,,the ,,feather ,,symbol ,,in ,,ancient 
,,hopi ,,designs                        
,j4 ,,walter ,,fewkes      ,although the
 prehistoric ,indians of ,tusayan have  
left no written  records in the forms of
 books1 documents1 or codices1 there    
survives  from their time a most        
elaborate paleography which has been    
preserved  on imperishable material in  
the dry soil of ,arizona for several    
centuries4 ,this paleography is a       
picture writing1 often highly symbolic  
and complicated1 but from it the student
 can obtain an idea of ,hopi  thought   
and its expression at that remote time4 
,it reveals phases  of ancient life     
which have been modified or lost in the 
subsequent  development of the race4    
,the most abundant of all objects found 
in the ruins scattered over the         
,southwest are fragments of pottery1 and
 if the cemeteries of these  ancient    
habitations are excavated large         
collections of decorated  bowls1 vases1 
and jars may be had from any ruin of    

considerable size4  ,the majority of    
these fragments of pottery from ,tusayan
 are richly  decorated with designs1    
some of which are very complicated4 ,the
 figures  represented in this           
ornamentation are often realistic1 but  
many are  highly symbolic and           
conventionalized4 ,it is an object of   
the present  article to discuss one     
symbol of the latter group1 and for this
 purpose  ,i have chosen the feather1   
which1 through its metamorphosis in     
form1 is  one of the more difficult to  
recognize4    ,before passing to a      
consideration of the feather in ancient 
,hopi  symbolism1 it may be interesting 
to note that very few of the  figures   
with which pottery from pueblo ruins is 
decorated have been  interpreted1 and we
 may say that the study is as yet in its
 infancy4  ,the ancient ,tusayan ware   
bears several designs of a simple1      
geometric  shape1 which are widely      
distributed over the whole ,pueblo area 
of  the ,southwest4 ,so far1 however1 as

 my knowledge of ancient ,pueblo        
paleography goes1 the symbols of the    
feather as here indicated are  confined 
to ruins of villages which are purely   
,hopi in origin1 although  they may     
later be found elsewhere in ,arizona or 
,new ,mexico4    ,i have shown in       
several previous publications on the    
ceremonials of  the ,hopi ritual the    
significant part which the figure of the
 feather  plays in the decoration of    
altars and ceremonial paraphernalia1 but
 ,i  am unaware that any one has yet    
called attention to the very important  
use of the feather symbols in the       
decoration of ancient ,hopi ceramics4   
,a pottery ornamentation has a religious
 intent1 and1 since from its  presence  
as a decorative element there is every  
reason to believe that  the feather in  
ancient times held much the same        
position in the ritual  as at present1  
it is instructive to trace its many     
variations as a  symbol4    ,while what 
is here written is drawn more especially

 from the  paleography of ,sikyatki1#a  
it is true1 likewise1 of that           
represented  in all the ,tusayan ruins  
where yellow ware is abundant4 ,i might 
instance examples from old ,cuopavi1    
,kisakobi or ,old ,walpi1 and  ,old     
,micoinovi4 ,it does not1 however1 hold 
in all particulars when  we study the   
red ware characteristic of the ruins    
along the ,little  ,colorado river1     
where the feather takes another symbolic
 form not fully  discussed in the       
present article4 ,it applies to         
representations of  the feather as      
depicted on altars now in use in        
,tusayan1 symbols of  feathers on dolls 
and ceremonial paraphernalia used by    
people who are  lineal descendants of   
the inhabitants of the ruined pueblos   
mentioned  above4 ,the ruins of         
,sikyatki lie about three miles east of 
,walpi1 and  the pueblo of which they   
are the remains was destroyed previously
 to  the middle of the sixteenth        
century4    ,i have grouped all the     

striking modifications in bird and      
feather  symbols in close approximation 
in an installation of the more          
instructive pieces of pottery from      
,sikyatki in the ,national ,museum1 at  
,washington1 and the reader may there   
find a larger series illustrating       
ancient ,hopi paleography than has ever 
before been displayed4 ,a  forthcoming  
report#b of the ,bureau of ,american    
,ethnology1 under  the auspices of which
 institution these objects were         
collected1 will  describe these         
variations in detail1 and as this report
 is elaborately  illustrated1 the reader
 will soon have abundant published      
material from  which to study           
modifications of the feather symbol in  
ancient ,tusayan4    ,we have no        
difficulty in recognizing among the many
 figures of animals  which the ancient  
,hopi potter depicted on her wares the  
great group  to which any one belongs4  
,four-legged animals of two kinds1 frogs
  and lizards1 are readily separated    

