The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-29
DEVISED BY THEIR ANCESTORS
ODD COMBINATION OF VAUDEVILLE
AND RELIGIOUS FANATICIsH.
Rut One white Man Has Seen the
PIay-snake Ehigics and Marion
cites. with Song and Dance.


devised in America. centuries ago, DeIore
the advent of Columbus, and has since
been re-enacted annually in one of the
widest GASES of the great Arizona desert
where it has just been discovered by one
of Uncle Sans scientists. Savages VINO
never mingle with white men were the
playwrights. are the actors and constitute
the audiences.
The only white man who ever witnessed
this strange performance Is Or. j. w.
Fewkes. a government ethnologist, recently
detailed 20 make a complete study OF the
Hopf Indians. He found the Hopis living
Just as their ancestors had lived centuries
before. They occupy three villages, Walpi,
Hano and SitcOmovi. on the top of a steep
mesa rising abruptly from the barren plains
of northeastern Arizona Their drama is
a strange mixture OF vaudeville and relig-
ious ceremonial, but DR.. Fewkes finds in 1t
many parallels with the theatrical per
formances of races higher than the Amer
lean savage.
This strange drama, which I witnessed
at WaIpi. occurs there one night each
year" said DR.. Fewkes. ut is a %continu-
Gus performance. lasting from 9 p. m.
until midnight. Every one in the tribe is
welcome. No one pays admission. The
dClOIS ItCtlNt III pay III PhoS oAoAotS
of six acts. Those participating in one ap-
pear in none of the others. A dark sub
terranean chamber serves as the theater.
THE SUBTERRANEAN THEATER.
"I entered this underground chamber by
a ladder through a hatchway in the roof.
The audience, mostly women and children.
were gathered in one end of the dungeon
like room. We all squatted about on the
floor. No seats were provided. The end of
the chamber reserved for the stage was
sunken beneath that serving as the audi
toriusn. Thus, in reality, the audience sat
upon the stage, the actors performed in
the pit. A fire burning in front of the lat
ter division served as the fOOtlights. 1t
was continually fed by two old men. The
heat was intense and the atmosphere
sitting.
THE overture to the first act was the
weird hOoting of a voice at the hatchway.
A Rloment later a ball Of meal dropped
through that opening. fell upon the floor.
close by the fireplace. This signal an
nounced the arrival of the first group of
actors. The fretenders darkened the room
by surrounding the burning twigs with
their blankets. Down the ladder came a
procession of masked men concealing
various objects in blankets and carrying
a cloth curtain rolled upon long poles. They
took their places in the vacant end of the
chamber, whence were heard busy prepara-
tions. At a given signal the firetenders
dropped their blankets and resumed their
seats.
The fire being thus uncovered, we be-
helds an imitation field of corn, composed
of row after row of small clay cones, TO
represent hills, holding corn sprouts a few
fuohac toll RabfnI fboea ro.o o,-.-s -
scenery. extending almost from ceiling TO
floor and wall TO wall. This was weirdIy
painted with highly colored pictures of
mem women. birds, clouds, lightning, fall
ing rain, etc. Across the screen extended
a row OF circular disks. each decorated
with a symbolic picture of the rising sun.
Men in grotesque masks and ceremonial
kits were grouped on either side. One.
disguised as a woman, bore in one hand a.
basket tray of meal and in the other an
ear of corn. He wore a black helmet
crested with feathers, a coil of hair sus-
pended over each side of his face and a
long bang of red horse hair covering his
forehead Small crescents indicated the
eyes and mouth. All of the masked men.
except this figure. Joined in a song. Sud-
denly there issued from behind the scenes
a hoarse roar, made by a concealed actor
blowing through a hollow gcurd. Imme-
diafely each circular disk across the cur
tain opened upward. like a flap. Through
each of the six openings thus revealed
came the hideous head of an artificial SER
penn. with goggle-eyes. a curved horn, a
fan-iike crest of hawk feathers and a
mouth with sharp teeth and protruding
tongue.
SIX SERPENT EFFIGIES.
sgTha Six great Sarnapfu scr;-o,o5 49,. -
threatened the spectators until exposing
fouf or five feet of their bodies, painted
black on their backs and white on their
undersides. In cadence with the chorus Of
masked men they moved back and forth.
raised and waggled their heads, bit vicious
" at one another and darted at men stand
ing near. Suddenly they lowered their
heads TO the floor, swept their noses across
the miniature cOrnfeld and knocked over
all the clay hills. After this one of the
middle serpents, larger than those at the
sides adorned with several udders. nursed
the smaller ones. Meanwhile there was
loud roaring on the part of the gourdblower
behind the scenery, and wild excitement
among the audience. Some threw meal at
the serpents and uttered prayers. Others
shouted The masked figure disguised as 4
woman presented TO the reptiles his trav
or meal Satisfied by this. they gradually
backed out through the openings in the
screen. The man behind the scenes did him
self proud in the uttering of a final. deafen-
Ing roar and the chamber became silent
The overturned corn hills, still holding their
plants, were distributed among the audi
ence- The fretenders once more raised
their blankets 10 darken the chamber until
the scenery was rolled UP and the actors
departed.
I second act was a dance bv sew
ersl men wearing masks representing buff
fato heads with side horns and names of
black wool They carried zigzag stats of
wood representing thunderbolts and were
accompanied by a man and boy masked
ana otherwise bedecked to represent eagles.
While the buffaloes danced to the beat of
q drum the eagles vibrated before them
and uttered bird calls.
A SONG AND DANCE.
The third act consisted OF a song and
dance, 70 the beat OF a drum. by a group Of
actors In ceremonial kits and helmet
shaped masks. They were accompanied by
two men. disguised as women 20 represent
thesr mother and grandmother. The lat
ter. known as the spider woman, wore a
closely fitting mask with black face, white
erescent-shaped eyes and white hair. made