Phoenix weekly herald., 1898-01-06
THE sAY-LA-NA OF THE MoeuIs.
The Midwinter Ceremonies of Sun
Worship.

The MidWinter Ceremonies of Sun
Worship.
DIR. FewkeS of the Smithsonian In
stitute at Washington has just return
ed from the Moqui villages, where he
has attended the winter dances of the
Moqui Indians. This dance or cere-
mony is called the Say-la-na, and is
| the most complicated of all the relig-
| iouS ceremonies of the MoQuiS. 1t
/ continues for nine days including pre-
| liminary preparations which are quite
| interesting in themselves. But space
forbids US to go into details and we
will confine ourselves to the main feat
ures of the principal ceremony. This
| one is of great interest to the student
of the religious phenomena amongst
| men as it is one of the few ceremon-
| les still in existence among the unciv-
| ilized tribes in which the sun is di-
recly the OBJECT of worship. This
| dance takes place during the winter
solstice when the vertical rays of the
sun beats down upon the tropic of
| Capricorn and the sun has receded to
its farthest limit in the southern skies
| its object is primarily to induce the
sun to recede from its southern march
and retrace its steps towards the
north, to bring joy, warmth and re
| turning harvests to the MoquiS, while
the secondary object is to extend Il
peace offering to the Great Plumed
Snake, Il diety hostile to the sun, in
order that his wrath may be appeased
and cease to chase the sun away from
the AIoquis, allowing it to return to
them from its flight to the south.
The main dance took place at Wal
pal on December Goth and on the 22nd
at Orlaba- 1t was held between ten
| and twelve O'Clock in the evening in
one of the secret rooms of the Khiva
rude altar had been constructed in
one end of the room back of which
WAS Il partition of wreaths and flow
ers through which the head of an
| ettigy of the plumed serpent protruded.
This head was about eighteen inches
long and about twelve inches in diam
| eter and made from Il large gOurd.
The upper part of the head was stain
| ed black, the lower part white, while
| the mouth with Il hideouS exhibition
| of teeth, was stained red, presented
| repulsive appearance i'll the extreme.
| Behind the rude screen was an Indian
| whose office it was to impart to the
head of the reptile a swaying motion
as if the reptile was imbued with life,
and at the same time n number of In
| dams blew into hollow gourds, which
emitted a strange rushing sound to i'm
itate the noise made by the swift
| movements of a monster snake. In
front of the altar and the effigy of the
sake appeared warrior with a shield
on which was represented emblemS of
the sun. On each side of the room
was a row of warriors arrayed to rep
resent the minor deities antagoniStic
to the sun. These minor deities and
the plumed snake attacked the war
rior representing the sun, and Il battle
enSued in which the lone warrior tri-
umphed, beating back his enemies,
and thus enabled him to return TO the
north to cheer the land of the AIoquis.
The ceremony, occurring in the dead
of night and in one of the underground
rooms, dimly lighted by Il tiickering
mesquite fire, coupled with the weird
performance and the hideous drama
enacted, made the ceremony impress
sive beyond description.
The next mOrningafter the perform
ance, as the sun rises over the eastern
horizon and tips the western hills with
gold, the Indians offer up their pray
ers and sprinkle holy meal in its face,
and by these simple acts Ofdevotion
welcome its return to the southern
skies, and with it also, the return of
the KachenoS, the good spirits, who
bring the Moquis rain, corn, album
dance of harvestS and all the blessings
of life.
DR.. Fewkes and T. V. Keams are
the favored few of the white men
who have ever witnessed this remark
able ceremony. DR.. Fewkes will make
detailed report of the dance on his re-
turn to Washington, which is awaited
with considerable interest.-Ho
Argus.