from mammals2 apodal reptiles or  snakes
 are easily distinguished from both1 and
 there is no difficulty  in separating  
the moth or butterfly from the spider or
 dragon-fly4  ,the great group to which 
the animal depicted belongs is not      
difficult  to discover1 and from a large
 series of related designs one may trace
  quite readily the changes in form     
which have resulted in highly           
conventionalized modifications4    ,the 
most constant group of animals chosen   
for realistic or symbolic               
representation on ancient ,tusayan      
ceramic ware is that of birds4  ,more   
than two-thirds of all the pictographs  
on ancient pottery where  animals are   
intended represent avian forms4 ,the    
modifications which  these figures pass 
through as they become conventionalized 
likewise  exceed in number and variety  
those of any other animals1 and a       
comprehensive study of the different    
symbols representing birds would  be a  
most interesting and instructive one4   

,this study is important as  a          
ground-work for the following           
conclusions1 for in no other way can  we
 identify as feathers some of the highly
 modified symbols which are  here       
considered4 ,an adequate discussion of  
different forms of birds in  ancient    
designs would necessitate more pages of 
text and illustrations  than could here 
be devoted to it4 ,if my conclusions    
seem hasty1 ,i  must ask the reader not 
to reject them without examining        
collateral  evidences which ,i have     
elsewhere presented4    ,the ancient    
,hopi decorator not only represented    
birds in many more  different shapes    
than she did other animals1 but even    
decorated other  animals with feathers  
in accordance with ancient traditions4  
,nor did  she stop with animals2        
symbolic figures of the sun or the      
lightning  or the rainbow have symbols  
of feathers attached to them1 and this1 
to us incongruous1 association is often 
essential to indicate the  symbol4 ,this

 predominance in the number of pictures 
of feathered  gods is a faithful        
reproduction of denizens of their       
ancient  ,pantheon4 ,the majority of the
 gods were avian in character1 even when
  anthropomorphic4#c ,several animals1  
as mythic lizards1 snakes1 and  even    
mammalian forms1 are represented in     
ancient pictography1 furnished  with    
crests of feathers on their heads4      
,these are drawn in this way  in        
conformance with ancient legends1 and1  
with traditions to guide  us1 we have   
little difficulty in determining some of
 the symbolic  forms which the feather  
takes in pictography4 ,this method is   
used by  me as corroboratory evidence in
 determining the prescribed symbols  of 
feathers which have been previously     
identified by their relative  positions 
on the bodies of birds4    ,it is plain1
 ,i think1 that having determined from  
an avian figure  the form of the organs 
and appendages of the bird in their     
different  modifications1 due to        

conventionalism1 we are able to         
recognize the  symbolic forms adopted by
 ancient artists to represent the       
feathers of  wing1 tail1 or body4 ,if   
figures of feathers were so well drawn  
that we  could identify them as such1 we
 would have no difficulty in recognizing
  a feather when drawn on a fragment of 
pottery1 where no other part  of a bird 
was represented4 ,an accurately drawn   
feather in such cases  would be easily  
recognized2 but the feathers made by the
 ancient  ,hopi decorators of pottery   
were not accurate representations--they 
were symbolic4 ,the only way we can     
identify them is by association4        
,having determined the head1 body1 legs1
 tail1 and wings of an animal  which    
must be a bird1 we examine the separate 
components which form  the tail and     
conclude what part represents a tail    
feather4 ,we use1 in  other words1 the  
morphological method of determining the 
homologies of  organs and appendages    
which we borrow from naturalists and    

apply to  pictographs4    ,having thus  
determined the symbol of a tail or wing 
feather from their  positions in        
representations of birds and fixing in  
the mind its form1  we are able to      
recognize it where it reappears1        
isolated1 or in new  combinations4      
,while this way of determining the      
feather symbol was the  method adopted1 
there was brought to its aid likewise   
the testimony of  living priests1 among 
whom knowledge of some of the ancient   
symbols  still survives4 ,this latter   
aid to a comprehension of the symbols of
  ancient paleography is valuable1 so   
far as it goes1 but it does not  take   
one long to discover that it is limited 
in its application4 ,many  ancient      
designs are incomprehensible to living  
,hopi priests1 and their                
interpretations are in some cases simply
 conjectural4 ,the decay in  knowledge  
of the meanings of old symbols is due to
 the fact that most  of the ancient     
symbolism has been replaced by the      

