The Mineral argus., 1883-09-20
The WOOing of MOntezuma.
Santa Re IN. NJ oOrrespOndsnce Of Kansas
City Times.

and fTivolOuB 70 enRhko IN. eBe AON
gious rite-a prose poem. It perpetu-
stes the history as we'll as religion Of the
Indian. Il Is a drama, a lyrical repre-
,entation OF important events in the his
tory of a rude and uncultivated people
that have no better g OF perpetual
ting their deeds than through tradition
.ry r~ecitals and common folk lore.
Zuni Gushing tells me the cochita
dance has l25 different representations
fhe movement is grand, and It requires
days of preparation. Not 5O-perhaps
moi a dozen-white men have ever seen
n danced. The Indians will not repeat
IL except at stated Intervals, for the rea-
son that Il is apart and the most COM
memoratiye part, Of important
religious ceremonies. Gushing MN
self. though he is a war chlei'
and recently admitted to h sa-
cred order Of the Bow, could not lnuuce
the Zunis TO repeat this n IN puonc
M the Tertio-M illennial anniversary.
Thronoh the officers Of the association
he offered the Indians 100 silver dollars
N thew would dance the cochita, but
thev persistently refused. There are
many dances common to all the tribes,
hnt most tribes have dances peculiar 70
themselyes, and some are more valuable
in the perpetuation OF h history, ths
religion, the ceremonies, the daily iIe
If the people than all other agencles
combined. So much for the lndiah oahce
in general.
ton in the history of this strange people.
I have seen dances different from any
that / have seen duringthe last 25yesrs.
The one that impresses me quite as
much as any other is the Wooing OF
Montezuma. The characters are Quel-
lacotle. Monarka, Montezuma, his love
ly bride, Malinche. Enormously and lar
less POLITICALLY printed on the Dlls
. Koegna) the court jester, Iongnoi Tau,
! rms 1.-THE BULL courtiers, attendants ana
oaicers Montezuna, as every intelli-
cent reader knows. is the savior, the
Socrates. the Confucius Of the Mexicans.
His birth runs back into the
mystic records of myth n traditioE-
The great Montezuma, l mean: But
Montezuma, like all.good men and great
. Gods. loved more fortunately than many
, others-he loved both wisely n well
J, He wooed and won, and experiences
quite as many dlthcultles IN the JOY a.
e the rest ofus. Twas ever thus; women
"coy and hard TO please" So found
n The monarch lover in his persistent md
d delicate wooing Of the reluctant hut love
Is lv Malinche. The drama dance com
n and represents the valor
h n~atience and sublime heroism OF tn
IT great lover; the attempts OF the ugl!
1t and Glow ish Taurus to captivate TN
e fair maiden; the struggles OF the court
4 iers; each for himself, with wooing an
winsome manners 70 capuvate me cnaI
r ING and beautiful Indian Girl. In a trla
Of most experts and most skllltul dane
"a inc Montezuma vanQuishes all his cour
n ieTs. The blusbing and beautiful Ma
il niche Yields, and Montezuma IS prouc
ut or. happier than when he had conquele
III ali surrounding tribes and founded tn
m great city Of Mexico, with us MAJ
m ni6cent gardens, its wonderi
plazas, its great ma
v. ket place, its royal buildings, iis lou
re tains and ~aouedlcts, its splendid road
in and All these lonely years before the a
rival Of the blo~od-thirsty and gol'
crazed Spaniard, and before the hen ha
- aid the egg that Columbus a 70 stan
he I'm the presence Of the princes. 1t Is,
tie course A national dance, and dates
ar. history back into the misty traditions
I'm mythical history. The Aztec gods, 1t
a said, revealed il to the Pueblo Indian
es, Ittook Just one hour anda hall by n
IA watch 10 render the dance poem.
INK AAA HAIIIluAlNN n4NlgDNAeN
rendered. The dancers were both Me
TO leans and Pueblo Indians. The numb
performing was II, not including the d
I'm tupeta Archuletta, representing u
IN! .ovely bride, and the manly Francis
ed, TONER, ~personating the monarch low
nd the great Montezuma. The mother
! M the bride is a Pueblo and the father
ich Mexican. Our waiting and Rnxio
beanx not infrequently think their {
and dulcineas are a long time prepari
Gro their toilets for extra occasions, B
red Cushing tells me the Zuni are fully eii
days preparing for the eoehia dam
You see their time Is not much ms
valuable than that Of our average Ia
SIN. ionahle young lady. Then too, they
very deliberately dressed, ~paradoxica
as il may seem, when not dressed at
ady One can be much dressed with "
light dress, as the Zuni and the fashl
the able lady at the ball each illustrate. !
10 Zuni may be naked TO the waist and
- even wear Cinderella slippers, and
days may be spent in o-rnamenting, Z
'ae Grating and painting the body and 4
n The wooing Of Montezuma Is danced
.ho ~ chiefs. On the occasion RETIRED
eus they emphatically mingled and blen'
IsAs the ancient and modern civilization
~ the general features Of the dance. 81
m enterprising clothing merchant had
80 sented them with a cheap pair Of pa
So looms and a vest each. With these
49, retaining the salesman's card-mark
~ ornament, a calico shirt, a Navajo or
.em. nj blanket, a silk veil worn as a m
Nose and brand new cowhide shoes richly
namented and highly decorated,
~ dancers were arrSyed. They had I
~ attendants to arrange their end
70 amour Of ribbons m bright colors,
81 - N