The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-02-17
A MOQUI SNAKE DANCE.
INDIANS DANCING WITH RATTLeRS
IN THEIR MOUTHS.

Are Rarely Allowed to Witness-orgies
Which Excite the Members of the Mo-
aui Natives to a State of Frenzy. i,
The snake dances of the Moqui lndi-
ans have been frequently written about
but usually simply on hearsay evidence.
It is seldom that any white man IS al
lowed to be present at these ceremonies.
A scout attached to the force at Fort
Wingate, y. NJ, however, was so tortu-
nate as to be in one OF the Indian VII
laces. and to witness the preliminary
dance. What he saw Is described III
this letter sent from the fort:
The participants were composed or
two bodies of men, thirty-six OF whom
danced with the snakes, and n smaller
number who formed a chorus OF singing
men These latter were the first to
come mon TIE 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 III
one hand, while in the other was held a
stick. to which wss fastened Il couple OF
turkey feathers This stick, they clam,
carries the necessary protection OF ones
life and let's the snakes tutelary god
know that none Of his progeny VIII DE
injured or carried to remote lands.
These men made four or five circuits
of the small plaza and then took up Il
n~oeition to the west side Of 1t. La the
center Of tine plaza was Il cottonwood
shed, After they had arranged them
selves properly. in IL state of e~xtraordl-
nary exaltation. the snake men came
marching in to bound across the mesa
with a single stride.
These dancing men, like their prede-
~cessors. made four circuits aroun a
large rock which stands in the center OF
the place. They then faced the chorus
and a sony was gone through with AT
] fer this ceremony the snake men were
!, divided into groups of three, and one
from each three went into the cotton
wood shed and extracted a snake from
one Of the logs, and after putting it into
his mouth and firmly fixing 1t there
:, with his teeth, he started on his round.
\ DISGUSTING SCENE.
Is His companion, with his arm around
his neck. kept the tail of the snake III
position with his left hand, while with
" his right, in which he carried a stick
W, 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
IS thrown from the mouth, when the thlrd
LIT member of the group gathered 1t up and
carried it for the rest of the dance.
he At times the serpents would try tc
Ill. make their escape and would make
ll e.. I;lor+, thro1rb tho crowds
which surrounded the dancers, and the
IN spectators would scatter in all directions
n until the snakes were recaptured by thu
dancers and carried back into the circle
and more securely held.
The visits to the shed were continued
until at least $50 snakes had beer
brought from the Enclosure, and all ap
u peared to be in excellent condition, Jud2
inc from the manner in which they re
sisted capture after they had beel
dropped from the mouth. Two or tire
Instances were noticed of large bui
snakes being held by the neck and twin
ing their bodies around the legs OF tn
dancers. In one instance the snake ha
so entwined himself around the pei
former that he was unable to move fC
fear of falling. This p~redicanient cause
a great outburst of laughter. but
looked anything but funny TO tn
dancer.
Those who danced with the snake
not ~unfrequently had three or four
\ the mouth at the same time. which,
all the performance, was TIE. most L
mai pulsive. To see these naked human b
sA ings going around with the face COZ
Z pletely hidden behind a mask OF tWis
5H ing and squirlning snakes was enou2
~ to make the stoutest hearted man Shut
u der with disgust. yet the other menlbe
of the tribe greeted these manifestatInl
with applause,
SNAKES CHEWED IN HALVES
The applause Of the spectators Urg,
- the dancers to greater featS. and as Il
dance proceeded the performance BEGAN
most horrible to behold Some of Il
W dancers would take two large ~rattlers
the mouth at the salne time, and as th'
slowly swung around the circle Won
chew on the living snakes until, in son
instances, the Serpents would fall to t
-, ground cOmOletplY bittpn in two. Oh