Rattle secret

Totem poles can hide little secrets that only the sculptor knows about. When a sculptor is commissioned to make a pole, he is often given a lot of freedom in his decision to carve and arrange the animals. Sculptors sometimes secretly put their own hidden meanings and figures into the design of the totem pole. So to find out exactly what each part of a totem pole means, you need to ask both the family and the sculptor how they intended the design. As a result, a large part of the stories and meanings behind older totem poles are partly or barely known. Many stories have been lost with the people for whom and by whom they were carved. (Totem Poles by Marjorie M. Halpin 1981: 18).

In the middle of the totem pole, we see a man with a rattle in his hands. A rattle is a small wooden instrument, often used to attract attention. The rattle on this totem pole is specifically intended to sing a sacred song. But the little owl in the middle of the rattle is a bit mysterious. The meanings of all the animals in the totem pole are known, except for the little owl in the rattle. So to find out exactly what it stands for, you would have to ask both the Kwakiutl sculptor, Rande Cook, and the Museum of Ethnology in Leiden.

But enough mystery, time for a big ceremony…