El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-19
By-
Rene Bach

, corresponding to that of yuIa+ida In
deed they pursue the practice even n
lhe present day, and among tbe nom
many CHLlSIanize Mokf indians OF
1AIlZolIa' ior example, there is much
me- me-, l , ma Mig az or about Dec %, with
eACIiiIISo OL SIJs and masqueradine- bv
persons VINO are got up in DictureSoI1e
costumes to represent super5a tI,rsI he
ings. u ia '4I d De-
The st. Nicholas of the MoIi. how
ever IS the Sun God" and their
CI IlIlslIIlas FESTIVAL is to celebrate his
commencing return northward from the
lana OF shadows, which is stIpDosed tn
pc located In the distant South
MS return IS opposed by powerful
tnouSn eyli, divinities, CHER among
WhIch IS the Great Plumed Snake. This
InaI l demon, by the way, was very
troublesome IN prehistoric times: for.
many centuries ago (accordine r.
tradluon) he brought about de11pe
which flooded the region in which ne
ancestors OF the Moki dwelt, compelling
them 10 migrate nOrthward into Ari-
IONA.
The Great PIumed Snake.
The Great Plumed Snake figures i'm
porlahuy IN the Christmas mystery
play, with huge gourd for a head and
red leather tongue He is at length
appeased, however, with PRAYERS and
offerings OF sacred meal, and the per-
Torrance winds up with a combat be-
tween the Sun God Represented by
man carrying round shield painted to
10 look IKE the sum and a number of
devils IN suitable costume, who try to
push the beneficent deity back. and
to prevent him from starting north
ward toward the land of the Mokf.
Eventually, Of course, he wins the fight
Christmas, by origin, is the festival
Of the winter solstice. Among all peo-
pies, north of the Equator, it marks the
date at which the sun starts to return
from Its long annual southwark Jour-
ney.
Eskimo Has Similar observance.
The Eskimo celebrates it, in much the
same way as the Moki with a mystery
play, IN which the principal performers
are men disguised as divinities. They
wear, in these characters extraordinary
masks. One takes the part of the
moon; others figure as the spirits of
various species of animals, possessing
supernatural poWePs-the whale god
the wolf sod, the seal god, and so on
Most conspicuous Of all, however, as
might be expected, is the sun. Not only
does he take the principal part, but
finger masks" representing the orb of
with white hair from the caribou's bel
ly for rays-are worn on the hands of
the subordinate actors.
In a similar winter ceremony, among
the indians of British Columbia one
of the masks used, of wood and five
feet in length, represents the head and
back of an enormous bird. It is worn,
in the Christmas mystery play, by a
performer who assumes a squatting
posture, his body and legs being con-
cealed by sort of drapery of cedar
bark, so that-snapping his beak from
time to time, for realistic effect-he
thoroughly looks the part of the weird
and monstrOus fowl-divinity which he
strives to depict.
The most primitive savages of the
Northwest coast are the Fort Rupert
indians Of VancOuver's Island. They
are evidently of Asiatic descent, Icing
nearly white, with broad Monaghan
faces. 1t is understood that they still
pratice cannibalism, while formerly
they kept slaves, whom they killed and
ate at their ceremonials.
These savag es celebrate at Christmas
time (the period Of the winter solstice)
a festival in which parts are taken by
the so-called Ghost Society, Bear So
ciety, society of the Witch Woman. So
ciety of Fools and other organizations.
But the principal actor is the Cannibal
Spirit, who is a sort of devil, wearing
an extraordinary mask made in the |
likeness Of the head Of a gigantic al |
ligator.