THE ZUNI INDIANS AND THE RAINBOW.
In the Zuni mind (says Captain T. W. Okey) the rainbow has ever been a deified animal, having the attributes of a human being, and also the body and some of the functions of a measuring worm. Obviously the striped back and arched attitude of the measuring worm — its sudden appearance and disappearance among the leaves of the plants which it inhabits — are the analogies upon which thispersonification is based. As the measuring worm consumes the herbage of the plants, and causes them to dry up, so the rainbow, which appears only after the rain, is supposed by the simpleminded Indian to cause a cessation of rain, and consequently to be the originator of droughts, under the influence of whioh plants wither away, as they do under the ravages of the measuring worm. It will be seen that the visible phenomenon called the rainbow gets by analogy the personality of the measuring worm, while from the worm in turn the rainbow gets its function as a god. Of this the cessation of the rain on the appearance of the rainbow is adduced as proof. The fading of the flowers is attributed to the rainbow, which, consuming their imperceptible existences, thus derives his brilliant colouring, just aB it is believed that the measuring worm gets his green, yellow, and red stripes from the leaves and flowers which it devours. The influence of this upon the Zuni mind is to place the rainbow among the malignant gods. It is frequently painted on war shields, and made a demon to be propitiated', yet shunned. When a rainbow appears in the sky, the Zuni Indians, and those of many other tribes, turn their backs uppn the beautiful sight and covertly imprecate the unfriendly spirit.
'_ A British gunboat has paid the annual visit to Tristan d'Acunha, a lonely island in the South Atlantio, to bring home letters from the little community of 90 persons who live in that isolated spot. The venerable chief, Peter Green, has been 60 years on the lonely island, and he has succoured many shipwreoked orews.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 36, 10 August 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)
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351THE ZUNI INDIANS AND THE RAINBOW. Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 36, 10 August 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)
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