Year: 1879

At meeting Of the Social Science
Association at Saratoga recently, Mr..
Henderson read a paper on Serpent
Worship" among the Indians OF the
Mississippi Valley, which was long aud
exhaustive, but contained so much OF
curious Interest that the little room in
which the section met, became crowded
as the reading proceeded. The follow
ing is the principal part Of this inter
esting paper:


The expression, "As wise as a serpent
aud a. harmless AS dove" said Mr..
Henderson, Is the standing over OF
superstition, So far as tie wisdom Of the
former Is concerned, that had its origin
in the lowest stage Of savAgery. The
deadly poison, nOiseless aud mysterious
meaus Of progress, the casting OF the
skin aud apparent regeneration Of the
serpent, are well calculated TO inspire
In savage men dread and veneration
for il. This day the figure Of the ser
peut Is used as an emblem Of eternity,
because OF the superstition respecting
the power Of the snake to renew its
youth. We see the furce OF this in the
legend Of the fall Of Eve This trace OF
superstition among the enlightened Of
the world should be reprOof TO US when
We are inclined To sneer at the sacred
relations which exist between the
abOrigines Of this country aud the
reptiles OF the woods aud prairies. Like
all savage or half-civilized men, the
Indians attributed to supernatural
power every event or phenomenon
which they could not understand or
.H..a.. HI II. 4
suake, and the fatal effect Of its Appar-
emily insignificant bite, led the Indians
To attribute To it the quality Of a spirit
ual power. The serpent was at one
time wOTshipped as a divine being by
all the tribes from Cape Horn To
HudsOn's Bay, aud from ocean to ocean.
The rattlesnake was an especial object
Of worship, on account, IL is believed, of
it's power aud disposition TO give warn
ing OF its presence, thus doing an act OF
bravery which Inspired the Indians
with admiration for It's character. The
superstition respecting snakes was traced
throughout the globe, among savage
people. In Africa the MRravi believe
that the souls OF bad men 90, after
death, into jackals, aud those Of good
men into snakes. The Zulus believe
that the high state OF future existence,
the snake, Is reached by a progression
through wHsps, lizards, and other less
esteemed creatures. The WiunebsgO
Indians attributed Hn evil spirit to the
rattlesnake, but they Rbstained from
killing il because they feared that il
would out OF revenge send pestilence
among them. Some tribes were accus-
toned TO salute the rattlesnake rever-
entially, and would plRcate il by sprink-
ling tobacco upon it, and other acts OF
friendship, aud then they would secretly
catch 1t by the tail and kill il quickly,
preserving the skin as q trophy aud as
an object Of veneration. The DakOtas
had custom of smoking to the rattle
snake, and then praying them to go
home and harm them not. These In
dians supposed that il they killed q
serpent another would come aud bite
them out OF revenge. The Seminoles
never killed any kind Of a serpent. The
medicine-men Of some trihes had au
ingenious instrument, made OF rattle
snakes teeth, which they used for
scratching the skin OF their patients


From the fact that the savage believed
every animal had q soul, the effort TO
appeAse the offended spirit OF the rattle
snake by casting q dog into the lake,
or by shedding the blood of the person


VINO ouended the spirit, becomes intel


hgible. The MenoBines used the rattle
snAke largely In their religious oliserv-


Aheesi aud among maDy OF the tri bes a
certain part OF the snake was used to


help women In childbirth. One method


OF thus securing assistance TO the woman


ls Tor her TO hold the tail of a rattle


snake 10 her hand during labor, aud 10


shake the rattle.