modern4    ,in their drawings of animals
 the ancient ,hopi artists were often   
far  from realistic4 ,they violated many
 fundamental rules in perspective4      
,this is well illustrated in profile    
figures4 ,it often happens1 for         
instance1 in delineating the head of an 
animal1 as seen from one side1  that    
both eyes are represented4 ,the feathers
 of a bird's tail1 normally  on a       
horizontal plane1 are brought into a    
vertical4 ,internal organs  which are   
hidden from sight are sometimes         
represented--a characteristic  of modern
 ,pueblo art1 where1 as in pictures of  
antelopes1 it is not  uncommon to find  
the heart and sophagus1 or even the     
intestinal tract1  drawn as if the      
animal were transparent4 ,in a figure of
 a bird shown  on plate ,,lix in my     
preliminary account of ,sikyatki1 where 
the artist  apparently had no available 
space in which to represent the         
extremity  of the tail1 it is bent      
upward1 and the tips of three feathers  

conventionalized into three triangles1  
one of the symbols of wing  feathers1 as
 elsewhere shown4    ,in their simplest 
forms figures of birds are crudely      
represented1  consisting of a head with 
curved beak and elongated body1 which is
  continued backward into three or four 
parallel lines1 representing tail       
feathers4    ,it is an instructive fact 
that three#d seems to be the            
predominating  number of tail feathers  
in pictures of birds1 as seen in the    
clusters  of symbolic feathers1 f1 in   
the richly decorated vase a part of     
which is depicted in figure #e4 ,this   
number1 however1 is not universal1  for 
there are many well-drawn figures of    
birds with more than three              
tail-feathers1 and in some of the       
simpler forms there are but two4        
,certain jars in the form of birds have 
the wing and tail feathers  represented 
by parallel lines1 and the same bands   
are often employed  on the bodies of    
dolls to represent a feathered garment  

which some  mythological personages are 
reputed to have worn4    ,one of the    
common forms of the feather symbol is   
shown in figure #a1  which represents   
the tail of a bird as pictured on a     
beautiful food  basin from ,sikyatki4   
,in this figure five feathers are       
represented1  and the characteristic    
marking of each feather is a division   
into a  black and red zone by a diagonal
 line4 ,the upper part of the figure    
represents the body and the two lateral 
appendages the wings1 which in  the     
original figure are well represented4 ,a
 figure of feathers with the  same      
outline1 but destitute of the           
characteristic markings of figure #a1   
may be seen in figure #b1 where three   
feather symbols are represented4        
,illustration3 #a #b    ,figure #be     
represents a crest composed of three    
feathers copied from  a design on the   
head of a reptilian figure depicted on  
the interior of  a food basin from      
,sikyatki4 ,there are other figures of  

animals which  bear this symbolic form  
of feather on the head1 and its         
occurrence as  a decorative design on   
the exterior of food basins1 where there
 is no  other suggestion of a bird1 is  
common4    ,the same form of the feather
 symbol appears in figure #c1 where we  
have the triangular tips differently    
marked from any of the previous         
symbols4 ,there are in the ,sikyatki    
collection designs representing  birds  
where the feathers of the tail are      
identical in shape and  markings with   
these1 and it is reasonable to suppose  
that in this  figure they represent the 
same parts as when attached to a picture
 of a  bird4    ,the fragment shown in  
figure #c represents a portion of the   
upper  surface of a vase1 of which the  
dotted line is the border of the        
orifice4    ,having determined from its 
position on a bird that the main design 
in figure #c is a conventionalized      
feather1 let us see if there is         
corroborative evidence from other       

