New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-18
h MOQCI SN1KE-DANCE.
A.. +.

rom Le'ae'am Boarke'S Report TO General Sheridan
wiz say III as fcw words as possible that tle
Moquis had procession, divided into two parts ~
one OF the chorisers and COMBINATIONS the Other of
Iorty-elght men and children twepty-four of whom
earned snakes, and the other twentv-fonr acted "a
attendants, tanning the snakes with eagle Feathers
ny iole reptlleS were carried both in the hands
az" III ne mouth IL was n loathsome sight to see
long Tile of naked men carving these siHnoue
monsters between their teeth and tramping around
a iohB cIcle 10 the accompaniment of funeral
dlrge OF rattles and monot onous chanting Atter
u snake had been thus carried once around the cir
saniipo 80 p "sI'eG IN sacred 10 ge OF cottonwood
Stpling covered with buffalo robe, and its place
taken oy another Thus il was not hard to Gallon
atc tne number used, which was not lar one way or
an0ther nom one hundred. rather over than under
ana onc-half the number being rattlesnakcs The
procession entered through arcade, marched four
times, around a great circle embracing both the
sacred lodge and the sacred rock, and then TO med
IN two single ranks the choristers facing tow ard
the precpce and the dancers along n line facIn,,
the sacred lodge. Tho high priestD as call him
TOOK his station directly fro OF the sacre lodge
ana between II and the sacred 70 k, which latter Is
griuI looking pile ather-worn sandstone
twenty or thirty feet high, bearing slight resrm-
blanee to human head; At the foot of il is a niche
IN when Is piece OF black stone bearing "a very
vapne appearance 10 the human trunk. At the base
OF tins IDOL are many votve ofc ings TO proptiaIe
MES around the little piazza, the high priest sprn les
the ground with water, using an earthen bowl and
an eagle feather rs sprinkler second medicine
I'D tWifIS peculiar sling ana makes noise like
the falling OF g pious showers. When the two lines
are halted facing each other, the dancers who are
at first provided with caglc-feathers, waye them
downward 10 he right and left while the or
listers Shak their rattcs making noise like rat
tesnakc, and az the same time sing n low aud not
unmusical chant. When ihs is finished the high
priest holds the bowl toward the sacred lodge uters
low but audible prayer. and sprinkles the ground
again with water. The singing and fcathcr-waylng
are repeated, and the first over. Nothing nj
all horrible has occurred yet But no time rs lost
before the second part of the ceremony commences
ne chorsters remain III their places with the
high priest while the dancers TWO by two and arm i'm
arm, tramp with measure tread in long circle
embracing The sacred points already mentioned,
Your bioodchills rs you see held by tho left-hand
men. snakes oil all kinds, weighing and writhlng
while the rlGht-hand man keeps the reptile dis
tracted by tanning its head with eagle feathers
There Is no discount this art of the
business. the snaHes are carried in hand
said. some of the rattesnakes were so large
(over five fest that the dancer could not grasp the
whole diameter in his mouth As the procession
hied past, the squaws threw COrn-meal before them
on the ground. These snakes when thrown to the
earth showed themselves in most eases to be eN-
tremcly vicious, and struck at anyone coming nigh
In such an event llllo corn-mcal was thrown upon
them, and the assistants coming up famed them
WIN the eagle feathers IN IL they coilcd up. and
then quickly seized them back OF the head Alter all
the snakes had been put mp und'r the buffalo robe
covering the sacred lodge there was another prayer
and the second scene ended. The third scene com
menced almost Immediately, and was rs follows:
The q axes were seized in ones, two ana half
dozens and thrown into the circle, where
they were covered over with corn-meaL
' yonnr W nSn sHS6n d tha number Of
fus, III at full speed down the almost vertical
paths in the face OF tho mesa, and upon reaching
the East and West. The young men then came
back ut full run, dashed through tho crowd
and on to one of the esulas, where were told
they had to swallow n potion to induce copious
vomiting and TO undergo other treatment to
neutralize any bites they might have received. OF
one thing ! am ur'd, the Moqu mediterranean
know more about snakes than any people this
earth tho Asatic snake charmers not excepted.
The snakes are not rendered Harmless, in any way
but think from what have seen, that the prnci-
pal old men who handle the reptiles carelessly
are narcotizcd before the ceremony commences I
was much astonlshed and delighted not to be re-
PEELED when sought 10 enter Their estufa. l not
only entered but renamed until [ had
made rough sketches and written accurate descrip-
ton! OF everything | saw, aud / saw
much can never forget. In one corner was n sort
OF an altar, which carefully sketched, while be-
hind was loathsomc mass OF not less than 100
snakes of different varieties carefully guarded by
two old fellows, who seemed to no under the in
fluence of marc tic | couldn't learn what. In
front of the altar covered earthenware basin.
asked permission to Withdraw tho cover and saw
that the vessel contained four large shells and
"a ilquld OF unknown composition, of which the
mon who were to handle the snakes drank freely.