▁and ▁then ▁hur ling ▁spe ars ▁as ▁close ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁the ▁stone ▁stopped . ▁ ▁Another ▁S pi ro ▁icon ▁is ▁the ▁" Gre at ▁Ser pent ," ▁a ▁being ▁said ▁to ▁inhab it ▁the ▁Under ▁World , ▁the ▁spiritual ▁domain ▁on ▁the ▁opposite ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁universe . ▁The ▁Great ▁Ser pent ▁is ▁port rayed ▁in ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁art ▁with ▁a ▁ser pent ' s ▁body ▁but ▁also ▁with ▁wings ▁or ▁horn s . ▁Similar ▁be ings ▁were ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁myth ▁in ▁historic ▁times ▁among ▁the ▁Mic mac , ▁Hur on , ▁K ick ap oo , ▁Ch ero kee , ▁Mus c og ee ▁Creek , ▁C add o , ▁and ▁other ▁Native ▁American ▁tribes , ▁appearing ▁in ▁tribes ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁major ▁language ▁families . ▁The ▁spiritual ▁be ings ▁of ▁the ▁Under ▁World ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁constant ▁opposition ▁to ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁Upper ▁World . ▁Men ▁had ▁to ▁fear ▁these ▁be ings , ▁according ▁to ▁Native ▁American ▁myth ology , ▁but ▁they ▁could ▁also ▁gain ▁great ▁power ▁from ▁them ▁in ▁certain ▁circumstances . ▁ ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁art ▁also ▁features ▁the ▁ced ar ▁tree ▁or ▁strip ed - center - pole ▁mot ifs , ▁which ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁interpreted ▁as ▁the ▁axis ▁m und i , ▁the ▁point ▁at ▁which ▁the ▁three ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Mississ ipp ian ▁spiritual ▁universe ▁come ▁together : ▁the ▁Upper ▁World , ▁the ▁Under ▁World , ▁and ▁the ▁Middle ▁World