sources telling the same story4    ,in  
modern ,hopi ceremonials the priests use
 a small gourd receptacle for  sacred   
water1 specimens of which have been     
figured elsewhere4#f ,it  sometimes     
happens that an earthen vase is used for
 the same purpose4  ,this water gourd is
 covered by a cotton net1 and feathers  
are tied to  that part of the net which 
surrounds the orifice4 ,when an earthen 
vase  is used a cotton string is tied   
around the neck of the vase1 and to     
this string feathers are attached4      
,apparently we have a deep-seated  and  
significant connection between the      
ancient vase and the modern  ceremonial 
counterpart with appended feathers4 ,the
 ancient form had  symbols of feathers  
painted on the upper surface about the  
orifice1 the  modern has the feather    
itself tied in the same position4    ,in
 the design represented in figure #c we 
have1 therefore1 symbols of  feathers   
represented as tied around the neck of  
an ancient ,sikyatki  vase4 ,the figure 

represents only a portion of the top of 
this vessel1  but gives enough to show  
the general character of this form of   
feather  symbol4 ,if we compare this    
symbol with those on the head of the    
picture  of ,tuwup#g on the upright     
slats of the ,katcina altars of modern  
times  we will find an exact            
correspondence4 ,they are also the same 
in shape  and markings as the painted   
wooden sticks representing feathers on  
the  heads of several dolls4#h    ,the  
symbolic picture of the feather has     
still other modifications in  its       
markings from the preceding1 although   
preserving the same shape4    ,one of   
the most highly conventionalized        
symbolic figures of the feather  is a   
triangle in which there are two parallel
 lines on one side4 ,this  form of the  
feather symbol is said to be the feather
 of the wild  turkey1 and the double    
marking recalls that of a tail feather4 
,we find this symbol on the angles of   
the lightning snakes of the             

sand-picture of the ,antelope altar at  
,cuopavi1#i on wooden slats of  the     
,flute altars1#aj and elsewhere4 ,i have
 ceramic objects from the  ruins of     
,homolobi and ,chevlon which bear this  
form of feather symbol1  and it appears 
to have been used as far south as       
,pinedale1 on the  northern edge of the 
,apache reservation4    ,illustration3  
#c #d #e    ,one of the most beautiful  
vessels from the cemetery of ,sikyatki  
is  the butterfly vase1 the complicated 
design on which ,i have figured  in     
plate ,,lx of the ,smithsonian ,report  
for #ahie4 ,i have represented a  sector
 of this design in figure #e in order to
 point out the feather  decorations     
which form an important element in the  
ornamentation4 ,the  other sectors      
closely resemble that figured1 with the 
exception that  the butterflies in      
alternating sections have different     
markings on  their heads1 indicative of 
the sex4 ,the butterfly here represented
 is  female1 and it is interesting to   

note the fact that the symbol of the    
female was the same when this vase was  
made as that now used in ,hopi          
ceremonials4#aa ,there are three        
clusters of feathers 7f7 in this        
section1 and each cluster is composed of
 three members4 ,one of these  clusters 
corresponds with those from the head of 
the reptile1 figure #b4    ,the three   
feathers shown in the cut below the     
butterfly1 and  peripherally placed on  
the surface of the vase1 are likewise   
feather  symbols1 but as they have      
different markings from the others are  
probably from a different genera of     
birds4 ,this form of feather symbol  is 
a common one on ancient ,sikyatki ware4 
,one of the best illustrations  may be  
seen in the wing of the bird which is   
figured on plate ,,lx of  my preliminary
 report on ,sikyatki 7op4 cit474 ,that  
portion of the  wing which reproduces   
the wing feathers is shown in figure #d1
 and its  resemblance to the feathers on
 figure #e will1 ,i think1 be evident at

 a  glance4#ab    ,on several of the    
food basins from ,sikyatki we find two  
or more  feathers of this kind          
represented as hanging from a ring-shape
 or  crescentic figure4 ,one of the     
former is represented in plate ,,lxi of 
the ,smithsonian ,report for #ahie4 ,the
 latter symbol has come down to  modern 
times1 and the figure painted on a      
shield of the ,soyalua  ceremony1       
represented in color on plate ,,civ of  
my article on ,tusayan  ,katcinas1#ac is
 almost an exact reproduction of the    
design on  a ,sikyatki food basin4 ,this
 is one of several symbols on modern    
ceremonial paraphernalia which we can   
trace back over three hundred  years by 
the aid of archaeology4                 
,illustration3 #f #g    ,the feather may
 lose all semblance to the preceding    
forms and become a  simple triangle4    
,this is the case in figures #f and #g  
from a vase and  food basin from        
,sikyatki4 ,if the whole design1 of     
which figure #f is one  wing1 were      

