The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-25
A MOQUI SNAKE DANCE
INDIANS DANCING WITH RATTLERs
IN THEIR MOUTHS.

| are RArely Allowed 20 W1rneSs-Org1el
| Which Excite the Members of the No.
| qui Natives to a State Of Frenzy.
The snake dances of the Moaui Indi-
ans have been frequently written about,
but usually simply on hearsay evidence.
1t Is seldom that any white man is al
lowed to be present at these ceremonies.
A scout attached to the force at Fort
Wingate, n. NJ, however, was SO fortu-
nate as to be in one of the Indian vii
lagos, and to witness the preliminary
dance. What he saw is described in
this letter sent from the fort:
The participants were composed OF
two bodies of men, thirty-six Of whom
danced with the snakes, and a smaller
number who formed chorus Of singing
men. These latter were the first TO
come upon the scene, and were dressed
in bright colored embroidered kits,
sashes, anklets and beautifully tanned
yellow foxskins hanging down behind
the body. They bore small rattles in
one hand, while In the other was held a
stick, to which was fastened couple Of
turkey feathers This stick, they claim,
carries the necessary protection of ones
life and lets the snakes tutelary god
know that none of his progeny win be
injured or carried to remote lands.
These men made four or FIVE circuits
of the small plaza and then took up a
position to the west side of it. In the
center of the plaza was a cottonwood
shed. After they had arranged them
selves properly, in state of extraordi-
nary exaltation, the snake men came
marching in to bound across the mesa
with single stride.
These dancing men, like their prede-
cessors, made four circuits around 3
large rock which stands in the center Of
the place. They then faced the chorus
and song was gone through with. At
ter this ceremony the snake men were
divided into groups Of three, and one
from each three went into the cotton
wood shed and extracted snake from
one of the logs, and after putting it into
his mouth and firmly fixing it there
with his teeth, he started on his round.
A DISGUSTING SCENE.
His companion, with his arm around
his neck, kept the tail of the snake in
position with his left hand, while with
his right, in which he carried a stick
with two long feathers attached, he kept
the serpent from becoming entangled in
the hair of the dancer. The snake, after
being carried around the circle, was
thrown from the mouth, when the third
member of the group gathered it up and
carried it for the rest of the dance.
At times the serpents would try to
make their escape and would make q
dash for liberty through the crowds
which surrounded the dancers, and the
spectators would scatter in all directions
until the snakes were recaptured by the
dancers and carried back into the circle
and more securely held.
The visits to the shed were continued
until at least $50 snakes had been
brought from the inclosure, and all APP
peared to be in excellent condition, judg-
ing from the manner in which they re-
sisted capture after they had been
dropped from the mouth. Two or three
instances were noticed of large ball
snakes being held by the neck and twin
ing their bodies around the legs of the |
dancers. In one instance the snake had |
SO entwined himself around the per-
former that he was unable to move for |
fear of falling. This predicament caused |
B great outburst of laughter, but it |
looked anything but funny to the
dancer.
Those who danced with the snakes
not unfreqnently had three or four in
the mouth at the same time, which, of /
ali the performance, was the most re-
pulsive. To see these naked human be-
ngs going around with the face COM
Dletely hidden behind mask of twist
ng and squirming snakes was enough |
20 make the stoutest hearted man shud-
Ter with disgust, yet the other members
If the tribe greeted these manifestations
With applause.
SNAKES CHEwED IN HALVES.
The applause of the spectators urged
he dancers to greater feats, and as the
lance proceeded the performance became
most horrible to behold. Some of the
lancers would take two large rattlers in
he mouth at the same time, and as they
lowly swung around the circle would
hew on the living snakes until, in some
instances, the serpents would fail to the
round completely bitten in two. One
lancer, who appeared to be leader, at
ne time had six serpents in his mouth,
I'd he Nd Of he /
made gorgon appearance of his head as
le whirled around the outer edge of the
ircle.
This ceremony lasted two hours, and
vhen the dance was over the partici-
ants were thoroughly exhausted. While
uring the dance they had been upheld
y the ecstatic condition, the reaction
Tas terrible. and while there was no
ornament injury to the dancers, it took
sveral days for them to recuperate.
his time was spent In sleeping and
rinking a weak sort of broth made
rom the dead snakes which had per-
he'd in the ceremony. During this
ance there is a peculiar luster Of the
ody and eyes which would indicate that
be performers had been medicated and
repaired for the ordeal through which
hey were about 10 pass.
1t was supposed by some that the rat
esnakes had been rendered harmless by
ne extraction Of their fangs, but to
low that such was not the case a dog
as brought into the circle and was Bit
N by snPke. In q very short time
2e unfortunate animal was dead from
ae effeots Of the plte.-San Francisco | :