Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-29
FIRE-PROOF INDIANS.


FIRE-PROOF INDIANS.
Picturesque Acts OF Leserdemain Among
the Southern Indians.
Mr.. John r. Sweet, who has recently
been travelling in New Mexico and
Arizona, gave an interesting and
graphic sketch to a Denver Tribune re-
porter of the .'hashkawn dance, which
he had witnessed at one of the Navajo
agencies. 1t took place in large cor
raj, or Enclosure of an irregularly circu-
ar form, about forty PAGES in diameter.
Its fence, about eight feet high. was
constructed of fresh juniper and pinon
boughs. In the center was a oonical
pile of dry wood, about twelve feet
high, which was to make the great
central fire. Around this, a fewfeet from
the fence, a dozen smaller fires were
burning for the comfort and convent
ence of the spectators, who numbered
and children, gathered here
country. The fire dance was the most
picturesque and startling of all. Some
time before the dancers entered, |
heard strange sounds mingled with the
blowing of the buffalo horn. The
sounds were much like the call of the
sandhill crane, and may. perhaps, be
properly called '.trumpeting." and
they were made by the dancers con-
stantly during the exercises. The noises
continued to grow louder and come
nearer, until we heard them at the
opening in the East, and in a moment
after men having no more clothing ON
than breechclout entered. Every
man bore long, thick bundle of
shredded cedar bark in each hand, ex-
cept the leader, who carried four
smaller fagots of the same material.
Four times they all danced round the
fire, waving their bundles of bark
toward the flame; then they halted in
the east; the leader advanced toward
the central fire, lit one of his little
fagots, and, trumpeting loudly, threw
it over the fence of the corral in the
east. He performed asimiliar act at the
south, the west, and the north, but be-
fore the northern brand was thrown he
lit with it the fagots of his comrades. As
each brand disappeared over the fence,
some of the spectators blew into their
hands, and made a motion as if tossing
some substance after the departing
flame. When the fagots were all lit
the whole band began wild race
around the fire. At first they kept
close together and spat upon one an
other some substance of supposed me-
dicinal virtue. Soon they scattered
and ran, apparently without concert,
the rapid racing causing the brands to
throw out long. brilliant streamerS of
flame over the naked hands and arms
of the dancers. They then proceeded
to apply the brands to their own nude
bodies, and the bodies of their COM
rades in front of them-no man ever
once turning around. At times the
dancer struck the victim vigorous
blows with his flaming wand; again
he seized the fame as if it were
sponge. and. creeping close to the one
pursued, rubbed the back of the latter
for several moments as if he were bath
ing him. In the meantime the sufferer
would catchup with someone in frontof
him, and, in turn, battle him in flame.
At times, when dancer found no one
in front of him, he proceeded to
''sponge" his own back, and might
keep this up while making two or three
circuits around the fire, or until he
overlook some one else. At each ap-
plication of the blaze the loud trumpet
ing was heard. and it often seemed as
if flock of hundred cranes were
winging their way overhead, south
ward through the darkness. If
brand became extinguished it was lit
again from the central fire; but whenit
was so far consumed as to be no longer
held conveniently in the hand the
dancer dropped it and rushed trumpet
ing out of the corral. Thus one by
one they ll.departed, and the specta-
tors stepped into the arena, picked up
the fascicies of the fallen fragments of
bark, lit them, and bathed their hands
in the flames as a charm against the
evil effects of fire.
'.Were they not blistered?' asked the
reporter.
''They were not hurt in the least
was the answer. II believe they were
protected by coating of earth or clay
paint. That. however, did not make
the effect any less strange. have be-
held many fire scenes on the stage,
many acts of fire-eating and fire-hand-
ling by civilized jugglers, and many
fire dances by other Indian tribes, but
nothing comparable to this. The scenic
were unique. Demons
lost souls with the eternal
fire could scarcely be pictured to look
more awful"