The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-28

The winner came up the trail 70 the. sntelops
ffva but received no prize save q paho. which
an antelope priest gave him.
ce raeo nR VIZ and a All bearing cor eoSrnstaifs.
melons and other objects, came running up me
bill to the town. As hey approaeh me-, s en9
tried 70 seize the objects, which fuTnlShed
much fun and excitement for the crowd. Then
wore a. white kilt and, an antelope akin. and at
intervals twirled a bull roarer or whlzSer oyer
his head. Unlike the winner OF the snnko
race. he returned to the kiva accompanied ~
the antelope priests. Here they sat IN 2 eirEie
oPS UIs The fRTIepl9 "Sa s s1iSE H. e s@oRe REMAINED aimed 4
S pHS9sly Of 0T SsEss Is rs i hsnd IOO One sang j. !
with his hand about his head, spat on the
ashes. and then cast them out OF the nut;
roots. which was passed. around. spat upon
their hands, and rubbed them over theiT
chests ste IT ThiF was a ,Pardia 1nGs1TSd s tSs feat gaq
In his hair on the antelope altar.
There, are many complications IN tne W Sp9ne
which has often been described. but in. the
main points It is the same. II ome Just P es
and the crowd from tho neighboring villages
with less than half a dozen whites, IL HE
satefop 3 SnS Snake sfen PRIESTS t9 s'v Who Participate ftSii GO
mony Il, in the antelope dance oi the day be-
AM in MI n tme the the snakes max a divided into four
each trio composed Of q cartel q
kneit before the k;isi the hut. received a snake
from, the man within, put i into his mouth oSiie
S MmdIG beS 9aps q sIren 5f9 9f fSe p Il sne K KhR' the n EnhiS hug.
ger" behind resting one hand on his shoulder.
The carrier" did not touch the snake after de
ished, the gathererH picked the snake up from
the, ground. where the carrier" had placed IT,
But first, as the snake carrier left the
kisi. In his circuit, the asperger sprinkled MIN
c %lrn %def IL ne a mSu thtsF Of Fn ali S the psr tSf
in the dance, the snake chief made a circle OF
sacred meal twenty feet IN diameter IN tTont
with meal corresponding to, the six cardinal
points; Into this the reptiles were thrown.
cine. after which the maidens and women
threw sacred meal from the basket plaqusSs s
upon this writhing mass Is ia Al a given s sgI1ed fa Rs
many as, they could, and. as ut ,Walpi; depart
ed hastily down the mesa trails and distrib-
Then followed the unique features Of the
day, AS the priests disappeared a rain OF sPit-
lowed, and Subsequently came the grand
feast. which characterizes all Of the villages;
In the Cipauloyi snake dance there are more
Walpi. which has been studied and doubtless
influenced by white visitors. But the essen-
Of this country this aboriginal. pagan worship
which occupies 50 much OF the year, VIII Us
viii ever !" be a source Of surprise
and will be met with much incredulity.,
The meanings and interpretations OF the rites
In the southwestern corner OF our country are
very elaborate. Some are rational. others theo-
etical. but the purport of the widespread snake
dance is still mysterious. DR.. Fewkes. who Is
undoubtedly the man most conversant with
the subject. says:
The meaning Of the snake dance cannot, 1
believe, be made out completely without COM
studies, and cannot be obtained from
living priests, as pointed out by Taylor in
speaking OF the religions of great nations. He
says the sacerdotal tendency Is to ignore and
Dbliterate traces Of the inevitable change OF
from age to. age. and to convert into
is too far out Of harmony with the
spirit of later time.
Il have no doubt that ut some future, time
enough material will be collected to enable the
ethnologist to give a rational explanation, but
[ doubt very much whether the Tusayan priests
it's original meaning. Whatever current
opinions are now regarded as orthodox by the
priests should be regarded as evidence, but not
regarded as decisive"