The record-union., 1897-07-29

high and buttressed mesa of North
ern Arizona
STRANGE NEW YEARS CELEBRA-
TIONS.
The Moqui New Years celebration,
called So-yal-u-na, is largely a pre-
sentation of a singular and elaborate
mythic drama. divided into two parts,
in which offerings are made to eff1gies
of the great Plume Headed Serpent
the enemy of the sun, followed by a
sun dance, in which the conflict be-
tween the sun and the inferior hostile
gods is admirably portrayed by Moqui
men personifying the various deities.
This celebration is primarily per-
formed by warriors, and commemo
rates the return of the sun from the
winter solstice In other words, the
Moqui wofully fear when they see
the sun going farther and farther to
the southwark each day, that he is go
ing to desert them and leave them alone
upon their cold, weary, sand blown
mesas. One wonders little that, in this
dread situation, they have initiated
profound and mystic rites with
view to propitiating the evil one who
would harm their dearly beloved eter-
nal fire.
Day by day the old men and seers
of the tribe watch each morning the
point at which the sun rises from the
eastern horizon of the pinnacled and
ragged mountain range. They have
found a particular notch between two
peaks, past which the sun does not
travel in its southern march, but in
stead it stops and returns over its
long and dreary trail to bring ulti-
mately the spring. the butterflies, and,
most precious of all, the corn-their
staff of life.
AS the sun neaps its lowest notch
preparations for the rite which con-
ciliates the suns worst enemy-the
snake demon-are we'll under way
Tomorrow, in a weird subterranean
cavern, called an estufa, or kfva, it
is declared that the baneful serpent
shall be amply placated; so rich will
be the tribute that for one entire year
the sun shall be free from his persecu-
tions, and the, clouds too, which the
snake wickedly swallows, shall gather
and their moisture freely descend up
on the parched and blighted land un-
til it is once more clothed in verdure.
DR.. ]. Walter .Fewkes. ethnologist of
the Smithsonian Institution, is familiar
with most of the Moqui ceremOnials
and has described to me in some detail
this strange New Years festival. In
the dimly lighted, underground room
there is erected at its west end, a
screen profusely decorated with corn
husks, cut cleverly in imitation of flow
ers. Near the middle of the screen
there is an opening and behind ii
stands a man who, at the proper time,
manipulates the eff1gy of the snake. BY
his side stands a companion who has a
large conch shell made in the form of a
horn, through which he utters fearful
groanS and noises, presumably the
voice of the monster serpent. In front
Of the screen sit three or four solemn
priests, and the audience, consisting of
members of all the clans and their fam
lilies, and behind them is row of men
who act as chorus.
When the rites begin the chorus COM
mences to sing, at first a low weird
chant which gradually rises to piercing
intensity, and, as it does so, the man
behind the screen takes up the effigy
of the great snake and thrusts it rap
idly through the opening a number of
times, accompanied by the unearthly
and discordant wailings of the conch
shell. The priest directly in front of
the screen takes a little sacred meal
in his hand and holds it to his mouth,
uttering deeply significant invocation
to the serpent, and then casts the meal
on the head of the effigy.
The serpent effigy used in the cere-
mony has a head cut from a gourd,
with a horrible grotesque mouth and
prominent teeth, and a great red
tongue protruding from the nose A
curved horn rises from the back of
the head and a bunch of light and
wavy feathers adorns the neck. The
long body is made of buckskin made
from sticks. In fact, the effigy be-
comes a horrid monster, viewed in
the pale and sticky light which filters
weakly downward through the single
entrance at the top of the chamber
One by one all the members present
make their prayers to the hostile SER
pent god, hoping that, by their earn
estness, they will beget individual and
communal prosperity throughout the
ensuing year. So ends the first half
of the drama, and on the morrow. or
the new year, begins the great snake
dance. Four orders of warriors par
ticipate IN the dance, and it is regard
ed as a test of supreme endurance for
those who engage, hour after hour. in
the fatiguing and incessant motion
which is demanded by the dance
drama
On opposite sides Of the kiva there
stand rows of men, bearing shields.
with elaborate symbolic designs of the
different priesthoods and mythical be-
ings painted upon them At the end
of the room, all alone and unsupport-
ed, stands the sunbearer, awaiting the
onslaught of his horde of enemies. A
signal and the song begins, and the
lines Of warriors on each side of the
room surge against the sunbearer in a
feigned, but realistic, attack He
brandishes his shield and rushes upon
them with great vigor repulsing and
driving them back to the wall again
and again, until, eventually, he appar-
emily seatters and vanquishes his many
foes, thus typifying the attacks or as
saults of the hostile gods upon the
sun, who. in the end, is victorious over
their united forces, and is supposed to
return and shower blessings upon the
people.
This last interesting spectacular
dance so exhausts its participants that
individuals become utterly prostrated
and faint away.
New Years Day finishes with feast
ing and jolli1cation. which brighten the
faces and hearts of the old and feeble
men, and cause the youngsters to over
flow with an exuberapt ab,,5