ,dakota of ,pine ,ridge ,reservation1 ,mr4 ,mooney saw the hoop and the two pairs of sticks used with it carried in the ceremonies connected with the ghost-dance religion4 ,he states3-- 8,it is said that the medicine-man of ,big ,foot's band carried such a hoop with him in their flight from the north1 and displayed it in every dance held by the band until the fatal day of ,wounded ,knee4 ,a similar hoop was carried and hung upon the centre tree at the dance at ,no ,water's camp near ,pine ,ridge4 ,to the ,indian it symbolizes the revival of the old-time games40#aa ,the last line of the above quotation implies that the hoop was a part of the paraphernalia used in the ghost-dance ceremonies1 because it symbolized the ancient games4 ,on another page of the same article occurs the following3-- 8,as it was the favorite game with the men in the olden times1 a great many of the songs founded on these trance visions refer to it1 and the wheel and sticks are made by the dreamer1 and carried in the dance as they sing40#ab ,it should be remembered1 however1 that the game was formerly played to restore the buffalo when they were temporarily absent from their range2 and1 as one of the great objects of the ghost-dance religion was the return of the buffalo as in the olden times1 the reason for the use of the hoop in the ceremonies described by ,mooney is apparent4 ,in ,mooney's account1 a number of songs pertaining to the hoop-game are given as sung by the various tribes practising the ghost-dance religion4 ,among these is a ,dakota version1 as follows3-- 8,the holy 7hoop7 shall run1 8,come and see it1 ,the holy 7hoop7 shall run1 ,come and see it1 ,the swift hoop shall run1 ,says the father1 ,the swift hoop shall run40 ,says the father40#ac ,a mythical account of the hoop-game is given by ,dr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,walker1 which indicates one of the probable conceptions upon which this religious use of the hoop rests4#ad ,the hoop-symbol occurs in graphic form1 sometimes upon garments4 ,the writer secured a shirt that was used by one of the leaders in ghost-dances2 and which seems to have been a type of the so-called 8bullet-proof shirt40 ,this garment is daubed with red about the neck and on the shoulders1 but in addition bears four circular designs1 also in red1 with large dots at their centres 7,fig4 #af74 ,one of these designs is placed upon the right breast2 another1 directly opposite1 upon the back of the garment2 one upon the right shoulder2 and one upon the left4 ,these are so arranged1 that1 no matter from what point you see the wearer1 one of the circular designs will be visible4 ,these designs were recognized as symbols of the medicine-hoop1 and were supposed to have the power to protect the wearer from all harm4 ,the idea of placing the designs so that one of them should always be between the wearer and the source of danger may be original with the owner of this shirt2 but the number of them 7four71 and their arrangement according to the four directions1 correspond to the common explanation of religious symbols4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #af 7#ej-bifd74 ,circular ,design upon a ,shirt4 ,diameter1 #aa cm4 ,meeker describes#ae a wheel-shaped hoop-ornament consisting of a ring enclosing four spokes at right angles to each other4 ,according to his account1 this is a symbol associated with the hoop-game2 but similar specimens were seen by the writer upon the heads of ,dakota men1 who explained that these were symbols of the medicine-wheel or medicine-hoop1 and did not refer to the hoop-game4 ,they were worn because they were regarded as symbols of the power that could protect the wearer from arrows1 bullets1 or other dangers4 ,as is suggested by the above1 the game-hoop is distinguished from the medicine-hoop as used in ceremonies4 ,a medicine-hoop seems to have been used by all divisions of the ,dakota1 and1 according to the descriptions received by the writer1 to have been of several forms4 ,in certain ceremonies where the elk played an important part1 a hoop or ring was formed by twining together fresh twigs and leaves of the willow4 ,in the centre of this hoop1 a small mirror was held by four cords arranged at right angles1 and representing the four directions4 ,a drawing of an elk-dancer by a native is shown in ,fig4 #ag4 ,the painted centre for the circular designs on a shirt 7,fig4 #af7 described above1 as well as the small wheel-shaped head-ornament1 were said to represent a hoop of this type4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ag4 ,sketch1 by a ,native1 of an ,elk-mystery ,dancer carrying a ,hoop with a ,mirror in the ,centre4 ,drawing collected by ,r4 ,cronau4 ,the connection of this hoop with the idea of protection is well illustrated in the manufacture of one kind of red paint4 ,it is produced by burning a kind of yellow clay1 found near the ,black ,hills1 until it takes on the red color4 ,the paint1 however1 is given its protective power by certain ceremonies performed as it is made4 ,in the particular ceremony observed by the writer1 the yellow earth was pounded fine1 and mixed with water until it became a stiff paste4 ,this was then made into a flat disk about half an inch thick and from four to six inches in diameter1 after which a hole or depression was made in the centre4 ,the purpose of this1 as explained1 was to give it the form of a medicine-hoop1 the hole in the centre corresponding to the place occupied by the mirror in the form of hoop just described4 ,this disk was then burned in the fire until red1 after which it was pounded on a stone until fine enough for use4 ,the ceremony in preparing the paint consisted of ritualistic songs and prayers1 which reached their climax as the disk of clay was formed and perforated4 ,the burning and the subsequent preparation were not regarded as parts of the ceremony4 ,the idea1 as expressed1 was to connect the paint with the power represented by the hoop1 so that when a warrior rubbed some of it upon his body1 he came at once under the protection of this power4 ,another idea seems to be connected with the conception of the medicine-hoop1 and that is the appearance of certain mythical animals with openings through their bodies where their hearts should be4 ,the conception seems to be1 that an animal without a heart is immortal and supernatural3 at least1 this is the way in which the mythical elk was described4 ,according to the belief1 there is a connection between this opening through the heart and the centre of the medicine-hoop1 represented in the elk ceremonies by the mirror2 but it is the opinion of the writer that this is an error on the part of the ,indians themselves in associating two things that were formerly distinct4#af ,it seems rather curious that the mirror should become so closely associated with the hoop1 and that the mirror should have appealed to them as a symbol of almost equal importance4 ,the writer is of the opinion that the preceding cases1 where the mirror and the hoop are considered as identical symbols1 are the result of a former close association of the two in ceremonial affairs4 ----- #i ,meeker 7,bulletin of the ,free ,museum of ,science and ,art1 ,university of ,pennsylvania1 ,vol4 ,,iii4 ,no4 #a74 #aj ,walker 7,the ,journal of the ,american ,folk-,lore ,society1 ,october-,december1 #aije74 #aa ,mooney 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #ajge74 #ab ,mooney 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #iid74 #ac ,mooney 7,fourteenth ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,american ,ethnology1 p4 #ajge74 #ad ,walker 7,the ,journal of the ,american ,folk-,lore ,society1 ,october-,december1 #aije74 #ae ,meeker1 op4 cit41 p4 #ce4 #af ,in the ,report of the ,peabody ,museum 7,vol4 ,,iii1 p4 #bhf7 is a description by ,miss ,fletcher of some ceremonies in which the hoop and the mirror played a part4 8,the neophyte held one1 having a circular mirror1 fastened by four cords1 from which he cast a reflection of the sun from time to time upon the ground1 or held up the hoop1 and flashed the mirror40 ,the explanation given by this author of the significance of the mirror in these ceremonies differs from that secured by the writer2 but ,miss ,fletcher's account seems to refer to a form of ceremony pertaining to the elk rites not mentioned in his notes4 ,,the ,,whirlwind4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ah 7#ej-bjie74 ,engraved ,metal ,cross4 ,collected by ,r4 ,cronau4 ,length1 #bc cm4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai 7#ej-bhih74 ,engraved ,bone ,object4 ,collected by ,r4 ,cronau4 ,length1 #bd cm4 ,in another place the writer has described the conception of the power of the whirlwind among some of the ,dakota1 but wishes at this time to refer to it again because of its relation to their system of protective designs4#ag ,as stated in the former publication1 there seems to be in the minds of some of the ,dakota an association between the phenomenon of the whirlwind and those mental states generally known as 8confusion of mind40 ,some of them believed and still believe that the power in the whirlwind can be invoked to confuse the mind of an enemy4 ,in common with many other ,american tribes1 the ,dakota believe the whirlwind to be associated with the fluttering wings of a moth1 but they also associate this with the cocoon of the same moth2 and in symbolic representation the design representing the power of the whirlwind is of an elongated diamond-shape1 and refers to the cocoon4 ,the protection or aid of the whirlwind was secured by prayers1 and these prayers were symbolized by the cocoon worn upon the person1 by its image in stuffed buckskin1 or by its graphic representation1 sketched or painted4 ,the power of the whirlwind was supposed to have been associated with the power of the spider-web4 ,as an illustration