represented we should have no hesitancy 
in regarding it a  figure of a bird4    
,from their position on this figure1    
then1 we conclude  that their triangular
 designs are wing feathers4 ,if we seek 
to apply  the conclusion that the       
triangular figure represents a feather  
to the  jar1 a portion of which is shown
 in figure #g1 we find that the seven   
triangular designs in this figure bear  
the same relation to the orifice  of the
 jar as the symbols of feathers in      
figure #c4 ,this relationship1  as will 
readily be seen1 is confirmatory of the 
conclusion that the  feather symbol is  
sometimes reduced to a simple triangle1 
or1 looking  for corroborative evidence1
 we approach the subject in another way4
    ,the conception of a serpent with a 
plumed head is common in modern         
,tusayan1 and we find several serpents  
represented on ancient food  basins from
 ,sikyatki4 ,two of these figures have  
triangular appendages  on top of the    
head1 and1 as there are no other designs

 on that organ  that can be referred to 
feathers1 we conclude that the          
triangular  symbols represent the       
feathered crest of the ,great ,plumed   
,serpent4  ,evidently not all triangular
 figures represent feathers1 for some   
may  be simply ornamental geometric     
designs2 but that many figures of this  
shape are symbols of feathers there can 
hardly be a reasonable doubt1  from the 
evidence adduced above4    ,from our    
studies of the triangle as a wing       
feather we are able to  interpret many  
designs1 where all semblance to the     
feather or wing is  lost4 ,thus in the  
upper part of figure #g we have one of  
the most common  designs on ancient     
,hopi ceramics4 ,there is nothing in it 
to suggest a  bird's wing1 but if we    
compare it with the wing on the         
undoubted figure  of a bird 7figure #f7 
we find a perfect homology4    ,the     
presence of eagle feathers on ancient   
,hopi disks1 symbolic of the  sun1 is   
frequent1 and feathers are still        

inserted in a cornhusk border  on the   
margin of hoops covered with painted    
buckskin representing  the sun in modern
 ,tusayan ceremonies4#ad ,in the old    
forms of sun  pictographs the disk is   
represented by a circle1 and the        
symbolic  feathers are arranged in four 
clusters on the margin4 ,in some        
instances  each of these clusters of    
feathers is accompanied by a curved horn
  similar to that near the right-hand   
cluster of feathers in figure #e4  ,the 
significance of this curved addition is 
unknown to me1 but there  are a large   
number of specimens in which a similar  
design is associated  with two or more  
feathers4    ,in figure #i we have a    
symbolic form of feather which is very  
common in  ancient ,hopi decorations4   
,the whole design from which this was   
taken  represents a bird in which the   
part lettered w is the wing and b the   
body4 ,it will be noticed that this     
feather is attached to the body         
directly under the wing1 and as feathers

 found on the breast of birds  are at   
present given an especial signification 
in ceremonials1 it is  supposed that the
 symbol in this design has a similar    
meaning4 ,this  symbol is therefore     
identified as the breast feather4       
,illustration3 #h    ,in looking over   
the variety of designs in which this    
form of the  feather symbol occurs1 one 
of the most instructive is shown in     
figure  #h1 from a food basin obtained  
at ,sikyatki by ,dr ,miller1 of         
,prescott1  ,arizona1 after my          
excavations at that ruin were abandoned4
 ,the complete  design on this bowl     
represents a figure with five triangular
 peripheral  extensions from a circular 
band1 and alternating with these are    
five  bundles#ae of feathers of the     
symbolic form shown in figure #i4 ,this 
design is probably a sun emblem1        
although in figures of the sun          
tail-feathers in four clusters are more 
common4    ,the symbol of the feather   
shown in figure #i likewise occurs on   

