The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-10-25
THE MOQUI SNAKE DANCE.
Legend and solemn Religious Ceremon,
Of the MOqui Indians of Arizona.

A Legend md Solemn Religious Ceremony
Of the Moqu Indians of Arizona.
THE LEGEND.
In the country of Tusayan, an ancient
province Of Northern Arizona, there
lived a people the remote ancestors of
the present Moquis An enterprising
youth Of this people, desiring TO dis
cover the sources of rain, constructed d
raft and ascended great river until
the banks and cliffs seemed to reach
the heavens. The youth was kindly
received by the people of that region,
and he married q wife and remained
there, several years. After this he re-
turned 10 his own country, accompanied
BY his wife. His own people were re-
Joiced to see him and gave his wife a
most ilattering reception and kindly
treatment, This kindness aroused the
jealousy Of the Moqui maIdens and
caused her to be an object Of envy and
persecution among them. The wife
kept her troubles to herself, but, in
the course of time, gave birth to a
great serpent which made war on the
TRIBE as enemies Of his mother, and
drove them into another region Of
country, where he met another. serpent
which Killed him The victorious SER
pent welcomed the fugitive people to
his own country and babe them rem ain
~ IT. They did so and that is the
present country and people known a.
the Moqui-Pueblos, and this iepend
gave rise to vi
THE SNAKE DANCE.
This dance was instituted and Is per
petuated in honor of the serpent pro
teetor Of the tribe, and to insure 4
supply Of rain. At first the snake
u, lance was ,solemnized every year.
lhls caused too much rain. and the
country was inundated with floods.
Afterwards the dance was solemnized
once IN seven years. The. country
was then afflicted with drought and
Ianilne' Tho rule nowis to perform
4i 91e snake DANCE once in two years.
inls Is supposed to induce the proper
amount an OF rain. Among these people
lle snake Is lookedA upon asfthe most
sacred object in existence. and, ,on. no
account g, hitlstaa snake sof amy soft be
Killed or injured 1,g
!, some ten years ago Major J, w.
Iowell, Of the Colorado exploring ex-
Peuitlon spent a winter at Wolpi,s one
q me principal Moqui towns, but he
had no opportunity to witness the
snake dance, though he made the
language and religion Of The people
tbosal og,al SUBJECTS of study.z And it is
Sa SSnoagnt that not more than ten or q
. uo4en VOC. white men now living have Wit
IN Il.
mony. '''>' ~''N '''H 20 y
!, Inc last biennial snake dance of the
Isloluls took place inthe town 1EAVolpi
uarlng The month of July the present
3. u.l,lner, and was witnessed by about
yiglssa ~ white men, atriond ,,vhom was
atS aatrS0sleessor w. b. Powell. brother III.
Malor D. w. Powell, who ftiaH9a frip.
Sa Sa Sa,,9itely ninety miles and return, on mule
DUCK, IN order to witness fhis daeniy
Interesting ceremony. 4 & ijurin 3 poi.
a.pWell's visit in Junction Civ last
" %eek ,t We listened to averbal description
u eh; .re dance, and the tradition Of its
g"lseIs t;oE and origin, which are substan
'g,iy r " lIeregstated. CANA
nlgee Gays prior tosthea dance were
spehs spi ! IN Preparations, collecting snakes.
e. suu ~ a. secret ceremonies in the s.estu-
10 tas, ~ oI = iodgeFrooms, 1.-Two days prior
~. ~ .ue uance were spent in strict fasting
i'll ~ me dancers. gWhenlthK diay arrived
al lnere r had been collected about one hun
sleu and nifty Snakes. About three
ssqIths ~, Of them We're rattlesnakes. The
''sAes 4 ,'i' We're kept in a ''snake shade.''
i i dspl piafe Oh confinement adjoining the
M rig,,es y round shaded from. the sun.
,,,;.s ass ap9r Of the snake Shade was closed
y Nh long icurtain, fhe lever end Of
,',u.se mnleh rested upon the ground. There
ho..s NJ aeout sfiftylsix daneers.l men and
To., NJ = When the ceremonies conn
daaed tLeneed the dancers made five roundar
Will % 70 the time OF a solemnsehant,
W.. wnsie the priests and their assistants
spl5nkled them with sacred meal
aa ~ holy water. At the end
5.u ~ nrst series of rounds the
Tsacers Tha divided into two companies.
sa ne company which was to per-