Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-07-02
A PUEBLO SNAKE DANCE.
a CURIOUS ANNUAL CUSTOM OF
NEW MEXICO INDIANS.
Costumes of the Dancers-Details of
the Rite-lts Probable Meaning
to the Worshippers.

the Rite-lts Probable Meaning
to the Worshippers.
Writing about the annual snake dance
of the isolated Pueblo Indians, Of New
Mexico, a writer In Science says: The
leader of the dance or high priest car
ried a buzzing stitch, which failed to
work properly, however, and was soon
disca: ded. The antelope men, some ten
in number, came in fl st. They entered
in single file and marched around four
times in an irregular cree, approaching
the hut from the north Then they took
up their positions on either side of the
hut, facing out The snake men, about
fifteen in number then entered the court,
marching in the same dire e,ion as the
others had. As they passed the hut,
they scattered some sacred meal and
stamped on a concealed board in front of
the door. This board is buried in the
ground Immediately in front of the door
of the hit, and hollow scooped out
under the middle of it. Each performer,
as he passes, scatters some sacred meal
(Which is form of prayer, and stamps
on this board, producing loud, hollow
sound. The object is to call the atten-
tion of the gods to the zeal of the per-
folmer that he may be properly re-
warded. By another version, if the
dancer succeeds in breaking this board,
which is nearly two inches thick any
wish that he may make for two succeed
ing years will be granted. AS the same
board is used continuously until it wears
out, it must be occasionally broken. 1t
is possible, however, that the man who
gave me this version invented it.
After this stamping had been repeated
four times, the snake men formed line,
facing the antelopes, and about six feet
distant from them. The antelopes then
snake men joined. Occasionally the
measure was changed for a few moments
and they made gesture with the feather
Wahds which each man carried in his
right hand. The chaut was kept up
without intermiss,on during the entire
dance. and was accompanied by a pc
culiar rhythmical, swaying motion of the
body. When the Misunderstanding had
been repeated four times, the snake men
broke their line, and grouped them
selves In front of the door of the hut.
A moment later the group parted,
and one of the performers APP
peared, holding III his mouth
snake A companion (also snake
NAM joined him, passing his left arm
over the first mans shoulder; and the
pair passed around on the line previously
pursued, with the peculiar step, which,
for want of better namo, 10 called n
dance. The companion carried in his
right hand one of the feather wands be-
fore referred to, consisting of two large
feathers (said to be those of the wild
turkey), mounted in a short wooden
handle, with small red feather dangling
from the end. This wand was nstlntly
and very skillfully used by the compan-
ion to distract the attention of the snake
held in the mouth of the other, and to
keep its head forward. The man who
carried the snake carried nothing in his
hands. | have been told that the men
who took this part kept their eyes
tightly closed. during the whole per-
formance. This, however, Ibid not notice
myself, though these dancers were always
led back to the hut when it was desired
to procure more snakes. The snake is held
in the mouth between the lips, not be-
tween the teeth; and the mouth is filed
with some substance G, resembling meal in
appearance, to avoid biting the snake when
} the dancer becomes excited. When a
snake becomes unmanageable, the dancer
simply opens his mouth, letting it fall
to the ground.
, Each of the couples described was fol-
lowed by a single man or boy, whose duty
it was to pick up the snakes as they were
7 dropped. These also carried feather
l wands. shall hereafter refer to these
as collectors AS the snakes were drop pee
haphazard, at any place, and at any time
and as they manifested lively disposi
J tion to get out of the way as soon as pos
f sible, the position was hardly sinecure
: This second figure of the dance occu
4 pied about twenty minutes; though, afte
the first round the order became some
l what broken, the collectors bein!
/ grouped in the centre, and dartlng herr
and there after snakes, while the dancer
f pranced around in an irregular circle
, Each performer, as he dropped his snake
G was led back to the hut by the companion
, for q new one; and this continued unit
b the supply was exhausted The lov
chant of the antelcpes, the dismal thougl
l. rhythmical clank of the tortoise-sheI
IS rattles, the peculiar motion of the dan
: GERS, the breathless attention of the spec
tators, all gave this part Of the perform
ance weird character.
The latter part of the figure, when tn
snakes had accumulated in the hands 0
; the collectors, and the dancers becam
n excited, was very interesting. One @
;, the collectors had dozen or more snake
in his hands and arms. When the nun
n Der became too great for proper manage
ment, part of them were turned over
4 the antelope men, who remained in lin
- on either side of the hut, and were he'll
~ ~ in their hands until the final figure.
. The final figure was the most exciting
One of the performers going a little t
- one side, drew in sacred meal a circl
20 about thirteen feet in circumference
y, Two diametcrs at right angles wei
& drawn, and another line passin
- obliquely through their intersection, rel
: resenting the cardinal points and Ii
- 70 pressed by the line drawn from Nortl
~ west to Southeast.
~ The chant suddenly ceased and a
those holding snakes made a rush fC
this circle and dropped them into j
The snakes formed a writhing mass
an nearly filling the circle longitudinal
ST and about six inches in height, as near
Of as could be distinguished, as the who
Iv figure lasted but a few seconds. I'll
= :; snake men then literally threw then
q, selves into the circle. Each man seize
i as many of the reptiles as he could an
~ e