The Portland daily press., 1881-09-24
The snake Dance.
a Horrible sight Witnessed by Moran
the Artist.

An interesting and graphic account OF the
horrible snake dance of the Moqui Indians,
the house-building sayages of the tablelands Of
Northwestern Arizona, is related by Peter No
ran, the veil known artist.
ssFrom Fort Wingate, in New Mexico, to the
wonderful tablelands in Arizona" said ne,
awas two hundred mile journey, in train
wagon, marked by no particular Incident. Our
objective point was tho Indian town OF Walpi,
situated three hundred feet above a fertile val
Lev. on what is known as the First Masa; that
is the town is built on the first elevation of the
tableiand which rises like steps from one plane
to another, each occupying 3 territory hum
dreds of miles In extent. The curious homes
Of the Moquis are built on each of these Masas,
As the SPANISH cali them, and are natural for
tresses that would defy aa army better than
Gibraltar itself. Rising precipitously from the
valley, and only approached By zigzag Circuit
tons route tho tablelands have for hundreds OF
wears kept at bay the warlike NaEaios and
Apaches, the enemies of the Moquis
s.We were received BY the Chief of the Wal
pi tribe with slight manifestations OF delight,
when we conveyed to him our desire to wit.
ness the snake dance. Like his follows, and
ali Pueblo or house-building Indians, the Chief
was mild, even effeminate, but. with the true
stoicism of the nomad Indian, he exhibited no
surprise or curiosity. Our arrival was most
opoortune. The snake dance was to take
place on the day following, ana we were per
paitted to witness part Of the preliminary
ceremonies, which was quite interesting
FASTING AND FEAsTINe.
In a stone house dug six feet into the lime
stone surface and walled two feet above it
were seated some twenty men teastlng on corn
bread and goats meat. The house is a sacred
affair, known as the Estufa or Council house
Its dimensions are about Il by "a feet, and the
entrance is made by ladder On the floor at
the upper end of the chamber is a painting
made with colored earths which represents a
-5-o5s; 77 I'm c2nehant. 1t is surrounded by
intertwined This SPOT seeed 70 81 Ss4n gzTS1Sa
with great deal of awe, and had some diff
Guilty in getting close enough to make sketch
OF it. In this room the intending dancers had
been fasting for two days, after having been
previously treated with a course OF mysterious
medicine by the priests Their fasting had Just
ended when we arrived, and they were then
going through the second ceremony of q feast
The cdor in the close little room was oyerpow-
ering. The men were clad only in . breach
cloUt, and their bodies were painted brown
They were smoking the sacred pipes filed with
bUngee, an aromatic, pungent herb, somewhat
resembling tobacco. Two aged priests under
the influence of a narcotic herb, were numb
ling to themselves and going through a cere-
mcny over the painted altar
CHASTITY SPECTACLE.
ssThe next day concluded the ceremony with
the dance, and it was one Of the most horrible
and disgusting sights l ever witnessed. One
hundred and fifty snakes, including seventy
five full-grown rattlesnakes, were taken from
q water-jar and carried In salt sacks to sort
Of canopy made of cottonwood. The dancera,
who had assembled again in the Estufa, were
IN one end away from the altar. Then one of
the old priests emerged, after having previous
y driven our party out, with q bowl of water
IN one hand, walked slowly, Ia an irregular
circle, in the direction of the cottonwood can
Opy. He was followed by another man with
platter OF corn meal, and each of them sprink-
led the contents of their bowls on the ground
They were followed by six more men with
rattles made out of gourds. Then came the
first section Of dancers numbering eight, ac-
companied by an attendant, bearing sacred
wand. An old man with bows and arrows,
came next, followed by the second old priest,
and forty-eight dancers. also with attendants.
-Four children made up the end of the process
sion, which marched chanting weird, solemn
dIrge 70 the place where the snakes were. The
head priest entered the Enclosure, and as the
dancers came to a halt the attendants stepped
forward and the priest handed out the writli-
ing, Kissing snakes to them. They in turn adj
vanced to the dancers. Placing his arm
around the devotee's neck the attendant would
place the snake, or two of them if he could in
The mans mouth, and then gently wave the
wand at the reptile to keep him from striking.
The dancer then advanced to a place about
three hundred yards from the Estufa, and
with jerk of the head threw the snake on
the ground. This was repeated until all the
snakes had been taken from the enclosure.
Then.suddenly dancers and attendents made
rush for the writhing pile, and selling the
snakes without regard to position, ran rapidly
dowa the Masa, and scattered them to the
NORTH south, east and west in the valley be-
low.
BITTEN BY THE SNAKES.
Several Of the dancers we're bitten during
the ceremony, but never stopped to examine
their wounds, and were taken in charge by the
priests at the conclusion and treated in some
secret manner with an unfailing antidote.
never heard Of one of them dying from the
effects of the bites. The secret has never been
divulged as TO how the priests cured the vic
TINS l was unable to learn the origin of the
custom, but it is believed to be a sort of invo-
cation for rain. The scene was remarkable
one, with the solemn chant, the slow move
ment OF the dancers bodies, and the contor-
tons Of the snakes as they endeavored to
strike at their captors."