Sheep Ram Zuni Fetish Meaning

Sheep Ram Zuni Fetish Meaning

If you have a collection of Zuni fetishes including sheep or a ram you may be curious what it means. What is the Sheep Ram Zuni Fetish Meaning? A sheep, mountain goat, big horned sheep or ram is used to increase the size of a herd. These also represent a sense of self-worth.

Sheep Ram Zuni Fetish Meaning

In Zuni culture a fetish represents the animal spirit thought to reside in the stone. It is believed that fetishes require a meal of cornmeal and ground turquoise occasionally.. Fetishes may be kept in a clay pot as it is the tradition. However, collectors usually like to keep theirs somewhere where they can be admired and enjoyed. The contemporary fetish may carry an offering of a smaller animal or a prayer bundle. It may be adorned with a heishe (small disc- or tube-shaped beads made of organic shells or ground and polished stones) necklace, feathers, etchings representing ancient petroglyphs, or an etched or inlaid heartline, often turqouise. These small items, although colorful to the eye, are intended to protect and feed the fetish itself.