Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-12-02

the chief snake priest, the line OF
snake men split up into groups of three,
while the antelope priests continue the
song and the rafting.
Now begins the exciting, disgusting,
alarming and yet most fascinating part
of the ceremony. The first of the groups
of three slowly advances to the kisi.
One Of the men kneels down an6 re-
ceives from the warrior priest who is
inside the kisi, a writhing, wrigeiing
snake. This he Immediately places in
his mouth. the head to the left AMI the
remainder of the body to the right.
The second man of the group advas ces,
as this snake carrier rises to his rect,
and, placing one arm around the neck
CT his fellow carrier and "hugger." they
start to move around the circuit in a
peculiar hopping fashion. with swing
and rhythmic movement that is equally
hard to describe or reproduce. The
third man of the group follows behind.
with his snake whip. and when the
carrier reaches a certain place and
throws the snake from his mouth this
gatherer must stoop down and pick
up the now angry and excited re! tile.
Sometimes the creature, especially if a
RATHER, will coil up and show fight.
Then the snake whip comes into requi-
sition. Giving the coiled reptile q
''swipe" with the feathers, !: imn.edi-
ately uncoils and seeks to escape and,
no sooner is 1t in motion than the
gatherer rapidly seizes it and the excite
ment issover. While this has beer. go
ing on the second group has received
its snake and the third, and so on, Cntil
all are supplied, and they. in turn. dis
card their snake. The first group.
when its turn comes, receives another
| snake, and thus the endless chain con-
tinues until all the snakes are given
out from the kisi.
When the gatherers find their hands
too full they give over some of the
| reptiles to the antelope men. who still
| remain in line singing. Thus, with
perfect dignity, earnestness. and with
| out confusion, the ceremony pro-
crosses. AT this stage the chief snake
priest steps aside, describes a circle
upon the ground with the sacred meal,
gives a signal. and all the priests of
both orders rush forward and throw
| the snakes into the circle. Imagine the
writing. wriggling, hideous. rafting,
Kissing mass. One priest sprinkles the
snakes with meal, another with water
the women come and cast all the meal
| out of their baskets upon them. a brief
prayer is offered and in another mo-
lnent the snake priests dart down upon
them. grab as many as they can seize
| and then dash down the steep trails
and. on reaching the valley. there de-
posit their hideous burdens, kneeI rev.
| erently and pray over them, and then
with equal speed spring back over the
trails to their respective kivas. Here
the snake priests drink large quantities
! of an emetic which has been specially
prepared. and those who are not too
sensitive may witness the remarkable
sight of 80 or more priests soIemnIy
! vomiting a part OF their religious
exercises. This painful duty over, the
priests descend to the privacy of their
kiFa. where the women have already
brought large piles of piki. their wafer
! bread: pikami, kind of sweet meal
| pudding. meat and other deiicacies
upon which a rich feast is made, and
the ceremony concludes
! @. WHARTON JAMES