El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-22


Another of the most interesting feat
b., of the Pueblo jugglers is called ''th
r enchanted plant, "and its significance i
, similar to that Of the seed giving.
: All the mem bers of the trib gather IL
} the estufa at sunrise on a day selected
by the medicine men before the annua
: planting begins, and after long and la
bored lamentations kernel of corn i:
: planted in q jar which stands in the
center of the floor. This jar is sur
rounded by circle of priests who
sing, dance and clap their hands al
day long. The ordinary members OF
the tribe retire and go about their
daily duties. They may come into the
temple for little while at interva ls
during the day to see how things are
going on, but their presence is not ne
,cessary.
1t is day of serious and continuous
labor for the medicine men, however,
because if the singing ceases the corn
vigor of the song, the more rapid the
growth A few hours after the seed
is planted it seems to terminate, and q
tiny shoot energies from the earth. BY
noon it is foot high; by night it is q
perfect pla1t--a stalk of corn five or six
feet long, with perfect leaves and soft
milky fruit. By sunrise the next morn
|
the presence of all the tribe, the high
priest plucks the ears, which of course,
are sacred, shells the corn, and divides
| it among the several families to be
mixed with their ordinary seeds to in
sure good crop. OF course, it is q
| trick, but it is an extraordinary one.
| The Indians believe it to be the result
of supernatural agencies and the quail
| ity OF the growth indicates the cOmpar-
a - oh do IF hni hor
I asked Frank 81. Cushing of the
Bureau of Eth nology, who spent some
years in Zunilas mem Der of the tribe,
and practically suffered a martyrdOm
| in the destruction of his digestive Or
gans by trying to eat the vile decoc-
| tions of the tribe, what he considered
the most wonderful of the fests of the
| magicians he Witnessed in Zuni.
"Perhaps the severest test OF nerve,
and one of the most remarkable in 9TH
err respects" he replied, Twas the en-
Der dance of the Ma-ke-tsa-na-kwe-pl
They perform their evolutiOqs upon a
thick and glowing bed of EN- bers bare
footed and bsrelegged, save for their
painted decorations, once in every four
years. 1t is q religious rite, sym bolic
of the conquest and the authority of
mankind over fire and what they term
the elements of the south. They burn
out the effects of the fiery disease.
1.-THE priests who participate'in these
remarkable scenes prepare themselves
by long period of publication. Eight
days previous to the act they maintain
a continual fast and vigil, and con-
stantly annoint their bodies with GER
tain prepar ations which are said to
harden the aesb. At any rate, although
they dance upon the live Goals in their
bare feet, and kick them around with
their bare legs as ii they were playing
in a pile of dry leaves, until the last
spark has been eXsinguished by their
tread. they do not suffer single burn
or blister. Their feet and legs are
black, discolored with SCOT and ashes,
but the skin is not broken nor injured
in any way [ suppose it is protected
by some sort of preparation like
that used by the snake dancers of the
Moquis. Capt. Bourke, in his book on
the Moqui snake dance, says they wash
their hands and feet and legs with a |
preparation of three herbs, which
makes the skin imperviOus to the fangs |
of the rattleSnakes.
''Something like the ember dance |
believe is found among the Trevor |
shippers of Persia.
1.-The most startling feat ever saw"
continued Mr.. Cushing, twas perform |
ed by the clown priests OF the tribe or,
as they were called, the ancients CT
creation They seat themselves in a
circle on a clay floor around jar
cient and sacred earthen vessel, which |
is filed with water. The chief priest
carries in his hand two ordinary eagle
feathers which are tied together at the
quill ends so that they make a fork.
Behind the circle of the priests are 9TH
er members of the tribe and the must
clans with their drums and gourds who
join in the chants with as much emo
ton as is shown by the attendants of
a negro camp meeting. The incanta-
tions continue for several hours, and
when the participants and spectators
are wrought up to proper pitch of ex
element the priest dips the feather
tips into the water, lifts the jar with
them and holds it suspended for min
ute or two at hight level with his
lace or brea asst. Then he lowers it slow
~ to the ground. This feat is repeated
several times during the performance.
there is nothing in the
hand of the priest but the feathers, and
they appear to be inserted into the
mouth of the jar only two or three in
.hes. OF cource, there is some trick
about it, but | was never able to dis
cover it.
Another marvellous trick performed
oy the priesthood of the bow" con-
.inued Mr.. Cushing, sis the calling up
If the waters in the primeval Jar,
which is piece of pottery unnumbered
old-perhaps as old relic as
hey have in Zuni Nation. 1t is a
beautiful piece of workman ship, with
elaborate decorations, and is the orCi-
larry receptacle of the fetiches of that
1t is intrusted to the