of this1 we find engraved upon a ,german-silver cross 7,fig4 #ah7 the spider1 and near it three representations of the whirlwind cocoon4 ,between the spider and these three designs is a zigzag line1 implying the mystic power connection of the same4 ,again1 on a forked bone object 7,fig4 #ai71 the use of which is unknown1 occur a number of incised designs1 among which is again what seems to be the spider-web1 the tracks of a quadruped 7probably the buffalo71 and four designs representing the whirlwind cocoon1 accompanied in each case by another design which cannot be determined1 but which resembles the footprints of a person4 ,it is interesting to note that the ,german-silver cross also bears the tracks of the buffalo1 or some ruminant animal1 in association with the spider4 ,in the absence of direct information1 the writer hesitates to offer any interpretation of the design upon these specimens1 although he feels that they could be interpreted with reasonable certainty4 ,the design of the whirlwind resembles a feather-design1 and no doubt the two are often confused4 ,the difference seems to be1 that1 when representing the whirlwind1 half of the design is filled with parallel or crossing lines2 while1 when representing feathers1 half of the design is filled in with color 7see ,fig4 #ai74 ,the feather-design is more fixed in form than that of the whirlwind4 ,fig4 #bj is a representation of the latter1 from the handle of a club1 where it appears in a series with the spider1 lizard1 elk1 and turtle4 ,another form of the same design is repeated in a series on a wooden popgun 7,fig4 #ba74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj 7#ej-dchj74 ,whirlwind ,design1 from the ,handle of a ,club4 ,length1 #e cm4 ,fig4 #ba 7#ej-dbdd74 ,whirlwind ,design1 from a ,popgun4 ,length of design1 #g4e cm4 ----- #ag ,wissler 7,the ,journal of the ,american ,folk-,lore ,society1 ,october-,december1 #aije74 ,,the ,,thunder4 ,the thunder is a very important deity among all the ,indians of the ,plains1 and is usually associated with military exploits4 ,while the ,dakota generally regard the thunder as a bird1 usually symbolized by the eagle1 yet they sometimes speak of it as a horse1 a man1 or a dog4 ,the horse always appealed to them as a creature of mysterious origin1 and in many cases was assumed to have been given by the thunder4 ,in any event there is an association in their minds between the power of a war-horse and the thunder4 ,the thunder is often represented by a zigzag or wavy line1 usually in red2 but this symbol really represents the power of the phenomenon in the abstract1 because the ,indian does have the conception of a force in nature4 ,consequently this graphic symbol is also a general sign for the presence of mysterious supernatural power4 ,the whistles made from the leg and wing bones of eagles1 and used among the ,plains tribes1 are generally employed by the ,dakota to symbolize the cry of the eagle as a representative of the thunder-bird4 ,in battle1 or sometimes in stress of great trial1 they are sounded to call up the power of the thunder to rescue the unfortunate one4 ,as a rule1 a zigzag line is scratched down the sides of these whistles4 ,in this connection it is interesting to note the following3-- 8,before daylight ,i set off with five ,indians4 4 4 4 ,this caused a halt1 as we were surrounded and began to suspect that the enemy had planned to cut us off4 ,the ,indians put on their war-caps1 uttering some few words which ,i could not hear distinctly1 and then began to whistle with a small bone instrument which they hung around their necks for that purpose40#ah ,this account 7#ahjg7 by an acute observer is interesting1 because our present knowledge enables us to understand the muttered prayers and the use of the whistle4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bb 7#ej-cjbc74 ,whistle1 of ,bone4 ,length1 #ai cm4 ,the whistle shown in ,fig4 #bb is interesting because of the objects that accompany it4 ,the whistle is from the wing-bone of an eagle1 and near the top is a small bag containing the medicine of the owner4 ,the feathers of the yellow-winged woodpecker are attached thereto1 because this bird is considered as an associate of the thunder-bird1 or at least it holds some relation to the thunder1 since the ,dakota have observed1 that1 when a storm is approaching1 this bird gives a peculiar shrill call not unlike the sound of the whistle spoken of above4 ,this they interpret as speaking to the thunder4 ,consequently1 the feathers of this bird1 when attached to the whistle1 are supposed to put the individual also in a position to speak to the thunder4 ,this bird has a large dark spot on the throat1 which is said to represent the moon and to be further evidence of the sacred character of the bird4 ,thus we have a combined charm representing the woodpecker and the eagle1--two birds closely associated with the thunder4 ,the ceremony of offering a