Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1902-01-17
ZUNI INDIAN MAGIC.
A PERFORMANCE THAT PUZZLES AL
WHO WITNESS II

Nearly everybody mas Hs'iTu OF dNE
wondered at the mango growing trick
of the Hindoo. by which be makes
seed sprout before the astonished eyes
OF the European and reach maturity in
very short time
But few are aware that an equally
amazing feat is regularly performed
by the Zuni Indians on this continent
Their medicine men at the annual
corn festival do stunt of which no
satisfactory explanation has ever been
advanced Scientists seeing IL have
been made. as cowboy described il.
to look like 30 cents.
Preparation is made for this extracr-
binary Zuni performance by spreading
large square of clean. yeIlOwisb sand
on the ground before the southern aper-
ture of the medicine lodge This sand
is carefully smoothed and packed SO
as to present a firm. level surface
Around the edges of the sand square
are then drawn. by means of a ceremo-
NAL arrow figures representing the
Great Spirit. the earth. the sun. the
sky and the rain. There are also the
symbols for corn and for a bountful
harvest
The indentations made by the arrow
are then filled in with pigments. the
clouds and sky with blue. the earth
with black and the harvest with
chrome yellow The center of the
square is left vacant When compiet-
ed, this sand painting is fine speci-
men Of bariaric art and is far from
displeasn. 10 a civilized eye.
When the hour arrives. the officiating
medicine man takes his seat In the
opening of the lodge facing the sand
square On his right and left. extend
ing out around the square. the CHIEFS
and warriors range themselves accord
ing TO rank Wbcnall are In position. the
medicine man nils the ceremonial pipe
with tobacco lights il and blows one
pun of smoke TO the east. one to the
west. one 10 the north. one to the south
and two To the heavens. He then ad-
dresses those assembled. recounting the
religious history of tue tribe. its wan
behring's and famine and the benevo-
lence of the Great Spirit in the past.
He closes with a prayer for the contin-
uance OF fathery care
Then he takes grain of corn from
the medicine bag at his waist. thrusts
the sacred arrow into the center of the
sand square. withdraws it. drops the
grain into the opening and carefully
smooths down the sand. Resuming his
seat all the assembled chiefs light their
pipes and smoke in silence.
II the Great Spirit condescends to an
swer the prayer of the medicine man. |
as generally happens. the grain Of corn |
will sprout and send forth q shoot
After an interval Of fsfteen or twenty I
minutes the sand seems disturbed at |
the spot where the corn was buried |
Soon slender light green blades of
sprouting corn appear above the sur
face. The plant rises naturally and
rapidly during the day.
BY In. aesi sunrise the silk and tas-
eel airnear t;y noon the ear and stalk
have r,:ltfI.,i full maturity.
Then rip.uing begins. Finally the
blades and husks turn yellow and rat
tie when they are shaken by the wind
All this. mind you. has been done in
thirty-six hours
On the morning OF the second day
the corn growing is complete. The
medicine man now addresses the |
watchers who in company have
watched" the plant grow. for il is
never left alone With appropriate GER
emonies he symbolizes the harvest by |
stripping the ear of its husks.
The corn he places In the medicine
bag for future ceremonies. while the
stalk is pulled up by the roots and /
hung over the door of the lodge. The
long vigil of the watchers is now end
ed. and they seek much needed rest
and food in order to be ready for the
m in daf no dou
Every white man witnessing one OF
these ceremonies is deeply mysttied
Above all. he is filled with admiration
for the old medicine man. So natural
and mysterious has been the process
that the spectator feels at times dis
posed TO believe in the presence of
some supernatural power.
Yet every sane person knows that
this performance has nothing unnat-
urai about it, No white man. however.
has discovered the secret The absence
of stage paraphernalia and the crude
mechanical knowledge of the Zunis
add TO the mystery OF the whole thing
Various theories have been advanced
in explanation One is that some
shrewd old medicine man discovered
by accident some peculiar natural
chemical that has the power of fore
ing the growth OF grain OF corn and
that this secret has been banded down
from one generation of priests to an.
other
Another favorite explanation is that
by great skill the medicine man is able
to hypnotize the entire circle of spec
tators and so produce the result with
out apparatus of any kind save a yei
low stalk of corn from the last bar
vest
Others say the feat is accomplished
by elaborate machinery concea led in a
pit