Evening star., 1901-09-21
Government Ethnologist Describes a
Continuous Performance.
ARlZONA'S ANNUAL VAUDEVILLE
Ancestors of the Savage Actors
Devised It.
EFFIGIES AND MARIONETTES
Written for The Evening Star.


one of the widest GASES of the great Ari-
zona desert, where it has just been dis
covered by one of Uncle Sans scientists
Savages who 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 DR.. j. W.
Fewkes, a government ethnOlogist, recent
ly detailed to make a complete study OF
the Hopi Indians. He found the Hopis liv-
ing just as their ancestors had lived CEN
turies before. They occupy three villages,
Walpi, Hano and Sitcomovi on the top
Of steep mesa rising abruptly from the
barren plains of northeastern Arizona.
Their drama is a strange mixture of vaude-
vile and religious ceremonial. but Dr.
Fewkes finds in it many parallels with the
theatrical performances of races higher
than the American savage.
This strange drama, which l witnessed
at Walpi, occurs there one night each
year." said DR.. Fewkes. 1T is a continu-
GUS performance. lasting from p. m. until
midnight Every one in the tribe Is well
come. No one pays admission. The actors
receive no pay. The play consists Of six
acts. Those participating in one appear In
none Of the others. A dark subterranean
chamber serves as the theater.
The subterranean Theater.
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
torium Thus, in reality, the audience sat
upon the stage; the actors performed In
the pit. 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 voice at the hatchway
moment later a ball OF meal dropped
through that opening, fell upon the floor,
close by the fireplace. Ihis slgnai an.
actors The f1retenders darkened the room
by surrounding the burning twigs with
their blankets. Down the ladder came
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 or the
chamber, whence were heard busy prepara-
tions. At q given signal the f1retenders
dropped their blankets and resumed their
seats.
''The fire being thus uncovered, we be-
held an imitation field of corn, composed
of row after row of small clay cones, 10
represent hills, holding corn sprouts g. lew
inches tall. Behind these rose curtain or
scenery, extending almost from ceiling 10
floor and wall to wall. This was welrdly
painted with highly colored pictures OF
men, women, birds, clouds, lightning, fali-
ing rain etc. Across the screen EXTENDED
a row of circular disks, each decorated
with q symbolic picture of the rising sun
Men in grotesque masks and ceremonial
kits were grouped on either SIDE. One'
disguised as woman, bore in one mana
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
long bang Of red horse hair covering MS
forehead. Small crescents indicated the
ewes and mouth. All of the masked men,
except this figure, Joined In song. Sud
denly there issued from behind the scenes
a hoarse roar, made by a concealed actor
diately each circular disk across the cur
tain opened upward, like flap. Through
each Of the six openings thus revealed
came the hideous head OF an artificial ser
fan-ltke crest Of hawk feathers and
mouth with sharp teeth and protrudins
tongue.
Six Serpent EmEies.
'.The six great serpents squirmed out and
threatened the spectators until exposing
four 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 wagged their heads, bit
viciously at one another and darted at men
standing near. Suddenly they lowered
their heads to the floor. swept their noses
across the miniature cornfeld and knocked
over all OF the clay hills. After TINS one
of the middle serpents, larger than those
nursed the smaller ones. Meanwhile there
was loud roaring on the part OF the gourd-
blower behind the scenery, and wild excite
ment among the audience. Some threw
"a md
Others shouted. The masked figure dis
guised as a woman presented to the rep
tiles his tray Of meal. Satisfied by this,
they gradually backed out through the
the scenes did himself proud in the utter
ing of final, deafening roar and the
chamber became silent. The overturned
corn hills. still holding their plants were
distributed among the audience. The fire.
tenders once more raised their blankets to
darken the chamber until the scenery was
rolled up and the actors departed.
1.-The second act was dance by sew
eral men wearing masks representing buff
falo heads with side horns and names of
black wool. They carried zig-zag Stats Of
wood representing thunderbolts and were
accompanied by q man and boy masked
and otherwise bedecked to represent eagles.
While the buffaloes danced to the beat of
q drum the eagles vibrated before them
and uttered bird calls.
Song and Dance.
1.-The third act consisted of q song and
dance. to the beat Of drum. by group Of
actors In ceremonial kits and helmet
shaped masks. They were accompanied
by two men. disguised as women to repre-
sent their mother and grandmother. The
latter, known as the spider woman, wore
a closely fitting mask with black face,
white crescent-shaped eyes and white hair
made of raw cotton. He gracefully danced
and postured his body and arms in front
of the other actors. At the conclusion of
the act and while his companions were fill
ing out, he distributed corn and melon
seeds among the spectators.
''The fourth act, after q Quarter-hour's
intermission. was preceded by strange cries
from the hatchway. Down the ladder came
a man In a shabby mask covered with
vertical zig-zag lines and bearing a heavy
bundle on his back. He pretended to slip
at each rung Of the ladder, but ultimately
reached the floor without accident From
his bundle he produced a neal-grinding
stone, which he arranged upon the floor
before the fireplace. He took his seat at
the side while another man descended in
the same manner and placed a second
stone beside the first. Two masked girls
in white blankets, followed. Facing the
fire they knelt at the stones in the posture
of grinding. After them entered a chorus
of masked men. who took places at the
rear and sang as they moved in solemn
I vf~lx .f,<y l~zs-