The serpent has had a fascination for primitive man hardly surpassed by
its reputed power over the animals on which it preys. In the minds of
nearly all savages it has been associated with the deepest mysteries and
the most potent powers of nature. No other creature has figured so
prominently in the religious systems of the world, few of which are free
from it; and as art, in a great measure, owes its existence to an
attempt to represent or embellish objects which are supposed to be the
incarnations of spirits, the serpent is an important element in all art.
Wherever the children of nature have wandered its image may be found
engraved upon the rocks, or painted or sculptured upon monuments of
their own construction. It is found in a thousand forms; beginning with
those so realistic that the species can be determined, we may pass down
through innumerable stages of variation until all semblance of nature is
lost. Beyond this it becomes embodied in the conventional forms of art
or looks back from its obscure place in an alphabet through a
perspective of metamorphism as marvelous as that visible to the creature
itself could it view the course of its evolution from the elements of
nature.
So well is the serpent known as a religious symbol among the American
peoples that it seems hardly necessary to present examples of the
curiously interesting myths relating to it. We are not surprised to find
the bird, the wolf, or the bear placed among representatives of the
"Great Spirit," and hence to find them embodied in art; but it would be
a matter of surprise if the serpent were ever absent.
With the mound-builders it seems to have been of as much importance as
to other divisions of the red race, ancient or modern. It is of very
frequent occurrence among the designs engraved upon gorgets of shell, a
multitude of which have been thus dedicated to the serpent-god.
It is a well-known fact that the rattlesnake is the variety almost
universally represented, and we find that these engravings on shell
present no exception to this rule. From a very early date in mound
exploration these gorgets have been brought to light, but the coiled
serpent engraved upon their concave surfaces is so highly
conventionalized that it was not at once recognized. Professor Wyman
appears to have been the first to point out the fact that the
rattlesnake was represented; others have since made brief allusion to
this fact. Two examples only have been illustrated; one by Professor
Jones,[147] who regards it as being without intelligent design, and the
other by Dr. Rau,[148] who does not suggest an interpretation. Among the
thirty or forty specimens that I have examined, the engraving of the
serpent is, with one exception, placed upon the concave side of the
disk, which is, as usual, cut from the most distended part of the
_Busycon perversum_, or some similar shell. The great uniformity of
these designs is a matter of much surprise. At the same time, however,
there is no exact duplication; there are always differences in position,
detail, or number of parts. The serpent is always coiled, the head
occupying the center of the disk. With a very few exceptions the coil is
sinistral. The head is so placed that when the gorget is suspended it
has an erect position, the mouth opening toward the right hand.
As at first glance it will be somewhat difficult for the reader to make
out clearly the figure of the serpent, even with the well defined lines
of the drawing before him, I will present the description pretty much in
the order in which the design revealed itself to me in my first attempt
to decipher it.
The saucer-like disks are almost circular, the upper edge being mostly
somewhat straightened--the result of the natural limit of the body of
the shell above. All are ground down to a fairly uniform thickness of
from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch. The edges are evenly rounded
and smooth. Two small holes for suspension occur near the rim of the
straighter edge, and generally on or near the outline of the engraved
design, which covers the middle portion of the plate. The diameter
ranges from one to six inches.
To one who examines this design for the first time it seems a most
inexplicable puzzle; a meaningless grouping of curved and straight
lines, dots and perforations. We notice, however, a remarkable
similarity in the designs, the idea being radically the same in all
specimens, and the conclusion is soon reached that there is nothing
haphazard in the arrangements of the parts and that every line must have
its place and purpose. The design is in all cases inclosed by two
parallel border lines, leaving a plain belt from one-fourth to
three-fourths of an inch in width around the edge of the disk. All
simple lines are firmly traced, although somewhat scratchy, and are
seldom more than one-twentieth of an inch in width or depth.