the  head of a snake and that of a bird 
which is figured on the inside of a     
ladle found at ,sikyatki4 ,it is also   
represented on the upper surface  of    
several vases in the same relative      
position to the orifice as those        
already described and illustrated       
7figure #c74    ,the symbol of a feather
 with the markings shown in figure #aj  
is  likewise a common one in the        
decoration of ancient ,hopi ceramics4   
,the  design here reproduced 7figure    
#aj7 is a section of a small1 beautiful 
vase1 with the decoration confined to   
the equatorial region4 ,from this  zone 
hang symbols of feathers1 one of which  
is plainly indicated4 ,these  zones are 
repeated at intervals around the vase4  
,they may be comparable  with the       
feathers tied about modern ceremonial   
vessels to which ,i have  elsewhere     
referred4#af    ,illustration3 #i    ,i 
have attempted in the preceding pages to
 show the symbolic forms  assumed by one
 letter1 the feather1 in the alphabet of

 design on  ancient ,hopi ceramics4     
,these designs1 or some simple          
modifications  of them1 occur in almost 
three-fourths of all the decorated      
ancient  vessels of ,tusayan4 ,with a   
little practice the student can readily 
recognize them1 thus rendering          
comprehensible a most important  element
 in ancient ,hopi symbolism4 ,there are 
two or three other known  letters in    
this alphabet1 representing two or three
 other types which  can be identified   
with the same ease1 but limited space   
prevents a  consideration of them in    
this article4    ,illustration3 #aj     
,as would naturally be the case with an 
element of decoration so  constantly    
duplicated as the feather1 there are    
numerous instances  where it has become 
so changed that while a figure was      
probably  intended for a feather symbol1
 it is difficult to prove that it was   
such4 ,these doubtful cases are not1    
therefore1 discussed from the           
uncertainty which hangs about their     

identification4    ,i believe enough has
 been written above to show that the    
feather was  regarded by ancient ,hopi  
potters as an important decorative      
motive1  and that its symbolism had     
significant differentiations1 so that   
even  different kinds of feathers were  
indicated by different markings on      
those symbols4    ,considering also how 
strong a hold the feather has on the    
modern ,hopi  mind in ceremonial usages1
 ,i am led to the belief that its       
influence  on the ancient mind was of   
the same general character4 ,thus we    
come  back to a belief1 taught by other 
reasoning1 that ornamentation of        
ancient pottery was something higher    
than simple effort to beautify  ceramic 
wares4 ,the ruling motive in decorating 
these ancient vessels  was a religious  
one1 for in their system everything was 
under the  same sway4 ,esthetic and     
religious feelings were not             
differentiated1  the one implied the    
other1 and to elaborately decorate a    

vessel  without introducing a religious 
symbol was to the ancient potter an     
impossibility4 ,this union is weaker in 
the mind of the modern ,hopi1  yet still
 potent2 but as the new conception of   
beauty has crowded out  the religious   
element1 the character of the pottery   
and its decoration  have deteriorated4  
,many patterns which once had a         
religious symbolism  are mechanically   
followed1 through conservatism1 and     
pottery of fair  character is still     
made1 but every ,pueblo shows a marked  
decadence in  the potter's art4 ,as time
 goes by and the ,hopi are more modified
 by  their new environment--contact with
 civilization--the white crockery of    
the traders will replace the aboriginal 
wares4 ,this will lead to a  still      
greater degeneracy of native ceramics1  
and1 if they survive at  all1 it will be
 more as a commercial product than a    
medium of religious  expression4 ,it can
 readily be seen that the decorations on
 pottery  made for the trade will no    

longer be a spontaneous expression of   
aboriginal art1 but imitative of types  
of beauty which please the  purchaser4  
,into that condition much of the pottery
 made in pueblos  along the railroad has
 already drifted1 and ,hopi potters are 
not behind  their neighbors in          
recognizing those decorative designs    
which please  the buyer and those which 
are most often rejected4 ,quite in line 
with  what is said above is the feeling 
which leads some of the best potters  of
 the ,east ,mesa to imitate ancient     
forms of decorations4 ,these copies  are
 adorned with old patterns because      
ethnologists ask for ancient ware  and  
purchase vessels with imitations of     
ancient symbols more eagerly  than      
modern4 ,trade cannot revive the old    
religious feeling which  expressed      
itself on ancient ,hopi ceramics or     
resuscitate the defunct  intimate union 
of esthetic and religious inspiration4  
,finally1 and this is embraced in the   
primary reason why ,i am interested  in 

