The Ohio Serpent Mound
Content
The Ohio Serpent Mound A Comparative Study Clifford C. Richey June 2010 (Revised July 2010) (Revised November 2010) (Rewrite April 2013)
It might be helpful to read: http://www.scribd.com/doc/125076415/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language when reading this paper as it explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture signs, Stance, allusion and position as used in composing glyphs.
Illustration 1: Ohio Serpent Mound with Egg This comparison of the Ohio Serpent Mound and a portion of a Maya Glyph (flipped horizontally for comparison) attempts to demonstrate that the connection between the two compositions is one that was based in Native American gesture signs. The signs held common by the two cultures need not depend on direct contact between them. It only means that these two cultures, among others, shared a common sign language system that was used to communicate with cultures using different verbal languages. The rules of depicted gesture signs does not help us determine who built the Serpent Mound nor the time period in which it was constructed. The comparison does provide some insight into the rationale behind the Serpent Mound's construction. In order to demonstrate this we must view the compositional context of the Serpent Mound as well as as that of the Maya and other glyphs. The signs found in this paper are the same as those defined in the paper, Universal Prehistoric Depicted Sign Language1 We will first look at the signs held in common by both the Ohio composition and the Maya composition. 1. The Serpents whose Imagery represented a stream or river of water. The Spiral Tails of mean, taken upward. The Maya version simply has more “rings” indicating a greater number of levels. 2. The Mouths of both Serpents are the concave sign for, held as in a bowl. 3. The Imagery of their Mouths both mean, a water-source. 4. Both Serpents appear to have the Imagery of an Egg in their Mouths. This Imagery would have the meaning of, the one who will emerge from the water-source. We will now look at the differences between the two compositions:
Illustration 2: Mayan Serpent with Egg
1 http://www.scribd.com/doc/125076415/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language
The Serpent Mound 1. The Body of the Serpent is an Undulating line meaning, movement or motion. 2. Below the Mouth of the Serpent is a Triangle which has the meaning of earth-female or the earth. 3. The Imagery of the Egg is Double Lined meaning that its subject is not seen or is unseen. 4. There appears to be a Depression within the inner Egg Imagery that was composed within the Form of an Eye. This may have referred to the Eye of the Sun (the Eye relates to Venus aka the Wolf-star). 5. There were apparently, at one time, some additional signs in front of the Egg-Eye. However the descriptions vary so they were not included here. Please refer to the Addendum. The Mayan Serpent :
The Form of the Mayan Serpent is a compound. It can be divided into a (tan) Foot and a (light tan) Finger. The Foot indicates a journey. While the Finger points a direction, here. However, the natural promontory upon which the Ohio Serpent composition was constructed also has the Form of a (light tan) Finger. This would be the Form within which the Ohio Serpent Composition was made and would have the same meaning, the direction (Northwesterly), here. This may point to the direction where Venus, as the Evening Star arises. We can see that the statements made by the two compositions have similarities despite the use of some different signs. However these statements are not very clear because we do not have much context relating to the subject. Well, as far as the Ohio Serpent mound is concerned. But the Maya glyph of which the above is a sub section, provides us with the greater context that we need to understand what the Serpent Mound composition is about.
Illustration 3: The Total Mayan Glyph The overall Form of this glyph outside of its being roughly Rectangular is not clear and is therefore not included in the translation. Although the Form of the glyph sections would, anciently, have only been scanned visually we have color coded the different sections so may be seen more easily.
