Thanks, lieu. Great pics.
No problem whatsoever. Let me add this tighter shot of the oldest pictographs as it provides more detail. The human figure, the hands, the whorl, what I interpreted to be a snake. The botton section of the boulder has fallen away and taken part of that particular figure, ‘the snake’, with it. I’ve searched all around below but could find no debris with any artwork. Make you wonder though, was this just a homage to snakes in general or was there a specific species or even individual that they had in mind.
I’m not an expert on Indians of the southwest, but I do try to learn everything I can about snakes. If the Indians of Colorado drew pictures of snakes, the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), is a likely candidate species. They are common, and deadly in the absence of modern treatment.
I’m reading a book right now called Landscape With Reptile, about a relict population of timber rattlesnakes in the Blue Hills just outside of Boston. The author kinda anthropomorphizes the species and refers to it as though it were a person named Crotalus. I feel as though he’s talking to and about me. :)Anyway, the book spends some time covering the relationship between Indians in the eastern US and rattlesnakes, a relationship made up of combination of fear and reverence. There are some anecdotes about the Indians going through elaborate charades to kill rattlers without seeming to intend to do so, to avoid their godly wrath, sometimes even manipulating guests to kill them so the bad mojo would leave with the guest. It’s fascinating stuff, at least to me.
The first Europeans who saw rattlesnakes were pretty impressed, based on old accounts. There is nothing quite like a rattlesnake outside of the Americas. But it’s pretty clear from what I have read about native people that they were pretty impressed with Crotalus too.
Thanks again for sharing the pics and stories.
Those are fascinating and evocative pics, lieu. Very nice!
Beautiful pictures of beautiful country.
Most excellent.
Question to the OP: what is it that dies again of the Old West?
Our Mr. Bromley. No sooner do we locate one of the contributors and put a story to his face than we also learn of his passing and that his tale is probably all told.
We passed this smaller group of deer on the way in.
The back porch of the sheep herder’s place and a close-up of the early inhabitants. While much has changed elsewhere, I would hope our place would still be somewhat familiar to them.
Awesome pictures, the profile of Mr. Bromley was exactly as I imagined it in my head.
Thank you very much for sharing these, they’re amazing.