filled pipe to the thunder was frequently observed by the ,dakota4 ,one man stated that once1 when the camp was threatened by an approaching storm1 he filled a large pipe1 went to the top of a hill1 and1 facing the storm1 made an offering to the thunder by extending the stem upward1 and praying1 with the result that the storm divided1 and passed around the camp without serious damage to his people4 ,in the decoration of pipe-stems1 a bunch of horsehair is attached 7usually colored red71 and this is often spoken of as an emblem of the thunder-horse4 ,this horsehair is to signify the presence of the power of the thunder1 as manifest in the horse1 in all ceremonies connected with the pipe4 ,it is worth while noting that in this case we have an illustration of a peculiarity of religious lore1--the indirect symbolizing of a power by one of a series of objects in which that power is manifest4 ,the ,united ,states emblem of the eagle with outstretched claws1 holding arrows and the lightning1 is regarded by the ,dakota as an appeal on our part to the thunder-bird2 and statements to the contrary are usually interpreted as white men's lies to deceive the ,indians and to guard the power4 ,there is little doubt that the ,dakota manner of drawing the thunder-bird has been modified by the ,united ,states emblem1 and that their own idea of his power has been influenced accordingly4 ----- #ah ,new ,light on the ,early ,history of the ,greater ,northwest1 p4 #dcf4 ,,the ,,spider4 ,the association between the spider1 the spider-web1 and the thunder1 is very close--so close1 that it is difficult to understand the conception of the power of the spider without considering the power of the thunder4 ,the spider is often spoken of as the 8spider-man40 ,it is also associated with the mythical elk4 ,it was supposed to have great power4 ,the observed fact that a spider manufactures a web1 and that this web is not destroyed by bullets or arrows 7since they pass through it1 leaving only a hole71 is cited by some individuals as the basis for the conception that the spider has power to protect people from harm4 ,on the other hand1 the spider is spoken of as a friend of the thunder2 and it is a general belief that the thunder will never harm the spider-web1 or1 what amounts to the same1 that the spider-web itself is a protection against thunder4 ,as previously stated1 the spider-web is represented by a peculiar four-cornered design4 ,this design is sometimes said to represent the heavens1 in which case the four points represent the four directions1 the home of the winds1 the four thunders1 etc42 the supernatural character of the design being indicated by lightning-symbols extending from the four corners4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bc 7#ej-cjie74 ,design of a ,spider-web4 ,in a preceding paper1#ai the spider-web design was discussed in its relation to decorative art1 where it was noted that among some divisions of the ,dakota is a belief in a double woman1#bj to whom1 among other things1 certain ceremonial uses of this design are attributed4 ,according to information secured by the writer1 this character was also associated with the elk ceremonies1 where she was often represented by two women tied together by a cord 7about two feet in length71 from the middle of which hung a doll or a ball4 ,women often receive power by dreaming of this character4 ,some such women are supposed to perform a kind of ceremony1 somewhat secret1 in which a child is taken out to a lonely place1 where a swing or hammock-like structure is made in the form of the spider-web design1 supported by the four corners1 and the child is placed upon it4 ,this is to bring good fortune to the child4 ,a design of the spider-web might then be placed upon the robe of the child as a symbol of its having experienced the ceremony 7,fig4 #bc74 ,the men1 however1 use this design for military protection1 in which connection it is not thought of as being associated in any way with the mythical double woman4 ,it is1 however1 closely associated with the medicine-bow4 ,this was a very sacred military object with the ,dakota1 of which only four duplicates could be had4 ,it consisted of a bow of plain wood1 of the usual length1 to the end of which was attached a spear-head4 ,fastened to the bow was a stick somewhat longer1 sharpened at one end1 and decorated with feathers and other symbolic objects4 ,the purpose of the stick was to support the bow1 since all such sacred objects would lose their power if allowed to touch the ground4 ,the bow was not used as a weapon1 but was carried as a standard1 because of its supposed magical power over the enemy4 ,the figure of the dragon-fly was usually painted upon the bow and its support1 as well as dots representing insects that fly swiftly1 and zigzag lines representing thunder4 ,feathers of the eagle1 the magpie1 the hawk1 and1 in fact1 of all birds swift of wing1 were likewise attached