the archeology of the ,southwest or any 
other region1 a study of the  religious 
decorative symbols of ancient pottery is
 an investigation  not alone of the     
peculiarities of one cluster of men and 
women in  ancient ,arizona1 but of      
religion in a characteristic            
environment4#ag  ,a psychologist devises
 experiments in which he places         
individual men  or animals under        
conditions to observe how they are      
thereby affected4  ,nature has performed
 a psychological experiment on a grand  
scale  for the ethnologist in the       
semi-deserts of ,arizona1 and has set   
tribes of men in a special environment  
for our study4 ,the problem of  the     
ethnologist is to consider the effect on
 religion as shown in  the products or  
expression of the same4 ,the most       
important ethnic  characteristic of man 
is his religion4 ,it distinguishes him  
from other  animals and embraces all    
other mental characteristics1 sociology1
  language1 and arts4    ,man can       

transmit his religious feelings to      
posterity by legends and by             
paleographic records4 ,the former1 if   
not recorded1 may suffer changes  in    
transmission1 may be colored by         
successive generations1 which have      
heard them from their elders and passed 
them along to their children4           
,paleography does not change4 ,the      
ancient pictures are the same as when   
buried in the ancient graves4 ,we may   
not be able to fully interpret  them1   
but we are sure they have not been      
materially changed in the  years which  
separate our time from that in which    
they were drawn4  ,imperfect as this    
picture-writing is as a means of        
transmitting to  us the religion of     
prehistoric ,tusayan when compared with 
written  documents1 it will in          
connection with legends yield a rich    
harvest to  the student of the history  
of the ,pueblo beliefs4 ,the            
investigator who  neglects this element 
in them misses the soul of the study4   

,,footnotes3    #a ,for a discussion of 
the antiquity of ,sikyatki1 see         
,prehistoric  ,culture of ,tusayan1     
,american ,anthropologist1 #ahif1 and   
,report of  the ,secretary of the       
,smithsonian ,institution1 #ahie4    #b 
,a preliminary report will be found in  
the ,smithsonian ,report for  #ahie4    
#c ,the reason for this relatively large
 number of avian over other  zoomorphic 
deities in the ,hopi system is not      
apparent4    #d ,compare the combination
 of three feathers in ,aztec and ,maya  
symbolism4    #e ,this figure shows the 
head below1 with the eye well drawn4    
,the  continuation to the left is the   
neck1 that to the right a beginning of  
an elaborate snout4    #f ,a number of  
these gourds are figured in my accounts 
of ,tusayan  ceremony4 ,a vase with     
attached feathers1 called patne1 is     
represented  on page #dc1 ,journ4 ,amer4
 ,eth4 and ,arch41 vol4 ,,iv4    #g     
,journ4 ,amer4 ,eth4 and ,arch41 vol4   
,,ii1 pp4 #hf1 #ajg2 ,american          

,anthropologist1 ,may1 #ahig1 pp4 #acc1 
#acd4    #h ,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 markings4 ,in some        
instances we have real feathers instead 
of symbols4 ,an example of this  kind is
 figured on page #acf1 ,american        
,anthropologist1 ,may1 #ahig4    #i     
,tusayan ,snake ,ceremonies1 plate      
,,lxxii4    #aj ,journ4 ,amer4 ,eth4 and
 ,arch41 vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #abj4    #aa ,see
 male and female lightning snakes on    
,walpi ,antelope altar4    #ab ,the     
three arrowpoints1 figure #d1 represent 
the flint arrowpoints  which the mythic 
bird is reputed to have worn in its     
feathers4    #ac ,fifteenth ,annual     
,report of the ,bureau of ,american     
,ethnology4    #ad ,tusayan ,katcinas1  
,fifteenth ,annual ,report of the       
,bureau of  ,american ,ethnology4 ,a    
figure of the symbolic sun disk from    

which the  feathers have been removed is
 given on plate ,,civ of that memoir4   
#ae ,the bundle here figured represents 
eight feathers4    #af ,the symbol of   
the feather was painted on the vase in  
ancient  times1 whereas in modern       
vessels stringed feathers are tied in   
the same  positions4 ,probably the      
latter custom was also common in ancient
 times4    #ag ,it is believed that the 
religious sentiment permeated and       
dominated all ancient ,hopi art as well 
as sociology1 and that a study  of the  
symbolism of the decorations on ancient 
pottery is practically a  study of      
religion4                               
,transcriber's ,notes3      - ,text     
enclosed by underscores is in italics   
7italics74