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- Title
THE MACE AND THE SPIRIT BIRD: EXPLORING IMAGES AND REFERENTS WITHIN MISSISSIPPIAN ICONOGRAPHY.
- Authors
BUTTERFIELD, VALERIE K.
- Abstract
The Mississippian Mace, currently classified as a ceremonial war club, is a common theme in the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC), more recently described as the Mississippian Ideological Interaction Sphere (MIIS), and seems to be a favored accoutrement of the Morning Star deity. Countless representations exist in shell carvings, petroglyphs, and as three-dimensional stone forms. Despite the proliferation of this motif, scholars have struggled to assign it ideological meaning. Now, investigations into the relationship between maces and birds, along with examinations of surviving folklore and the historical record, provide insight into this enigmatic symbol of power. Iconographic associations, substitutions, and transformations combine with legend to relate the visual imagery of the Mississippian mace to the spirit birds.
- Subjects
PETROGLYPHS; CARVING (Decorative arts); HISTORICAL Records Survey (U.S.); RELIGIOUS idols; INSCRIPTIONS
- Publication
Illinois Archaeology: Journal of the Illinois Archaeology Survey, 2018, Vol 30, p1
- ISSN
1050-8244
- Publication type
Article