280 Singing Valleys 



eagles, lions, lambs, lilies, grapes, pomegranates, palms and 

 stars symbolize aspects of divinity. Moved by the same spirit, 

 the Indians forebore to make realistic pictures of the Serpent 

 which sent them the rains they prayed for and who was, 

 therefore, their preserver and savior. They conventionalized 

 the serpent into the design which is found all over the world 

 and is commonly called "the Wall of Troy," though ages 

 older than the city Helen's beauty ruined. They represented 

 the maize, which was their chief source of food, as the life- 

 taking and food-bestowing triangular knife. Often too, they 

 pictured the maize as a deer which fed on the crop and so 

 might be considered to have absorbed its spirit. Or as a jaguar 

 which preyed on the deer and so protected the cornfields. The 

 jaguar was a preserver and a savior. The name for the beast was 

 balam. The word also meant priest; that is, one who protects 

 the people as the jaguar protects the corn. 



The Maya considered the red-colored corn to be the prop- 

 erty of the Bacab who ruled the gates of the East. The Crows 

 gave the ears of red corn a sacred value. These were blessed, 

 and distributed to the tribesmen at the time of planting. The 

 Iroquois called a red ear "chief," and said that anyone who 

 got one was marked for greatness. 



The Puritans of New England quickly seized on this super- 

 stition and used it as an escape from some of their social 

 repressions. At a husking, whoever got a red ear was privileged 

 to kiss the girl of his choice. If a girl got a red ear she had to 

 single out one of the swains and kiss him before the laughter 

 of all the company. In the Court Records of Long Island it is 

 solemnly entered that at a husking-bee in 1661, "one James 

 Chichester did kiss Bette Scudder." Whereupon Bette, who 

 seems to have been a pert young thing, threatened to "whip 

 his brick." James retaliated with a second kiss and Bette made 

 good her threat. The husking broke up in a scuffle and a 

 scandal. Goody Scudder took the case to court and James was 

 fined two shillings and costs. 