Illustration 4: Color Coded The largest and initial Form is the Torch (brown, yellow, red, orange) which was a metaphor for the Sun (the great light). It could variously be described as the great (relative size) light or the fire. In any case, the subject is qualified by the Form of the Mouse (gray) which is attached to the Torch. The meaning would be, the little one or the smaller one indicating that the light described is smaller than the Sun. His Face (light brown), the profile Head looking toward the Torch means, his appearance. He appears as a smaller light than the Sun. We can see this Torch metaphor in use in the Shell Gorget2 from Tennessee so we know that this concept was not a strictly Mayan concept. Further there is evidence that rock and the remains of a fire have been found within the Eye Form of the Serpent Mound. At night an actual fire within the Form of the Eye would have lit up the Pupil of the Eye. The Eye of the Sun, the light which would have referred to Venus, the one that arises before the Sun. The Handle of the Torch appears to be (brown) in the Form of a Large Foot or Footprint, His great walk or journey, his track. The (yellow) Egg Form was positioned in the vertical and horizontal center of the Flame/Handle composition. At he center, the one who will emerge. The (light green) Stem and (dark green) Leaf signs tells us that that the subject is one of a sprouting.. The Form of the Stem is that of Double Lined unseen sign indicating an unseen arising. Many ancient compositions were based on an underlying Body template. In this case the Stem would refer to the Arm of the Plant while the Leaf was conceptualized as a Hand. The Arm and Hand were the metaphors for a warrior and a steward of the Sun, a Sun-priest or warrior-priest.
2
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15559987/The-Kneeling-Man
The great light, His appearance, The smaller one, His great walk, His track, At the center, The great one, Who will emerge. His germination, an Unseen arising,, The warrior, The steward of the Sun.
Illustration 5: Color Coded Continued Within the Flames we can see the Form of a Bird tilted positionally, on the side. The Bird (the flight) on the side. More difficult to see is the relatively Large Form of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, upwards here. Beneath the Finger is the partial Triangular Form of the earth-female. Thus the flight on the side, from the surface of the Earth-female. Also, there was probably an association made between the flight and the flames heading skyward, the arising light. The flight on the side, Upwards, Here, From the surface, Of The earth-female, The arising light.
Illustration 6: Color Coded Continued
Illustration 7: Details
The (light blue) Form is unclear but may be a large right Hand or an Implement of some kind. The three (brown) Ovals (representing Seeds or Eggs) are both linguistic and numerical. The number three is shorthand for, the many. Seeds mean, the ones who will germinate and the Eggs, the ones that will emerge. Although we lean toward the Seed interpretation because of the following sprouting signs, it can be seen that the actual meaning isn't all that different. The Seeds/Eggs were positioned vertically indicating, the many levels. In the upper right of the Hand is the Form of a (dark tan) Finger pointing to the Stem. Another, larger, (dark tan) Finger points the direction, downward . The Stance of the Hand may have been intended to appear as if dropping or planting the Seeds. Another Hand can be observed as from the side resting, positionally, on the upper curve of the Stem (an unseen pathway within two (Double Lined) arising signs referring to the east and west). The Hand is next to a small (light brown ) Triangle indicating, the earth-female. The steward on the side of the earth-female. The Hidden pathway that (Stance) holds the Leaf, the Hand, the steward of the Sun. There is a small Circle between the tip of the Stem and the Leaf, The one, his location. (? ?) The Seeds, the many, The ones who will sprout, Here, unseen, Below Here, The sprouting, the arising, The unseen pathway, To The Leaf, The Hand The steward, The one, his Location, The hand, The steward, On the side, Of the earth-female.
Illustration 8: Color Coded Continued Next we see the (light tan) Face his appearance or the way he looks. The Stance of the Face is in profile looking toward the Right (the west, in a gesture signing convention). The Eye is formed by a Shepherd's Crook shaped sign meaning, taken upward. The sign's position alludes to the Eye. The Eye of the Sun, taken upwards. In terms of its Imagery, the Stance is one of sleeping or at rest (the closed Eye or the “U” sign is in the position where the alluded to Eye would normally be). Below the Face is the Image of a (gray) Mouse (gray) seems to signify the timid or the small one. Smaller than the Torch or Great Light (the Sun). The Ears (an allusion to holes on the sides) of the Mouse appear to be composed of the signs that mean, turning-female (being placed in the domain of the earth-female at death) and the one, his location sign. The Head of the Mouse was created out of the Form of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, here at the Mouth, the water-source. An additional or alternate concept may have been that a powerful Sun-Priest was reduced to a small and timid mouse like male-spirit upon his death (being placed in the earth-female's domain). Note the Mouse like Imagery also found on the Face on the Nazca composition below. The, generalized, message is: His Appearance. Facing westward, The Eye, Venus, Taken upwards. The Smaller one, His location. The male-spirit, At the water-source. From the Mayan glyph we have learned that the cosmological function of the Serpent was as a stream of water that carries the spirits of the deceased from below the earth to the surface where, in a pool (the Mouth of the Serpent) it rests as a male- spirit until, like a bird, it flies upward (ascends) into the sky. At this point (held in the Mouth of the Serpent) it is likened to an egg hatching, metaphorically an emergence, a birth.
