Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/23

Rh West or East respectively). If we make this change we have, then,—

There is one fact which the comparison of this symbolism of colors brings out, and that is, that there is little or no agreement between the various systems. But one case has been found in America of an exact agreement,—that, namely, of the Sia and the Zuñi; a second case there may be, but it is doubtful, and will be mentioned presently. In practically every case, then, there is a difference between any two color-systems; and often greater between two tribes belonging to the same stock, and living almost side by side, than between two separated by thousands of miles, living under different environment, and totally unrelated. As an example, we may take the Omaha and the Winnebago. We have:—

Here are two tribes of the same stock, living near each other, but with radically different color-systems; in the first case, even the color-groups are quite different. On the other hand, take the Northern Athabascans, as given by Petitot, and the Maya system according to one author. Here we have an exact correspondence, if we take the Athabascan system to be N.=Black; E.=Yellow; S.=Red; W.=White. But Petitot's statements may be interpreted in several other ways, and neither this interpretation nor any other will coincide with Landa's order for the Maya. The color-groups are, however, identical. In Asia there is more similarity between the systems of different peoples, but here it seems to be easily explained as due to the adoption of the colors of one nation by another, as, for instance, Japan and Corea, those of China; Thibet, the Buddhist system, etc.

The last point to be considered is that of "shifting" and "reversal." In many cases it happens that where two tribes or peoples have the same color-group, the one system is exactly the same as the other if one be shifted through one quarter or one half a revolution. For example, the Hopi symbols are the same as the Sia, if