Ancient Objects and Sacred Realms: Interpretations of Mississippian Iconography

Index

Index Italic page numbers refer to illustrations and tables. Above World of layered cosmos: as celestial realm, 15, 16; and combat and ritual purity, 155, 172; and day/night opposition, 108; and field 2 of Cox Mound style gorgets, 21; and field 2 of Hixon style gorgets, 29–30; Great Spirit’s appearance in, 206; nonrepresentational motifs of, 155; opposition with Beneath World, 124–125; powers of, 16–18; as source of sacred power, 156 Adair, James, 153, 158, 159–160 Aer World, 172, 182 Ais people, pole of, 33–35 Akron Grid, 221, 222 Akron shell cup, 219, 222, 223 Alabama people, 125, 204, 210 alliance formation, 156 American Bottom, 218, 219, 246, 250 Amerindian depopulation, 60, 69, 70, 104n.5 Anderson, D. G., 236 Antares (red star), 129, 130, 131–132, 133, 190, 206 Appalachee Ball Game, 71–72 Arapaho people, 193, 197–198, 199 archaeology, as historical science, 247– 250 Arikara people, 199 arrow motif: flight of arrow, 57; as icon of soul, 192. See also bi-lobed arrow motif Attenuated Cult, and exchange networks , 3 axes mundi: and Ais people, 33–35; in Cox Mound style gorgets, 31; creation of, 200; and hand of Creator, 202; in Hixon style gorgets, 29–31; motifs of, 32; tree as image of, 19 axis of light, 33 Aztecs, 40, 62, 69, 253–254 Bailey, G. A., 66, 148, 249 Barnouw, V., 16, 181–182, 208 belief systems, 8–9 Bell, R. E., 225 Beneath World of layered cosmos: and combat and ritual purity, 155, 172; and day/night opposition, 108; and field 5 of Hixon style gorgets, 36–37, 37; Great Serpent as guardian of, 116– 117, 206; Mishebeshu as master of, 109, 110, 132; opposition with Above World, 124–125; and origin of fire, 122; powers of, 16–18, 109; and shell disk, 29, 36; as source of sacred power, 156; and water, 15, 16, 27, 108 Bergen, Mrs. F. D., 130 284 ancient objects and sacred realms Big Boy sculptured figures, 97, 99, 106n.21 Big House ceremony, 202 bi-lobed arrow motif: and Birdman, 75– 76, 83, 86, 87, 90, 91, 96; continuity in iconographic associations, 100, 103, 231–232, 245n.9; and deer lungs, 97–98, 99, 105n.20; and headdress, 228; interpretations of, 105n.19; and petaloid motif, 53–54, 54 Birdman: activities represented, 87–89; archaeological interpretation of, 101; associated motifs of, 85–87; and bilobed arrow motif, 75–76, 83, 86, 87, 90, 91, 96; and Braden style, 77–85, 238–239; and chunkey players, 77, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88; and chunkey pole, 83, 86, 88, 104n.13; and dancer stance, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84, 85, 89, 90, 103; and decapitated heads, 82, 85, 87, 88, 89; decoding of, 69–71; and falcon as representation of intertribal conflict, 85–86; and falconoid wings, 77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 87, 88, 105n.15; fan-like wings of, 141, 143; and forked eye surround, 77, 88, 89, 90, 91, 145; and gaming narrative, 76, 89–90, 103; gender of, 101, 104n.11, 106n.23; and Hixon style gorgets, 141, 142; iconographic analysis of, 75–77; ideological associations of, 56; list of images in iconographic comparisons, 84; material markers of, 96–97; and mythic combat of life against death, 71, 91, 103; as narrative, 89–91, 103; and petaloid motif, 43, 45; relationship to moth/butterfly supernatural, 136, 138, 139, 141, 142–143, 143, 151; unwinged images, 77, 80, 81, 84, 85, 87, 88; and warrior stance, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 84, 85, 87 bird talons, and Birdman, 91 Birger figurine, 250 Black Elk, 184 Black Hoof, 23, 24 Blue Horn’s Nephews myth, 94, 97 Boas, Franz, 125 body soul. See life-soul bone motif: and dead person in iconography , 176, 191; and life-soul, 211; and Moundville ceramics, 174, 175; and Path of Souls model, 192, 211; with tongue, 191, 192, 192 bones: as manifestation of Great Serpent, 119; taboos surrounding treatment of, 191–192 Bowers, A., 187 Braden style: age of Braden style sequence , 221–226; and Birdman, 77– 85, 238–239; chronological change in sequence, 216; chronology of, 239–241, 243; definition of Braden figural style, 217–218; divisions of, 217, 218, 227, 237; extension of, 235, 245n.11; and falcon iconology, 57– 58; Generalized Braden style, 217, 218, 221; geography and language groups, 241–242; geography of, 216, 219–221; hawk plates, 237–239, 240; Late Braden style...