Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-11-09
MoouIs SNAKE DANCE.
q DlSgu'tinG Ceremony That Has No
Equal In Cruel Terror.

Equal In Cruel Terror.
In the village of the Moquis Indians
in Arizona there is celebrated each
year the snake dance, ceremony of a
secret Indian society, which has not
its equal in cruel terror. The prepa-
ration for the affair takes sixteen days.
During the first eight days the medi-
cine men and chiefs put the dancing
place in order and brew II secret
drink which secures them against the
effects of the poisonous bites. Dur
ing the last eight days the snakes are
hunted for which are to be the invol-
untary participators in the dance"
This year there were gathered about
$50 snakes of fair size. The Moquis
first subjected them to sudden cold
bath, rolled them in the sand until
they were dry, and then laid them in
large stone jars, which we're then
sealed air-tight with tanned skins.
Nobody thought of extracting the
poisonous fangs of the serpents.
Through that the effects of the
''charm" would have been destroyed.
On the evening Of the feast ''gen-
eral rehearsal was held, which. how
ever, proved harmless, for in that the
snakes were not brought into requisi-
ton. After the "active members"
had sung and danced enough, they
went to rest to prepare themselves for
the work OF the next day. Close to
the village there had been erected q
large wooden structure where the
snakes, carefully tied in bags, were
brought. Before this shanty extend
ed big, clear space, in the middle Of
which there lay heavy stone. Be-
fore the door of the shanty there lay a
long board, which was scrubbed clean
and sprinkled with Indian meal to
keep all evil spirits away from the
dancers. Then came the dancers.
The first group of them, con-
sisting of thirty-six men, were fantas-
tically decorated. Each Moqui held in
one hand a rattler and in the other q
stick, on the end of which were fast
ened turkey feathers. The warriors
marched around the place several
times in a ceremonious manner. and
then settled at one end of it. These
were the singers, whose duty it was to
enhance the feast by their song. Then
came the real warriors, also consisting
of thirty-six men. They were greeted
with howl, and the singers then sent
forth their songs" and thus the
real feast commenced. The dancers
marched in order into the shanty, un-
tied the bags and took as many snakes
as each could carry, and returned TO
the dancing place. Once there, the
dancers put the heads of the snakes
into their mouths. 1t was a ter
rible sight to see the disgusting
animals make vain attempts to free
themselves from their uncomfortable
position, Other warriors considered
| it an honor to hold the snakes by the
tails and keep them so straight thai
| they could not wind themselves around
the breast and neck Of the dancers. AS
soon as they completed one circle
around the place, the snakes were spit
out and caught by others, who carried
them around in a circle until the whole
dance was over. New snakes were
constantly being supplied from the
shanty and put in the mouth until the
whole stock was exhausted.
During all this the singers were
heard to make diaboical noise, the
dancers jumped and wriggled like
crazy devils, and the scared snakes il
many cases liberated themselves from
the hands of the attendants, who helC
them by the tail ends, and ther
squirmed and struck around them
Sometimes a snake got out of the mouth
of one of the dancers, and as quick a
an arrow disappeared in the crowd
that surrounded t1e place. The womel
and girls screamed and cried, ant
tried to save themselves by flight
while the warriors sought to retak,
the fugitives.
At last the dance was over. Tn
snakes were carefully replaced in thei
cases and taken away, and next da
set atliberty again. The tired dancer
refreshed themselves with "well
deserved" meal. and went to rest, an
soon the scene of the strange occur
renee was deserted and empty. Tn
Moquis keep the composition of thei
charm-drink, which makes the bite O
the snakes harmless, as a great secret
chronological Journal.