John, your story about the ants being held in high esteem sort of reminds me of Tibetan history.
As you might know, Tibetan and native American culture, especially the Anasazi, share a lot of myths and legends (like the cosmology is very similar), but now after hearing you... the ant part struck me too.
Herodotus mentioned Tibet in his works and especially focused on the 'fact' that in Tibet there are ants that dig up gold and were held in high esteem by the locals. No such ants are found... But that's what I found mysterious... That's not an animal you see featured a lot and it's peculiar to me that the Anasazi have this clear connection with it.
There are so many simularities between prehistoric/protohistoric Asia and the native Americans it boggles my mind.
Yes, there absolutely are! Not to mention painting mandalas with sand! The tour guide from Puye showed us an anthill with rocks around it like it was sacred and furthermore she showed us tiny bits of turquoise that the ants bring up out of the ground because it's in their way. You might be interested in taking the next class in my school on The Mythologies and Philosophies of Ancient China, as we will be point out similarities between Chinese and Olmec-Mayan culture. There has been a lot more trans-Pacific diffusion than American anthropologists are willing to admit.
John, your story about the ants being held in high esteem sort of reminds me of Tibetan history.
As you might know, Tibetan and native American culture, especially the Anasazi, share a lot of myths and legends (like the cosmology is very similar), but now after hearing you... the ant part struck me too.
Herodotus mentioned Tibet in his works and especially focused on the 'fact' that in Tibet there are ants that dig up gold and were held in high esteem by the locals. No such ants are found... But that's what I found mysterious... That's not an animal you see featured a lot and it's peculiar to me that the Anasazi have this clear connection with it.
There are so many simularities between prehistoric/protohistoric Asia and the native Americans it boggles my mind.
Yes, there absolutely are! Not to mention painting mandalas with sand! The tour guide from Puye showed us an anthill with rocks around it like it was sacred and furthermore she showed us tiny bits of turquoise that the ants bring up out of the ground because it's in their way. You might be interested in taking the next class in my school on The Mythologies and Philosophies of Ancient China, as we will be point out similarities between Chinese and Olmec-Mayan culture. There has been a lot more trans-Pacific diffusion than American anthropologists are willing to admit.