Illustration 10: From the Mouth, The Surface Places, The Wolf-Star Arises
Illustration 9: The Nazcan Serpent A Body of a Serpent is also found in a Nazca Cat Demon3 composition. This composition also demonstrates the function of the Serpent as a stream of water (the Sawtooth or Zigzag lines) carrying (Triangular, female) spirits to the earth's surface where their flight (the Bird Imagery) to the sky is initiated.
Illustration 11: Compounding of Signs
The Cat Demon composition was also related to Venus. The (gray) area is the star sign with a spirit sign within it. The addition of the (black, darkness) Fingers to the star sign created the Form for a Hand making the gesture sign for a Wolf. In the above illustration the Nazca Wolf-star sign has been flipped to make comparison easier. There are also other signs that compose the “Face” of the star. The Curved
3 http://www.scribd.com/doc/21978715/The-Nazca-Cat-Demon
Line at the base of the Form of the Hand (the steward) is the sign for arising. As seen in its correct orientation in Illustration 10. Also the sign for Wolf is one of looking downward from above. This sign was used to indicate a scout or spy and was based on the behavior of the wolf jumping up in tall grass in order to look for its prey. Thus the star was the scout for the Sun arising before it and acting as its scout. This metaphor allowed one to arrive at the parallel between the Steward of the Sun serving the Sun during his lifetime and in the afterlife as well. The hot sun was conceptualized as a great and powerful spirit that sought out moisture for its sustenance. The Wolf-star arose ahead of the sun to act as its scout looking for moisture. It is noteworthy that the Maya also had a “Wolf-star” which is the “star” we now call the Morning Star or Venus. Of course, the Sun “drank up“ the moisture by evaporating it and in that manner the spirits were taken up, along with the water, to the sky.
Illustration 13: The Serpent and The Goat Petroglyph, Utah Photograph Courtesy of Al Mathison
Illustration 12: Color Coded This, quite eroded, petroglyph from Utah shows a similar conception to the Serpent Mound in Ohio. We see the Spiral shaped Tail (taken upwards) to the Curved sign that means arising to the “U” shaped (turning) sign that created the Head and Mouth (a water-source) of the Serpent (a stream of water). Emerging from the Mouth ( large light green) horizontal-rectangle or horizontal-place sign, positional, within it) of the Serpent is a Large Goat (the great one that climbs). The Body of the Goat is in the Form of a Large Eye (the great Eye of the Sun –Venus). The Tail (may indicate past tense but also is a Finger point a direction, here. Here from the Mouth, the place, within it,water-source. The Goats Face is a Vertical-Rectangle, a vertical-place sign from which two arising signs emanate. Arising in the east and west. The Legs and Feet indicate the long journeys below. This petroglyph shares the (green) Spiral, the (light blue) “U” shaped turning sign, and the Eye Form with the composition of the Serpent Mound. It seems very likely that the Ohio Serpent Mound was a cosmological statement similar to the Maya Glyph (central America), the (Peruvian) Nazca composition, and the North American (Utah) petroglyph. The above examples show the geographically wide spread of the signs that were used in the sign language based depictions..