In studying this design the attention is first attracted by an eye-like
figure near the left border. This is formed of a series of concentric
circles, the number of which varies from three in the most simple to
twelve in the more elaborate forms. The diameter of the outer circle of
this figure varies from one-half to one inch. In the center there is
generally a small conical depression or pit. The series of circles is
partially inclosed by a looped band one-eighth of an inch in width,
which opens downward to the left; the free ends extending outward to the
border line, gradually nearing each other and forming a kind of neck to
the circular figure. This band is in most cases occupied by a series of
dots or conical depressions varying in number from one to thirty. The
neck is decorated in a variety of ways; by dots, by straight and curved
lines, and by a cross-hatching that gives a semblance of scales. A
curious group of lines occupying a crescent-shaped space at the right of
the circular figure and inclosed by two border lines, must receive
particular attention. This is really the front part of the head--the
jaws and the muzzle of the creature represented. The mouth is always
clearly defined and is mostly in profile, the upper jaw being turned
abruptly upward, but, in some examples, an attempt has been made to
represent a front view, in which case it presents a wide V-shaped
figure. It is, in most cases, furnished with two rows of teeth, no
attempt having been made to represent a tongue. The spaces above and
below the jaws are filled with lines and figures, which vary much in the
different specimens; a group of plume-like figures, extends backward
from the upper jaw to the crown, or otherwise this space is occupied by
an elongated perforation. The body is represented encircling the head in
a single coil, which appears from beneath the neck on the right, passes
around the front of the head, and terminates at the back in a pointed
tail with well defined rattles. It is engraved to represent the
well-known scales and spots of the rattlesnake, the conventionalized
figures being quite graphic. In the group of specimens represented in
Plate LXIV areas of cross-hatched lines, representing scales, alternate
with circular figures, containing two or three concentric circles and a
central dot. In some cases one or more incised bands cross the body in
the upper part of the curve.
The examples shown in Plate LXV have many distinctive features. The
markings of the body consist of alternating areas of scales and chevrons
or of chevrons alone. These figures are interrupted in the upper part of
the coil by a number of lines which cross the body at right angles. The
body is in many cases nearly severed from the rim of the disk by four
oblong perforations, which follow the border line of the design. In most
cases three other perforations occur about the head; one represents the
mouth, one defines the forehead and upper jaw, and the third is placed
against the throat. These may be intended merely to define the form more
clearly. The curious plume-like figures that occur upon the heads of
both varieties may indicate the natural or reputed markings of the
animal represented. It is possible that the group shown in this plate
may be intended to represent the common yellow rattlesnake, the
_Crotalus horridus_, of the Atlantic slope, the characteristic markings
of which are alternating light and dark chevrons, while the diamond
rattlesnake, the _Crotalus adamanteus_, of the Southern States may have
served as a model for the other group.
In Plate LXII I present two of these rattlesnake gorgets. The specimens
shown in Fig. 1 is from Georgia and is the smallest example that has
come to my notice. It is represented natural size. The design is quite
obscure, but enough remains to show that it does not differ essentially
from the type already presented. There appear to be no holes for
suspension, but it is probable that two of the oblong perforations upon
the border of the design had been used for that purpose.
The handsome specimen given in Fig. 2 was obtained from the great mound
at Sevierville, Tenn., and is in a very good state of preservation. It
is a deep, somewhat oval plate, made from a _Busycon perversum_. The
surface is nicely polished and the margins neatly beveled. The marginal
zone is less than half an inch wide and contains at the upper edge two
perforations, which have been considerably abraded by the cord of
suspension. Four long curved slits or perforations almost sever the
central design from the rim; the four narrow segments that remain are
each ornamented with a single conical pit. The serpent is very neatly
engraved and belongs to the chevroned variety. The eye is large and the
neck is ornamented with a single rectangular intaglio figure. The mouth
is more than usually well defined. The upper jaw is turned abruptly
upward and is ornamented with lines peculiar to this variety of the
designs.
The body opposite the perforations for suspension is interrupted by a
rather mysterious cross band, consisting of one broad and two narrow
lines. As this is a feature common to many specimens it probably has
some important office or significance.
[Illustration: PL. LXII--RATTLESNAKE GORGETS.
