The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-08-29

rious Dance OF Mystic Meanlng-The
Movements.
Two hundred mounted Pueblos, aligned as
perfectly rs a crack cavalry regiment on
parade, formed three sides of n hollow
square. The fourth side was the high wall
of the old church yard, now buried under
drift Of expectant humanity Pueblos from
Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Isleta, San
Juan, Nambe, Tesuque, Pojoaque, and even
distant Acoma; Navajoes from tho western
end of the territory, four Americans" and
forty or fifty neighboring Mexicans were
among tho crowd. Close by the cross over
the gate was tho long, faded robe and the
beautiful, classic face Of the priest from
Pena Blanca, whose dclicately chiseled
Gallo features looked anachronistic enough
among those swarthy proselytes. He had
and now the first dance of the day was to be
Ell faile del padre, in his honor
We had not long to wait. Directly the
pumi puml punt of huge yellow tomtom,
big as mature beer barrel, came around the
corner Of the church, presently followed by
the tomtom itself and its athletic prosecutor.
Around the drummer clustered the chorus
dozen men in snowy shirts and with snowy
drawers descending into the embrace of
beautiful brown buckslSin calzones, which
also covered tho tops of their moccasins.
They were chanting loudly weird refrain
in the Juercz tongue, keeping perfect time
with feet and arms They were CLOSELY
followed by the danoers-a strange and
grotesque half hundred, truly. At their
head marched the bearer of the holy Flag of
the Sun. He was a stalwart aboriginal gen.
tleman. clothed unon with all the pomp and
circumstances AZ a 81 Tonis drum major Int
without the ramrod which IL popularly sup
posed 10 stiffen the SHINE Of that awful dig
nitarv The banner WINS n nriceless hit Of
work in beaded buokslin: bearing. with its
mole. tbe general share az n pionntic feather.
and frinyed and t,,fted Mt SIDES and ton with
eagle feathers The dancers were equally
divided as IN cav and an attractive set In
face and form The women wore their usual
modest d,,ess 20 ,be tnaas h,,t had omitted
their a,ervday huotstir hoots and mecca
aims and their shanelv sh;ns and arms we're
bnre Their beautiful black hair carefully
combed hung down Their. hacks unrestrained
bv rlhbon or ornament Around their necks
tbev wore n dazzling nrofusion Of necklaces.
costly oorals silver heads alternating with
silver crosses and long strings of priceless
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT nroxim;tv m the only tur-i
onois mine IN tbe western bemisnhere stands
tbam In rooa staad-,vara n dozen strands
deen ON those nrettv brown necks Their
heavy lot banps-tbe Aztecs were banging
their bair before Cortez sailed from Spain
waved MS thov came honninp along on alter
nate feet Each had BRIGHT yermillon
match ON either check hone and zach held in
eirhe,. hond = snr;g of saered collar mt.
the ,,ost renortahIa feat,,ra Of the female
half az Tho ballet was the beoddress Over
tha middle of bo,. CROWN each woman ,yora
= hoard fltted 10 her head and ,ising e,gh.
t.cr inches above II The boarJ was hri9bt
with nm Ornamental ton and capital T sawed
ont Of fine middle The nroiactions at the
ton ~ the hoard were nrettily tnfted
The na, were mora ,,irtpresouelv a,,avad
Each WINS naked 70 Tho waist and PAINTED
over the t,nnk and arms with n duh hlne
~ M az. I'D near1 tS,, tho
inees WINS nm eIaborata dancing skirt woven
of mouse colored stuff. handsomely decled
with bend work. and with n fine naereme
cash pendent ON the right side. To In K skirt.
behind WINS attached beautiful fox skin
with its long brush dangling nearly 70 the
ground. The moccasins and leegins COM
pleted the dress. but there were further ac-
cessories. Each man had fastened TO the ton
IF m nj faat Iaara af.a
sprip Of cedar: each had around his bicens a
four.incb arniet Of bucksL;n nainted o,aap
and white and several slxeins ~ bright warn
and strings of sleigh bells were tied around
tba calzones inst below the kpee None og
them wore faciallv nainted none Ind the
customary beadkercbief or oueue nor tho
every day white cotton drawers Each held
In bis laft hand n BRANCH ~ evercra.n and
with wooden handle Over their nara
chests rottIed beads only less nrodioa, than
thosa worn Inv tbe woman The ,na,, were
ali youno or vounoisb and "a : rple ve,v
GOOD looking fellows Az tbe roar tba ,,ro.
cession tanered down 10 half n doven bovs
and Girls The smallest NOT over 4 wears ia
but dressed inst like their elders and eouolly
ernert in the intricacles 81 the curio,,s
dancs
When the fiftv dancers were nil inside tho
so,ara In n long row bv nairs-f,,.st two
yyou,on and then two men.-thev coasad tbo,r
advance which had been made NJ n rnoddjno
race 81 n half n mile ner bour INIT continued
70 .s,narlr time y as an army man would sav
20 tho unfoltar;po bumn ~ the ye,loav dr,,,,
.nd tho lone yyinded sing sono ~ tha chor,,s
Tho stan. whether advancin9 retre.tino ~.
stardina st;u IL tba sono--o s;,,,,I. ,-or;et,o,,
aus s.n, Wv ~ III, .pe VA, '',' ~,
VI .ne unive,sai nop jump ieincihpereo ny
every one VINO mas ever seen an aboriginal
dance anywhere Starting on tiptoe, the
dancer raised his right foot quickly to q
height of from three to six inches above tho
groupd nj tina same time--o,. nerhans a.,
1919 ,a,a,.s,v,no, tin, ho,, ,,,t';a,, I;stai
.,''', ~. NV. - s ~ no "nien n1eu
inc 1911 1901 hign enough 70 put tootnpick
between It ana the ground. This hitch Is
IN 10
omitted, and makes a notable impression
upon the character of the stem as n whole
Their tba RIGHT foot went down IN sinoilar
- sas,,;o, and 49,, Ias. 80
hyPnoiaoeo au'''o',, anu sno ie,oiooe "ehsuP,
ana so on: Inc soic pat Oh the moccasined
m M m