Illustration 14: Color Coded Comparisons The (light tan) Severed finger, pointing a direction, here. The (green) Spiral, taken upwards, This was followed up by the Undulating sign meaning motion or movement Next we arrive at the Head of the Serpent which was Formed in the Triangular sign for the earth-female. The (light-blue) Mouth (a water-source) was alluded to by positioning the Curved sign for, held as in a bowl over it. The Large Egg held in the Mouth of the Serpent indicates, the one who will emerge. Within the Egg but not depicted in the above illustration but seen clearly in the photograph, is the Form of an Eye (the eye of the Sun or Venus). The Pupil of the Eye was a (dark) Circle that was used as a fire pit at night (in the darkness, the light). The Great Serpent, The Great Stream. Here, Taken upwards, Moving, turning, Towards The surface, Of The earth-female, Held as in a bowl, At the Mouth, At the Water-source, The Great Egg, The great one, Who will emerge, Within it, The Eye of the Sun, Venus, In the darkness, The light.
Addendum
The clay originally applied over the rock Form of the Serpent was yellow in color which is the same color as that of young American Eels. At some later date this color association may not have been considered so important and the mound was enlarged with dark soil. There is also a shallow cave under the Head of the Serpent which may also have been a factor in the choice of this promontory for the composition. The cave opening may have been considered its Mouth but in any event it could have been cosmologically significant as an opening in the earth-female's Body.
If the earliest drawing of the Serpent Mound was accurate there were (red) Fins on the Serpent that were Triangular in Form, The American Eel has a similar fin shape. The Triangular Form was the sign for the earth-female and they were positioned on the left and right side of the composition. This would make the Mouth of the Serpent a center. This would have made the Serpent's Mouth a cosmological center related to the Wolf-star or Venus. The Fins of the Eel are its hands and this would reflect the position of the Steward of the Sun on the Left and Right (east and west) sides of the Earth-female just as the cycles of Venus demonstrate. There are other illustrations of the Serpent Mound that show more rounded fins and a sign in the area above the Egg that had a Form that varies from Triangular to Rounded. Whatever these particular forms were they would not have had much impact on the translation provided in this paper as they are only minor details in relation to the known gesture Signs, Form and Imagery that is quite clear. Details about the alignment of the Serpent Mound with various phases of the moon and sun have been dropped
from this paper. There is little evidence in the composition, with the exception of the Form of a Finger pointing in a northwesterly direction, to indicate that the composers intended such alignments. Further discussion about this subject is probably best left to the astronomers.
It might be helpful to read: http://www.scribd.com/doc/125076415/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language when reading this paper as it explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture signs, Stance, allusion and position as used in composing glyphs.
Illustration 1: Ohio Serpent Mound with Egg This comparison of the Ohio Serpent Mound and a portion of a Maya Glyph (flipped horizontally for comparison) attempts to demonstrate that the connection between the two compositions is one that was based in Native American gesture signs. The signs held common by the two cultures need not depend on direct contact between them. It only means that these two cultures, among others, shared a common sign language system that was used to communicate with cultures using different verbal languages. The rules of depicted gesture signs does not help us determine who built the Serpent Mound nor the time period in which it was constructed. The comparison does provide some insight into the rationale behind the Serpent Mound's construction. In order to demonstrate this we must view the compositional context of the Serpent Mound as well as as that of the Maya and other glyphs. The signs found in this paper are the same as those defined in the paper, Universal Prehistoric Depicted Sign Language1 We will first look at the signs held in common by both the Ohio composition and the Maya composition. 1. The Serpents whose Imagery represented a stream or river of water. The Spiral Tails of mean, taken upward. The Maya version simply has more “rings” indicating a greater number of levels. 2. The Mouths of both Serpents are the concave sign for, held as in a bowl. 3. The Imagery of their Mouths both mean, a water-source. 4. Both Serpents appear to have the Imagery of an Egg in their Mouths. This Imagery would have the meaning of, the one who will emerge from the water-source. We will now look at the differences between the two compositions:
Illustration 2: Mayan Serpent with Egg
1 http://www.scribd.com/doc/125076415/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language
The Serpent Mound 1. The Body of the Serpent is an Undulating line meaning, movement or motion. 2. Below the Mouth of the Serpent is a Triangle which has the meaning of earth-female or the earth. 3. The Imagery of the Egg is Double Lined meaning that its subject is not seen or is unseen. 4. There appears to be a Depression within the inner Egg Imagery that was composed within the Form of an Eye. This may have referred to the Eye of the Sun (the Eye relates to Venus aka the Wolf-star). 5. There were apparently, at one time, some additional signs in front of the Egg-Eye. However the descriptions vary so they were not included here. Please refer to the Addendum. The Mayan Serpent :
The Form of the Mayan Serpent is a compound. It can be divided into a (tan) Foot and a (light tan) Finger. The Foot indicates a journey. While the Finger points a direction, here. However, the natural promontory upon which the Ohio Serpent composition was constructed also has the Form of a (light tan) Finger. This would be the Form within which the Ohio Serpent Composition was made and would have the same meaning, the direction (Northwesterly), here. This may point to the direction where Venus, as the Evening Star arises. We can see that the statements made by the two compositions have similarities despite the use of some different signs. However these statements are not very clear because we do not have much context relating to the subject. Well, as far as the Ohio Serpent mound is concerned. But the Maya glyph of which the above is a sub section, provides us with the greater context that we need to understand what the Serpent Mound composition is about.
