Mound- Builders. 87 



share in the burial ceremony. Some have concluded that 

 the blazing fire signified " life," and that the sudden quench- 

 ing signified " death." 



Let it not be thought, however, that there are no burying 

 places but these few mounds. I believe the mounds of a 

 burial chai-acter were only for persons of distinction, while 

 in reality there are thousands of ancient cemeteries of vast 

 extent, where multitudes have received common burial. 

 The spring freshets yearly uncover many of these, exposing 

 not only their bones, but many ornaments and implements 

 that were used by this wonderful people, and which were 

 deposited beside them when consigned to the silent tomb. 



Symbolic Mounds. — There can be no mistake in affirming 

 that the strange mounds, so prevalent in Wisconsin, and 

 frequently found in other States, were the result of inten- 

 tion rather than accident. These are sometimes called 

 " Bfiigy Mounds." In "Wisconsin, even implements, as well 

 as animals, are symbolized. The beaver, the tortoise, the 

 elephant, the serpent, the alligator seem to be their favorite 

 animals, whose images they have endeavored to perpetuate 

 in mounds, of course on a large scale. In Adams county, 

 Ohio, on a steep bluff, 150 feet above the level of Brush 

 Creek, may be seen a huge serpent. 



It is called the " Serpent Mound." The head of the ser- 

 pent lies towards the point of the spur, and then like the 

 serpent, its body winds gracefully back for TOO feet, the tail 

 curved into a triple coil. From this and other evidences 

 lately collected, we may assume that the serpent was among 

 the sacred animals. Between the jaws of this serpent there 

 is a stone mound, bearing marks of long use as an altar. 

 The body, which is a mere winding wall, is, on an average, 

 five feet in height, and thirty feet broad at the base near the 

 centre. Doubtless this wall was much higher when first 

 made, and owing to the rains of centuries it has become 

 lower and broader. 



Another mound, the shape and proportion of an alligator, 

 may be seen in Licking county, Ohio, about one mile from 

 Granville. This is also on a spur of land near the Licking 

 Eiver. Its length is 250 feet and height about four feet. 