1. Shell gorget from Georgia. (1/1)
2. McMahan Mound, Tenn. (1/1)]
In Plate LXIII I present two of the best examples of these serpent
gorgets yet brought to light. They were obtained from the McMahan Mound,
at Sevierville, Tenn., in 1871, and are in an excellent state of
preservation. Both are made from large heavy specimens of the _Busycon
perversum_. The example given in Fig. 1 is but slightly altered by
decomposition, the translucency of the shell being still perceptible.
The back retains the strongly marked ridges of growth. The interior has
been highly polished, but is now somewhat marked, apparently by some
fine textile fabric which has been buried with it and has, in decaying,
left its impress upon the smooth surface of the shell. The design is
very much like the type described, but has some peculiar features about
the neck and under the head of the serpent.
The specimen shown in Fig. 2 may be regarded as a type of these gorgets,
and is the one chiefly used in the general description given on a
preceding page. It is six inches long by five wide, and has been neatly
dressed and polished on both sides. As every detail is clearly and
correctly shown in the cut I shall not describe it farther.
[Illustration: PL. LXIII--RATTLESNAKE GORGETS.
1. McMahan Mound, Tenn.
2. McMahan Mound, Tenn.
(3/4)]
For convenience of comparison I have arranged two plates of outlines.
The specimen shown in Fig. 1, Plate LXIV, is almost identical with the
one last mentioned in size and shape. This, with the similar but
somewhat smaller specimen given in Fig. 2, is also from the McMahan
Mound. Figs. 3 and 4 are outlines of the specimens already given in
Plate LXIII.
The fine specimen shown in Fig. 5 is from the Brakebill Mound, near
Knoxville, Tenn., and is now in the Peabody Museum. It is five inches in
length and a little more than four and one-half in width. It is very
much like the Sevierville specimens and is made of the same species of
shell. The markings of the space beneath the head are peculiar, and in
some other details it differs from the other specimens.
Fig. 6 illustrates a large specimen now in the National Collection. It
is also from Tennessee, and resembles the preceding examples quite
closely.
[Illustration: PL. LXIV--RATTLESNAKE GORGETS.
1. McMahan Mound.
2. McMahan Mound.
3. McMahan Mound.
4. McMahan Mound.
5. Brakebill Mound.
6. Williams Island.
Tennessee.]
The specimens illustrated in Plate LXV represent a somewhat different
type of design, but are found associated with the others. The three
shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7 belong to the Peabody Museum, and are from
mounds in East Tennessee. The others are in the National Collection, and
come from the same region.
[Illustration: PL. LXV--RATTLESNAKE GORGETS.
1. McMahan Mound.
2. Lick Creek Mound.
3. McMahan Mound.
4. McMahan Mound.
5. Green County Mound.
6. Lick Creek Mound.
Tennessee.]
It was my intention to pursue this study somewhat further, and the
illustrations presented in Plate LXVI were partially prepared for the
purpose of instituting comparisons between these northern forms and
others of the south, but the time at my disposal will not permit of it.
Fig. 1 is an outline of a rattlesnake gorget, probably from Georgia,
which is preserved in the Natural History Museum of New York. It is four
inches in length by three and one-half in width. The same specimen is
figured by Jones in Plate XXX of his "Antiquities of the Southern
Indians."
Fig. 2 represents a large specimen from Tennessee, which is now
preserved in the National Collection. The design is placed upon the
gorget somewhat differently from the other specimens, the mouth of the
serpent being near the top and the neck below at the right. There is
also a dotted belt at the right of the head which is not found in any of
the specimens described.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent drawings of serpents' heads found in the ancient
city of Chimu, Peru.[149]
Fig. 5 is copied from one of the codices of Goldsborough, and is a very
spirited representation of a plumed and spotted rattlesnake.
The tablet shown in Fig. 6 has already been described under "scalloped
disks."
The remarkable plumed and feathered serpent given in Fig. 7 is painted
upon the rocks at Lake Nijapa, Nicaragua.[150]
[Illustration: PL. LXVI--THE SERPENT.
1. Shell gorget, Georgia.
2. Shell gorget, Tennessee.
3, 4. Painting, Peru.
5. From an Aztec painting.
6. Stone disk, Carthage, Ala.
7. Painted on rock, Nicaragua.]