The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-23

some respects most grotesque spec
tacle and even more nauseatiug thai
the snake woman's performances at
, side show, it is ic ibe main very fasci
I mating, so much 80 that l went to th
next village to see it repeated the fol
lowing week.
About two weeks before the dane,
is to come off QUE of the Snake Priests
announces from the house-top the ex
act date when it is to occur, the time
being determined by the day they cal
culate that the sun will reach Ger
: tain place on particular rock.
: Nine days before the dance is to oc
cur their private ceremonies begin in
their HIvI, which is an underground
chamber having q square entrance
: from the surface around which is built
a wall of rock foot or two above the
level. Through this opening they en-.
ter the hivi by means of rudely con.
structed ladder made Of poles.
! There are several Of these in each
village, and in each of which there is
an altar with a fetch and representa-
tions of various things. On the eighth
day before the dance, the Snake men
go out to the west in quest of different
kinds of snakes; on the seventh to the
north on the sixth to the south, and
on the fifth to the east. If, by this
time they have not secured enough
snakes, then every one turns out on
the third day before for the purpose oi
capturing just as many as possible
AS the snakes are caught they are put
in large vessels like jars and there
kept until the day of the dance when
they are taken out and washed and
laid on an altar of sand which has
been carried down into the hivi fol
that purpose.
The day Immediately preceding the
dance they utilize in practice and it is
on this day that the Antelopes have
their public dance; but as it Is very
similar to the snake dance, with the
snakes omitted, and as these Ante
lopes take part in the snake dance, ]
shall not undertake to describe it..
Long before the hour had arrived for
the performance to begin, which was
five o'clock in the afternoon, every
available space on the fiat roofs Of the
houses overlooking the dance place
was occupied by an excited crowd of
spectators anxiously awaiting the COM
ing of the dancers.
The whole village where this dance
occurred is practically Joined together
though the houses are of different
heights, some being only one story,
while the adjoining house may be two
or three stories high; 80 you can form
an idea of what picture was present.
ed with all of these house tops crowded
with white people intermingled with
Navajo and Moqui Indians in their
brightest gala day attire, composed of
all imaginary colors.
The space occupied by the dancers
was not more than Is feet wide by 25
feet long, and the performance was
witnessed by the spectators from the
tops of the houses situated along the
brink of the MESA at least hundred
feet in perpendicular height above.
From this view point can be seen
stretching out in every direction as
far as the eye can reach the sandy
fields of Indian corn and peach or
chards, and with the public roads lead.
ing from Holbrook, Winslow and
Keams Canyon looking like sheep
trails winding through the sand.
At one end of the space occupied by
the dancers is high rock somewhat
in the shape of mans head, called
the "dance rock" and about the mid.
die of the side next the houses is the
snake hivi in which the snakes in a
bag are placed just before the dance
begins, the entrance to which is con-
cealed by bunch of limbs of the cot
ton wood tree, tied together with q
rope, presumably to keep them in an
erect position. The morning aud early
afternoon Of the day of the dance Is
spent in the hevi (not that in which
the snakes are kept but the one used
for religious services) in fasting, pray.
ing and in painting their bodies. The
costumes of theAntelopes. who occupy
rather a subordinate position in the
dance, consisted of white cloth having
a border woven in figures of green and
other colored work, with sash simi.
larly woven tied at one side; also col.
Ored wooden anklets woven the same,
Their bodies were painted kind oi
gray, with white stripes of different
lengths down their backs, and on their
shoulders and breasts, representing
rain. Their faces, from their eyes to
their chins, were painted kind Of
terracotta red, with bunch of fuzzy
terracotta-colored feathers fastened in
their hair, and necklaces of various
kinds of beads and shells. Their lower
limbs were painted, ornamented with
anklets, and red moccasins on theil
feet.
The snake men looked even more
savage than these. Their shirts were
of buckskin, dyed terra Gotta red, with
fringe of small pieces of tin. Each
one had on his back grey fox skin
the tail of which reached to the ankle
On the right leg about the calf, was 6
small turtle shell, fastened so as tt
rattle and clap as they marched. Ter
"a Gotta buckskin moccasins and vari
GUS kinds Of anklets were worn by
them also. Their bodies were painted
red and black, with white streaks run
ming zig-zag from their shoulder:
down, with bracelets made of different
things, and their breasts completely
covered with strings of beads, of teeth
and shells.
Their faces. from their eyes down
were painted black, and each one ha6
tuft of feathers on his head, and car
ried in his right hand q wing feather
of the eagle, having little feather like
the one worn on the head, fastened Il
the front of it. The Autelopes carried
gourd with some pebbles in if, which
they shook and made noise whenevel
they took any part in the dance.
When all was ready they climbed