Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-05-13
PUEBLO PASTlMES.
Strange People and Their Peculiar
Dances and Festivities.

enthusiast in Pueblo archaeology, has
just returned from a visit to the Tunkue
pueblo forty-five miles south of here,
about which interesting rumors have
been afoat, but little has been known
until now. 1t proves to be one of the
Pueblos that went down in the revolu-
ton of 1880, and was destroyed by
fire. 1t was very large The walls
are yet distinctly traceable and the
lines of the houses well marked. The
square of houses surrounding the
estuta, or underground council cham,
Der, is about 1900 feet on each side.
The estufa itself is about fifty feet in
diameter. Judge Prince found many
pieces of pottery of unusual brilliancy
of colors, and also stone axes and
hammers. Scorched corn in pots was
found which went through the con.
tiagration over two hundred years ago,
and is in remarkable state of preser-
walton.
Judge Prince has been several year,
engaged in unearthing the mysteries
of the ancient Pueblos, and his home
here abounds in rare relies. Among
the latter is the only set of Pueblo idols
known. 1t is composed of strange fig
ures and curiously Unmarked stones,
eighteen pieces in all. Though the
Pueblos claim to have embraced the
Catholic faith, it is known that they
still reverence idols-the sun, moon
and morning stars Although they
present their children to the priest for
baptism on the eighth day after birth,
they 60 through an ancient survivor
shipping ceremony with them four or
five days before that They are very
secretive people, and it is impossible to
discover the nature of this ceremony.
The twelve thousand members, and
they are known to have remained at
about that number since 1900, carefully
guard this ceremonial secret. There
are now nineteen towns left, only one
having been abandoned within the last
eighty-iive years, and that the Pecos
Pueblo, the extensive ruins of which
are still visible on the Atchison, To.
peka & Santa Fe road near Glorietta.
This once populous city was reduced tC
eleven inhabitants in 1910, and, taking
with the sacred fires, which had been
kept burning for untold ages, they
journeyed to Jemez where one of then
was chosen Governor last year. In the
year 1910 Coronado found the Peco'
Pueblo populous and flourishing, bu
its inhabitants wasted away by war anC
disease in three hundred years unit
only eleven remained.
The Pueblo government is pure de
mocracy. On each New Year eve they
elect officers in every town, the princi
pal officers being the Governor, tn,
War Captain and the Fiscal or Treas
urer The latter also has charge o
the celebrations, and heralds procla
nations and the news-a walking bul
letin-board by virtue of his lungs. Ev
cry town has patron saint, and tina
saints day is the great event of tn,
year. They rival each other in the ex
tent and loveliness of the demonstra
tions and in hospitality, for ever,
house is open and the stranger is wei.
come to the best it affords.
The ceremonial dances at these cele
brations partake of the nature of tn,
drama. Every one of them tells som,
story of ancient days. 1t is the triba
mythology preserved in song an'
dance. The Matachinos is danced b,
twelve men and one woman, the bell
of the Pueblo. 1t represents the trial
of Montezuma in reaching perfection
and the possession of ideal female love
illness. The woman they call tn
Malnche. Montezuma is represente,
by some active and ambitious youn,
man, who, in the course of the dance
meets with all the annoyance and diff
culties that can be heaped upon him b
his tormentors He is attacked first b
one and then another, and overcome
; them in turn, winding up with tel
rife combat with an Indian decked on
; in imitation of bull Then he claim
the maiden and is happy, even his lat
|, combatants joining in the praise of tn
victor.
. Mrs. Prince saw the Zariche. DIRE
/: matte dance, typical of the suffering
! and final victory of Hoo-pah-wah, tn
Aztec Achilles. She describes it a
y follows:
1.-TWO Indians are chosen and dresse
i just alike-Or, more correctly speak
ing, are painted just alike, as that
their adornment for the ceremony
; You can get only faint understand
; ing of the effect by description of tn
; painting, Fine white lines radiate fror
the mouth and eyes. One-half of tn
body from the crown of the head to tn
: sole of the feet, is painted bright We
, low and the other half green. A bucl
skin pad on the end of stick is dippe
;, in white paint and the figure patte
i with it, making what looks like littl
snowballs, eight or ten inches apar
: all over the body. The effect is ver
odd and striking. A curious necklac,
of what are said to be bones of extin,
animals, is worn about the neck, an
the finishing adornments are feathe
II and bows and arrows. There are tw
dressed in this way and exactly alik
t. To each is fastened rope made of Il
e strands of hides, painted green ar
/. yellow, and the opposite ends of Il
=. ropes are fastened to posts. When q
+, is ready, weird Indian music strikes I
: and the dance begins in mournf
e measure, increasing in fervor as it go
e on. The contortions become alarmin
" but as nearly alike as the movemen
: of double clog dancers on the minstr
= stage. The ropes are finally broke
n and when that happens there is gre
Y rejoicing. The assembled people sho
fl and laugh and sing as though
a worldly ills were banished and paradi
a at hand
4: The dual representation in this dan
n is mystery which the Pueblos refu
n to reveal. The festivals generally {
t cur during the winter months, the SUI
10 mer being given to agriculture by t
N men, while the women make pottery
IS odd design and pretty color.-Sdr