The Rain Maker

    “Once upon a time on the shores of the Big Water Where Daylight Appears, certain heroes cap­tured the great horned serpent that lives in the depths of the sea and, while they held him captive, scraped some of the scales from his back and placed them in a little pouch woven from Indian hemp, with symbolical designs representing the lightning (Fig. 33). There is enmity between the Thunders and the great horned serpent who cannot show his head above the waters without provoking the wrath of the Thunders who immediately gather to attack him with their bolts of lightning. Therefore, when the scales taken from the back of the serpent, were exposed on a rock, beside the sea, or on the shore of a lake or stream, thunder clouds would immediately gather and the cornfields would presently be refreshed by rain. The owner of the charm must re­move it before the first rain drops fell or he was in danger of being struck by lightning...”

Fig. 33 - Old Medicine Pouch of Woven Indian hemp containing flakes of mica,

said to be scales of horned water serpent and used for rain making. – Heye Collection

The Museum Journal - Volumes 1-5 - Page 54

https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=pennmuseumjournal