Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-02

INDIAN SYMBOLS,

Kohl eises some interesting details OF The sym
bSls By which the Iudians express certain abstract
idesss o
"Whep speaking, for instance, Of the Great
Spirit, they usually direct a reverential or timid
glance upwArds, or point the fore finger perpendic-
ularly but gently to the sky.
When abiding to tho sun or to the time, which
IL mush the same thing, as the sun is their clock,
Manufacturing the spot at which the sun stood,
when The event to which they ore abiding occur
red, they point hxedly to that point, and hold their
arm in that position for several moments.
when speaking Of a day, they pass the Gogor
slowly along the entire vault Of heaven, commenc-
ing at shc east, and terminating in the west.
This is the sign for 'oue day.
IF a shot has to be mentioned in the story,
they usually strike the palm Of the lief. hand with
the back Of the right, 80 as to produce a slight
sound,
understanding a journey on horseback, the two
FIRST fingers of the right are placed astride of the
f~ore6nger of the left hand, and both represent the
galloping movements Of Nurse. If it is q foot
journey, they wave the two fingers several times
through the air.
'Tu counting, the ten fingers are naturally used,
and the number is not only held up, but men.
toned. ~
I'm this manner, and by many hundred similar
gestures, they supplement and support their oral
remarks. SAndit will be seen, from the gestures !
have described, thai the tongue can be frequently
allowed a rest, and the meaning perfectly convey
cd by the signs.
''Suppose an Indian wished to tell another that
he had ridden for three; days over the prairie, he
first points to his own worthy persoE-that will
indicate.'Ig : Then he sets his fingers galloping
as 1 have described. This ~perfec,s the idea: Il
travelled on horseback Next he passes his hand
once a,hwart the Gky, which furnishes the notion
OF days and finally holds up three fingers before
his friends eyes, to show he spent 'three' days.
'.It ia a curious fact that, though Indian dia-
lasts differ SO greatly. this language ofslens is
the same for enormous distances. All travellers
who have crossed tho prairies told me that there
was only one sign-Ianguage, which all the Indi'
ans comprehended, and any one who bad learned
it could travel with it from enc end of America tc
the other.
"For such signs as those Of which / have given
specimens, such as the SUD, o day, q number, O
horseman, &C., when nothing better or more nat
ural could be chosen, this is easily to be under
stood. But the sign language developed itself to
9 fuller extent, and undertook a visible represen-
tation of abstract ideas. Hence much must nat
uraiiy become con veutional. Thus, for instance,
if DESTROYS to express the idea of beauty, this
could not be initiated like the explosion Of o gun.
Still, some sign to express this idea could be a
greed on. Most curiously, the Indian races were
unanimous, in accepting the same sign. When
they wish to explain that they saw o beautiful
woman, they pass the fat hand gently and slowly
through the air, as if initiating the wave-line
Even the sex is described unanimously. When
speaking Of q woman, the indians pass the palm
once down the face and the whole body, as if
wishing to indicate the long waving dresses or
the GRACEFUL contour of the female body. This
smoothing of The face universally means q mem
Der Of the fair SEX
IA copious grammar Of this language Of signs
cauld be written. How rich ii would be, may bo
drawnfrom the fact that Indians of swo different
tribes, who do not understand a word of each
others spoken language, will sit for half a day on
ons spot, talking and chatteriug, and telling each
other all sorts Of stories, with movements Of their
fingers, hands and feet Eisat 10 81
"a hollow hand, with the motion OF drawing
water. signifies water. Vixen the fingers trace
serpsntine lines on the ground, i: is q river. a
hand moved up or down in the air s'gnines
mountain.
The several beasts have naturally their specia
sigrs. Usually ouly some characteristic porto
ofthe animal is imitated-for Instance, the horn'
The horns Of the buffalo differ from those of Oh
elk, and thus the entire animalis indicated.
"rhe idea Of a large number. or many, sde
eibed by clu,ching at the air several times vii
both heuds. The motion greatly resembles tn
Of danseuses playing the castanetts.
4. .Liuis,S or %'no,hing' is -eignifed BY passif
oneiand over the other.
VERY curious, but quite universal, is the sii
REORGANIZATION among the American lndiar
They hold The hollow hand for some time beio
The mouth. This is, however, | suspect q sreci
Of guild pro yqpo, and the real sign-namely, t
noeth widely opened in amazement-is conceal
behind il. They carry the hand to the mouth a
conceal The face behind it, because it is improp
10 dispiay emotion or admiration" -BLacktcood