Illustration 3: The Total Mayan Glyph The overall Form of this glyph outside of its being roughly Rectangular is not clear and is therefore not included in the translation. Although the Form of the glyph sections would, anciently, have only been scanned visually we have color coded the different sections so may be seen more easily.
Illustration 4: Color Coded The largest and initial Form is the Torch (brown, yellow, red, orange) which was a metaphor for the Sun (the great light). It could variously be described as the great (relative size) light or the fire. In any case, the subject is qualified by the Form of the Mouse (gray) which is attached to the Torch. The meaning would be, the little one or the smaller one indicating that the light described is smaller than the Sun. His Face (light brown), the profile Head looking toward the Torch means, his appearance. He appears as a smaller light than the Sun. We can see this Torch metaphor in use in the Shell Gorget2 from Tennessee so we know that this concept was not a strictly Mayan concept. Further there is evidence that rock and the remains of a fire have been found within the Eye Form of the Serpent Mound. At night an actual fire within the Form of the Eye would have lit up the Pupil of the Eye. The Eye of the Sun, the light which would have referred to Venus, the one that arises before the Sun. The Handle of the Torch appears to be (brown) in the Form of a Large Foot or Footprint, His great walk or journey, his track. The (yellow) Egg Form was positioned in the vertical and horizontal center of the Flame/Handle composition. At he center, the one who will emerge. The (light green) Stem and (dark green) Leaf signs tells us that that the subject is one of a sprouting.. The Form of the Stem is that of Double Lined unseen sign indicating an unseen arising. Many ancient compositions were based on an underlying Body template. In this case the Stem would refer to the Arm of the Plant while the Leaf was conceptualized as a Hand. The Arm and Hand were the metaphors for a warrior and a steward of the Sun, a Sun-priest or warrior-priest.
2
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15559987/The-Kneeling-Man
The great light, His appearance, The smaller one, His great walk, His track, At the center, The great one, Who will emerge. His germination, an Unseen arising,, The warrior, The steward of the Sun.
Illustration 5: Color Coded Continued Within the Flames we can see the Form of a Bird tilted positionally, on the side. The Bird (the flight) on the side. More difficult to see is the relatively Large Form of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, upwards here. Beneath the Finger is the partial Triangular Form of the earth-female. Thus the flight on the side, from the surface of the Earth-female. Also, there was probably an association made between the flight and the flames heading skyward, the arising light. The flight on the side, Upwards, Here, From the surface, Of The earth-female, The arising light.