to it4 ,the association between these insects and birds was the same as that previously noted2 that is1 since they were swift in motion1 and difficult to strike1 they represented the qualities desired by the bearers of the bow4 ,these bows have long since passed out of existence1 but survive in models made for commercial purposes4 ,the account of the origin of the medicine-bow is as follows3-- 8,a man dreamed of the thunder1 and afterwards called in four men to assist him in making the medicine-bow4 ,they went through the preliminaries 7the sweat-house1 etc471 after which a special tent was erected4 ,the ground inside of this tent1 where the dreamer and his four companions sat1 was covered with sage-grass4 ,a young man was called in to act as their assistant4 ,he was sent out to cut elm sticks4 ,he went out slowly1 and after a time came back with the sticks4 ,then he was sent out to get together the feathers of swift flying birds1 pieces of buffalo-hide1 paints1 etc4 ,he went around the camp1 and begged these of the people4 8,then the four men set to work making the sticks under the direction of the dreamer4 ,the dreamer gave a bow to one of the men1 and a piece of buffalo-hide in which to wrap the sticks1 also a wooden bowl from which to eat4 8,after a time1 the faces of the men were painted red4 ,when the sticks were finished1 four men came in wrapped in buffalo-robes1 each carrying a drum4 ,now the four men who had prepared the sticks were ready to receive the bow1 and the drummers began to drum and sing4 ,then the man who dreamed about the bow carried it outside of the lodge1 pointing it toward the west4 ,he was followed by the whole company1 and1 after singing a song1 they took a step forward and pointed the bow to the north2 another step again1 then pointed to the east2 and then a step forward1 pointing to the south4 ,then they ran toward the west1 then toward the east1 then toward the north1 and then toward the south4 ,the significance of this is1 that the thunder resides in the four directions of the heavens1 and also goes in all directions1 so that the carrying of the sticks toward the various points of the compass puts them in touch with the thunder4 ,then they went back to the sweat-house1 and the ceremony was complete4 8,the man who owns one of these bows must not wear iron on his person1 he must never give his food to any one else after eating from it himself1 and he must never allow the bow1 or any part of it1 to touch the ground40#ba ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bd4 ,sketch of a ,robe for the ,medicine-bow ,owner4 ,drawn by a ,native4 ,the owner of a medicine-bow should have a buffalo-robe with special decorations1 consisting of a spider-web design of the character previously described1 from the corners of which extend wavy lines representing the thunder4 ,sometimes the picture of a thunder-bird was drawn above the spider-web design1 or a few tail-feathers of the eagle were attached to the robe4 ,the spider-web design on the robe of an owner of a medicine-bow was to symbolize the thunder1 for1 as stated by the informants1 the spider is a friend of the medicine-bow4 ,none of these robes are now in existence2 but sketches were made for the writer1 one of which is reproduced in ,fig4 #bd4 ,the body-painting for the medicine-bow was rather elaborate4 ,in the first place1 the whole body was smeared over with a brownish-red paint1 representing the earth in a buffalo-wallow4 ,there were two ways of decorating the face4 ,in one1 a curved line was drawn1 extending from the corners of the mouth around over the forehead1 the ends of the lines being forked to represent lightning4 ,wavy lines1 also with forked ends1 were drawn down the arms and the legs4 ,these lines were in black or blue4 ,blue bands were painted around the ankles1 arms1 wrists1 and shoulders1 representing the power of the lightning4 ,these bands were often covered with wristlets and anklets of rabbit-fur1 because the rabbit was in some way associated with the medicine-bow4 ,in the other painting1 a crescent1 representing the moon1 was placed upon the forehead and a line drawn from ear to ear across the bridge of the nose4 ,in this form1 the body-painting was the same as in the preceding1 except that one of the lines upon the leg was straight instead of wavy1 and it was said to signify the desire for ability to think straight or to possess presence of mind1 in contrast to the state of mind supposed to be produced by the power of the whirlwind4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #be 7#ej-bjic74 ,design on a ,metal ,belt-ornament4 ,width1 #b cm4 ,fig4 #bf 7#ej-cabd74 ,design of ,spider-web on a ,straight ,pipe4 ,length1 #be cm4 ,the spider-web design has been mentioned in connection with shield and other designs1 and a retrospect indicates a peculiar graphic resemblance in it to the older type of star-designs shown in ,plate ,,vi4 ,the writer uses the term 