It enhanced their importance in the eyes of the uninitiated listener by making him believe that the making of rain was also an attribute of theirs.

"See, uak," she proceeded, "on this bowl you see everything painted that produces rain." One after the other she pointed out the various figures.

"Here you see the tadpole, here the frog, here the dragon-fly and the fish; they, as they stand here, pray for rain; for some of them cry for it, when the time comes others live in the water, which is fed from the clouds, or they flit above the pools in summer.

Here is the cloud and lightning, and"-- she turned the vessel bottom side up--"here are the Shiuana themselves," pointing at the two horned serpents.

"These live everywhere where Tzitz is running or standing.