Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-02
SNAKE DANCE Of
HOPI Indians IS
Weird CEREMONY
--latest MALL

eanny snake dance Of the. f4opi In
dians is described in a communication
To the National Geographic Society at
Washington, ID. c.. by Miss Marion L..
Oliver, daughter OF former Assistant
Secretary OF War Robert Shaw Oliver
The chief of the harvest priests
first appeared, carrying in his hand a
weird wind instrument, which, as he
swung, sounded like the angry sough-
ing wind of storm" she writes. 9th
ers followed carrying rattles which
made the sound of falling rain; others
had ears of corn or other harvest en-
blems. Suddenly | saw a priest as
cending the ladder leading from the
snake kiVa. He was covered with a
long coat, and carried a great bag, the
contents of which writhed and wrig-
gled. He deposited his bag of snakes
under the tepee-like altar. Just as the
rays of the setting sun struck the top
rung of the ladder, several wild figures
emerged. Now the ceremony began
Crossing hands, they swayed from east
to west with eyes half closed. After
about twenty motions they burst into
deep-yoiced chant. Soon some of the
priests began to look half hypnotized
and sang with their eyes fixed and
heads bent.
Hold Snakes in Mouth.
Suddenly the singing stopped and
the snake priests stood in line, single
file, only every other priest had his
hand on the shoulder of the one in
front of him and in the other hand
carried a wand of eagle feathers.
Around they went around the plaza,
with funny, housekeeping motion AS
they passed the altar they paused and
stamped twice on board that was
over a hole to awaken the spirits to
hear their prayers. The second time
the priests passed the altar l saw them
pause, but only when they had turned
facing me did / realize the horror
Every other man had a squirming live
rattlesnake in his mouth. The snakes
were curling themselves into all kinds
of horrible shapes and their evil heads
went darling this way and that saw.
one RATHER strike a man just under the
ear He had to pull it loose, but took
a fresh hold of the snake nearer its
head and seemed none the worse for 1t.
Nov | saw the reason for the Sec,
ond priests with feather wands Their
duty was to soothe the snake by strok-
ing it with the feathers, and to guide
the snake-carrying priest, who often
looked as if he were in a trance. The
snakes would hiss and try to coil and
strike, but the tickling of the feathers
would make them uncoil, and the
priests would pick them up with about
as much concern as most people would
pick up rope. ..- !
Little Boys in Dance. ....-r-.I
3 Two of the snake priests were lit
tie boys who could not have been more
than 8 years Old One of them danced
with bull snake bigger than himself,
which he had to hold with both hands
as well as his teeth to prevent it from
getting away. 49,.
"A group of Hopl maidens now en-
tered The priests then threw all the
snakes On the ground in a great
squirming mass at their feet, and the
maidens sprinkled the hideous reptiles
with sacred meal. Then the priests
bent down and each seized two hand
fuls of snakes, and turning ran with
incredible swiftness out of the plaza
down to the desert, where, with part.
ing message to their spirit brothers,
they left them. B.. -.... .ss-.-.
Il rode back to camp very silent, the
whole thing leaving me rather dazed,
it seemed so weird, so unreal; and yet
the knowledge that the dance was the
elimination of sixteen days of fasting
and prayer, and the intense religious
attitude Of both priests and people,
impressed me more than / was wiling
to admit. How was it that the poison
of the snakes had no effect on the
dancers? / asked many the solution
of this problem, and their answers
were always the same, We don't
know: all we know is, if any trader or
sheep-herder is bitten by RATHER, II |
We can get him to the snake priests ne
is always saved. The cure, whether
drug, herb or; incarnation, is kept Sc. |
cret, and the snake clan. guard it as
,on,od @r,1cf noUoT. f0 no diVIllpp0 i'm. 4