Chain of Being

To be considered a “system of symbols,” referenced in Geertz’s definition of religion, the effigy mounds of Wisconsin had to have establish “powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations.” The people of Ho-Chunk and surrounding regions built mounds of various types to successfully satisfy the requirement of developing a system of symbols. By representing an ‘Upperworld’ and ‘Lowerworld’ that was in turn spread and shared by communicating with different economies and cultures around effigy mound hotspots, a reoccurring set of three symbols become evident. The sky (thunderbird), earth (bear), and water (panther) establish a system of symbols that band foreign groups together and (more importantly) formulate, encapsulate, and strengthen meaning to the effigy mounds between cultures in an expanding environment.

The regional aspects of Wisconsin as ground symbols and how they change depending on the surrounding environment, brings on other religious meanings relating to symbol systems and the pervasive structure of intertwining societies. As effigy mounds travel inland from Lake Michigan, they change in order to be “harmonious” with the land. In the words of R. Clark Mallam, effigy mound ceremonialism represents ancient “ideology from the earth.” Between tribe interactions and a “chain-of-being” from the earth and sky gods to mystic men, a ‘map’ that surveys the land and cultures present in these lands is formed. I am sure that when constructing the mounds, the pure monumental size of earth moved and shaped in meaningful symbols provided importance, symbolic power, and wonder to its followers. Accompanying the largeness of an effigy mound is the long-lasting cycle of seasons that provides structure to religion coupled with the ability of the effigy mounds (being man-made) to endure lifetimes of seasonal changes. Which, at the time, seemed uniquely as a blessing and as something to idolize.