Illustration 6: Color Coded Continued
Illustration 7: Details
The (light blue) Form is unclear but may be a large right Hand or an Implement of some kind. The three (brown) Ovals (representing Seeds or Eggs) are both linguistic and numerical. The number three is shorthand for, the many. Seeds mean, the ones who will germinate and the Eggs, the ones that will emerge. Although we lean toward the Seed interpretation because of the following sprouting signs, it can be seen that the actual meaning isn't all that different. The Seeds/Eggs were positioned vertically indicating, the many levels. In the upper right of the Hand is the Form of a (dark tan) Finger pointing to the Stem. Another, larger, (dark tan) Finger points the direction, downward . The Stance of the Hand may have been intended to appear as if dropping or planting the Seeds. Another Hand can be observed as from the side resting, positionally, on the upper curve of the Stem (an unseen pathway within two (Double Lined) arising signs referring to the east and west). The Hand is next to a small (light brown ) Triangle indicating, the earth-female. The steward on the side of the earth-female. The Hidden pathway that (Stance) holds the Leaf, the Hand, the steward of the Sun. There is a small Circle between the tip of the Stem and the Leaf, The one, his location. (? ?) The Seeds, the many, The ones who will sprout, Here, unseen, Below Here, The sprouting, the arising, The unseen pathway, To The Leaf, The Hand The steward, The one, his Location, The hand, The steward, On the side, Of the earth-female.
Illustration 8: Color Coded Continued Next we see the (light tan) Face his appearance or the way he looks. The Stance of the Face is in profile looking toward the Right (the west, in a gesture signing convention). The Eye is formed by a Shepherd's Crook shaped sign meaning, taken upward. The sign's position alludes to the Eye. The Eye of the Sun, taken upwards. In terms of its Imagery, the Stance is one of sleeping or at rest (the closed Eye or the “U” sign is in the position where the alluded to Eye would normally be). Below the Face is the Image of a (gray) Mouse (gray) seems to signify the timid or the small one. Smaller than the Torch or Great Light (the Sun). The Ears (an allusion to holes on the sides) of the Mouse appear to be composed of the signs that mean, turning-female (being placed in the domain of the earth-female at death) and the one, his location sign. The Head of the Mouse was created out of the Form of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, here at the Mouth, the water-source. An additional or alternate concept may have been that a powerful Sun-Priest was reduced to a small and timid mouse like male-spirit upon his death (being placed in the earth-female's domain). Note the Mouse like Imagery also found on the Face on the Nazca composition below. The, generalized, message is: His Appearance. Facing westward, The Eye, Venus, Taken upwards. The Smaller one, His location. The male-spirit, At the water-source. From the Mayan glyph we have learned that the cosmological function of the Serpent was as a stream of water that carries the spirits of the deceased from below the earth to the surface where, in a pool (the Mouth of the Serpent) it rests as a male- spirit until, like a bird, it flies upward (ascends) into the sky. At this point (held in the Mouth of the Serpent) it is likened to an egg hatching, metaphorically an emergence, a birth.
Illustration 10: From the Mouth, The Surface Places, The Wolf-Star Arises
Illustration 9: The Nazcan Serpent A Body of a Serpent is also found in a Nazca Cat Demon3 composition. This composition also demonstrates the function of the Serpent as a stream of water (the Sawtooth or Zigzag lines) carrying (Triangular, female) spirits to the earth's surface where their flight (the Bird Imagery) to the sky is initiated.
Illustration 11: Compounding of Signs
The Cat Demon composition was also related to Venus. The (gray) area is the star sign with a spirit sign within it. The addition of the (black, darkness) Fingers to the star sign created the Form for a Hand making the gesture sign for a Wolf. In the above illustration the Nazca Wolf-star sign has been flipped to make comparison easier. There are also other signs that compose the “Face” of the star. The Curved
3 http://www.scribd.com/doc/21978715/The-Nazca-Cat-Demon
Line at the base of the Form of the Hand (the steward) is the sign for arising. As seen in its correct orientation in Illustration 10. Also the sign for Wolf is one of looking downward from above. This sign was used to indicate a scout or spy and was based on the behavior of the wolf jumping up in tall grass in order to look for its prey. Thus the star was the scout for the Sun arising before it and acting as its scout. This metaphor allowed one to arrive at the parallel between the Steward of the Sun serving the Sun during his lifetime and in the afterlife as well. The hot sun was conceptualized as a great and powerful spirit that sought out moisture for its sustenance. The Wolf-star arose ahead of the sun to act as its scout looking for moisture. It is noteworthy that the Maya also had a “Wolf-star” which is the “star” we now call the Morning Star or Venus. Of course, the Sun “drank up“ the moisture by evaporating it and in that manner the spirits were taken up, along with the water, to the sky.
