300 SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
perity and avert misfortune, and is equivalent to the words in the Neo- 
politan dialect, “ Waluecchie non nee pozzano”—may evil eyes never have 
power over her. 
The female confidant, who supports and guides her embarrassed friend 
with her right arm, brings her left hand into the sign of beautiful—* See 
what a beauty she is!” This signis made by the thumb and index open 
and severally lightly touching each side of the lower cheek, the other 
fingers open. It is given on a larger scale and slightly varied in Fig. 84, 
evidently referring to a fat and rounded visage. A]- 
most the same sign is made by the Ojibwas of Lake Su- 
perior, and a mere variant of it is made by the Dako- 
tas—stroking the cheeks alternately down to the tip 
of the chin with the palin or surface of the extended 
fingers. 
The mother-in-law greets the bride by making the 
sign mano in fica with her right hand. This sign, made 
with the hand clenched and the point of the thumb be- 
tween and projecting beyond the fore and middle fin- 
BN tie gers, is more distinctly shown in Fig. 85. Ithas avery 
ancient origin, being found on Greek antiques that have escaped the de- 
struction of time, more particularly in bronzes, and undoubtedly refers 
to the pudendum muliebre. It is used offensively and ironically, but 
also—which is doubtless the case in this instance— 
as an invocation or prayer against evil, being more 
forcible than the horn-shaped gesture before de- ——~ 
scribed. With this sign the Indian sign for female, 
see Fig. 152, page 357, infra, may be compared. 
The mother-in-law also places her left hand hol-  _ 
lowed in front of her abdomen, drawing with it her = 
gown slightly forward, thereby making a panto- 
mimic representation of the state in which ‘‘ women wish to be who love 
their lords”; the idea being plainly an expressed hope that the house- 
hold will be blessed with a new generation. 
Next to her is a hunchback, who is present as a familiar clown or 
merrymaker, and dances and laughs to please the com- 
pany, at the same time snapping his fingers. Two other 
illustrations of this action, the middle finger in one leaving 
and in the other having left the thumb and passed to its 
base, are seen in Figs. 86,87. This gesture by itself has, 
like others mentioned, a great variety of signitications, 
but here means joy and acclamation. It is 
frequently used among us for subdued ap- 
plause, less violent than clapping the two 
Ne hands, but still oftener to express negation / 
HIG.B6. with disdain, and also carelessness. Both re 187. 
these uses of if arecommon in Napies, and appear in Etruscan vases and 
va 