8older0 on the authority of two ,indians4 ,some incised designs on metal ornaments worn by a woman1 of the form shown in ,fig4 #be1 seem to be a combination of the older star-design and that of the spider-web4 ,another design 7,fig4 #bf7 scratched on the bowl of a straight pipe of red stone was also said to represent the spider-web4 ,there is another design used by the ,dakota in ceremonies relating to the buffalo2 but it is rectangular in form with projecting corners1 and is considered a distinct symbol4 ----- #ai ,wissler 7,bulletin of the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,vol4 ,,xvii1 p4 #bdh74 #bj ,dorsey 7,eleventh ,annual ,report of the ,bureau of ,ethnology1 p4 #dhj74 #ba ,narrated by an ,ogalala man4 ,,conclusion4 ,the first point that appears in the consideration of these designs and their interpretations is the animistic basis upon which they rest4 ,the ,indian has observed nature1 and singled out those qualities and situations that are not only wonderful from his point of view1 but greatly to be desired as means to his own ends4 ,he then proceeds on the assumption that these originate in and are due to some hidden agency1 from which it follows1 that1 if he can put himself in the place of one of the favored living creatures1 he will in turn be the object upon which this hidden agency will act4 ,if he can be the bird that rides the storm in safety1 he will in turn ride successfully the analogous storms of his own sphere1 and1 like the child that in its own mind is the policeman when it thrusts a club into its waistband1 he feels that he is the bird calling to the thunder when he sounds the bone whistle1 and mutters his song-prayer4 ,that this is true only of the great ,indian or the devotee1 speaking in relative terms1 and that the mass of ,indian-kind follow in blind imitation of the more sensitive few1 may be true2 but the phenomena1 for all that1 are none the less ethnic4 ,one characteristic of the foregoing protective designs is1 that they are usually animal motives to the almost entire exclusion of plant and inanimate forms4 ,while it is true that the phenomena of the heavens hold a prominent place in this art1 such phenomena are often interpreted as results of the activity of animal-like beings1 and consequently are so expressed in art4 ,the conditions leading to such a result are doubtless many and intricate2 but the tendency to ignore plant-forms in protective conceptions may be due to the inactive character of the more inanimate world4 ,inert things are not easily conceived of as guardians or protectors4 ,on the other hand1 the ,indian may not see the logical necessity of carrying his view to the utmost bounds of the universe4 ,pots and kettles may have an animistic presence within themselves2 but perhaps this does not appeal to the ,indian1 because the living creatures are so much nearer to him and the analogy between their lives and his is not difficult to perceive4 ,the mystery in the animal forms that come and go1 in the storm1 and in the heavenly bodies1 reaches the mind unaided2 but the plant and mineral wonders require a more microscopic eye4 ,that there was a time when the animals were as the people is the striking thought in many ,indian myths1 and this indicates a belief in the fundamental life-identity of all moving creatures4 ,there is1 however1 one interesting suggestion in the interpretation of protective powers4 ,in all of these conceptions we find less appeal for the direct destruction of enemies than for a shielding protection to enable the man himself to be the destructive agent4 ,his prayers are1 that he may be swift and impossible to hit in order that he may strike down the victim4 ,again1 there are in every part of the preceding paper examples of the close association between powers1 or at least power-symbols1 that are from many points of view incongruous2 as the mirror and the hoop1 the spider1 the thunder1 and the elk4 ,there is in these a tendency to coalesce into conceptions of larger wholes in which the power becomes more general1 tending toward the definite abstraction of a power-unit1 or identity of forces in nature4 ,these larger conceptions1 that are really much more complex than indicated in this brief paper1 seem to represent a growth1 or at least an accumulation of ideas1 on the part of a people who have not felt the need of systematically unifying them1 or expressing them as an objective unit4 ,illustration3 ,,anthrop4 ,,pap4 ,a4 ,m4 ,n4 ,h4 ,,vol4 ,i1 ,,plate ,v4 ,,model ,,of ,a ,,shield4 ,illustration3 ,,shield-,,design ,,on ,a ,,cape4 ,,plate ,,vi4 ,illustration3 ,,anthrop4 ,,pap4 ,a4 ,m4 ,n4 ,h4 ,,vol4 ,i1 ,,plate ,,vii4 ,,model ,,of ,a ,,shield4 ,,transcriber ,,notes ,misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected4 ,punctuation has been maintained4 ,some illustrations were moved to facilitate page layout4 ,the end of ,some ,protective ,designs of the ,dakota1 by ,clark ,wissler4