Illustration 13: The Serpent and The Goat Petroglyph, Utah Photograph Courtesy of Al Mathison
Illustration 12: Color Coded This, quite eroded, petroglyph from Utah shows a similar conception to the Serpent Mound in Ohio. We see the Spiral shaped Tail (taken upwards) to the Curved sign that means arising to the “U” shaped (turning) sign that created the Head and Mouth (a water-source) of the Serpent (a stream of water). Emerging from the Mouth ( large light green) horizontal-rectangle or horizontal-place sign, positional, within it) of the Serpent is a Large Goat (the great one that climbs). The Body of the Goat is in the Form of a Large Eye (the great Eye of the Sun –Venus). The Tail (may indicate past tense but also is a Finger point a direction, here. Here from the Mouth, the place, within it,water-source. The Goats Face is a Vertical-Rectangle, a vertical-place sign from which two arising signs emanate. Arising in the east and west. The Legs and Feet indicate the long journeys below. This petroglyph shares the (green) Spiral, the (light blue) “U” shaped turning sign, and the Eye Form with the composition of the Serpent Mound. It seems very likely that the Ohio Serpent Mound was a cosmological statement similar to the Maya Glyph (central America), the (Peruvian) Nazca composition, and the North American (Utah) petroglyph. The above examples show the geographically wide spread of the signs that were used in the sign language based depictions..
Illustration 14: Color Coded Comparisons The (light tan) Severed finger, pointing a direction, here. The (green) Spiral, taken upwards, This was followed up by the Undulating sign meaning motion or movement Next we arrive at the Head of the Serpent which was Formed in the Triangular sign for the earth-female. The (light-blue) Mouth (a water-source) was alluded to by positioning the Curved sign for, held as in a bowl over it. The Large Egg held in the Mouth of the Serpent indicates, the one who will emerge. Within the Egg but not depicted in the above illustration but seen clearly in the photograph, is the Form of an Eye (the eye of the Sun or Venus). The Pupil of the Eye was a (dark) Circle that was used as a fire pit at night (in the darkness, the light). The Great Serpent, The Great Stream. Here, Taken upwards, Moving, turning, Towards The surface, Of The earth-female, Held as in a bowl, At the Mouth, At the Water-source, The Great Egg, The great one, Who will emerge, Within it, The Eye of the Sun, Venus, In the darkness, The light.
Addendum
The clay originally applied over the rock Form of the Serpent was yellow in color which is the same color as that of young American Eels. At some later date this color association may not have been considered so important and the mound was enlarged with dark soil. There is also a shallow cave under the Head of the Serpent which may also have been a factor in the choice of this promontory for the composition. The cave opening may have been considered its Mouth but in any event it could have been cosmologically significant as an opening in the earth-female's Body.
If the earliest drawing of the Serpent Mound was accurate there were (red) Fins on the Serpent that were Triangular in Form, The American Eel has a similar fin shape. The Triangular Form was the sign for the earth-female and they were positioned on the left and right side of the composition. This would make the Mouth of the Serpent a center. This would have made the Serpent's Mouth a cosmological center related to the Wolf-star or Venus. The Fins of the Eel are its hands and this would reflect the position of the Steward of the Sun on the Left and Right (east and west) sides of the Earth-female just as the cycles of Venus demonstrate. There are other illustrations of the Serpent Mound that show more rounded fins and a sign in the area above the Egg that had a Form that varies from Triangular to Rounded. Whatever these particular forms were they would not have had much impact on the translation provided in this paper as they are only minor details in relation to the known gesture Signs, Form and Imagery that is quite clear. Details about the alignment of the Serpent Mound with various phases of the moon and sun have been dropped
from this paper. There is little evidence in the composition, with the exception of the Form of a Finger pointing in a northwesterly direction, to indicate that the composers intended such alignments. Further discussion about this subject is probably best left to the astronomers.
