14 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV, 



who stand watching and guarding the inhabitants of this world. The 

 Four-Old-Men may also be called the gods of the four world quarters, 

 and to them the Sun Dance priest often makes supplication that they 

 may live to a great age. The Four-Old-Men are also spoken of as the 

 Thunderbird, having power to watch the inhabitants, and in their 

 keeping is the direction of the winds of the earth. They therefore 

 represent the living element of all people. If the wind blows from the 

 north, it is said to come from the Old-Man-of-the-North, who controls 

 the wind of that end or quarter of the world. Another priest states 

 more definitely that the Four-Old-Men are Summer, Winter, Day, and 

 Night, who though they travel in single file, yet are considered as 

 occupying the four cardinal points. Thus, according to direction and 

 the Arapaho color scheme. Day and Summer are the Southeast and 

 Southwest, respectively, and are black in color, while Winter and Night 

 are the Northwest and Northeast, respectively, and are red in "color. 

 Inasmuch as Sun is regarded as the grandfather of the Four-Old-Men, 

 it is more than likely that the Wheel may be regarded as the emblem 

 of the Sun. The Four-Old-Men, are considered as ever-present, ever- 

 watching sentinels, always alert to guard the people from harm and 

 injury. The same word, hitanni, is also applied to certain markings 

 used in the Old-Woman's lodge, the meaning of which is given vari- 

 ously as the four elements of life, the four courses, the four divides. 

 Thus it is said that when one traveling the trail of life' gets over the 

 fourth divide he has reached the winter of old age. The Morning 

 Star is the messenger of the Four-Old-Men, as are also the young men 

 during ceremonies. 



The four clusters of feathers also represent the Four-Old-Men. 

 The feathers collectively represent the Thunderbird, which gives rain, 

 ana they therefore represent a prayer for rain, consequently for 

 vegetation. 



Concerning the symbolism of the red and black painting of the 

 Wheel it will suffice here to say that the red is typical of the Arapaho, 

 while the black symbolizes the earth. As these two colors enter 

 prominently into the symbolism of the altar and of the lodge itself, 

 they will be considered at greater length in other places. 



The Wheel, as a whole, then, may be said to be symbolic of the 

 Creation of the world, for it represents the sun, earth, the sky, the 

 water, and the wind. In the great Sun Dance dramatization the Wheel 

 itself is represented in the person of the grandfather of the Lodge- 

 Maker, or the "Transferrer" as he is called. 



Ordinarily, the Wheel, enveloped in many wrappings of calico, 

 buckskin, etc., is suspended upon a pole or tripod at the back of the 



