Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-21

q Zig-Zag trail, the lightning leaves !
the same track in the heavens, there
fore the snake and the lightning are
two manifestations of the same thing.
Again, the lightning brings thunder,
thunder bring rain, the rain brings the
crops and without the crops they
would perish. The people of the un-
derworld influence all the changes of
climate, the seasons, the rain; theI
Indians reason, therefore, that the
prayers of those on this plane of liv-
ing can be communicated TO those be-
low through the medium of the
snake, the prototype of the lightning,
which brings the rain especially when
the snake is already in communica-
ton with those who direct and control
all of this.
The priests of the snake clan meet
in the kiVa, discuss the matter and set
the date for the final ceremony sixteen
days in the future. The town crier
is directed to announce it from the
housetops the next morning. Then the
priests begin the hunt for snakes. AS
they are captured they are taken back
TO the kiva and confined there until
needed Everything connected with
catching the snakes is considered
sacred. Even the digging sticks and
the hoes used in bringing his snake
ship from his underground retreat
are consecrated for that purpose and
are taken from the kiva in the morn
ing and returned there at night.
Most of the preliminary ceremonies
are unseen by the public, but during
the time the preparations are going
on in the kivas there are prayers, rit-
ualistic work and the ceremony known
as the washing of the snakes. 1t was
Mr. Robinson's privilege to witness
some Of these preliminary ceremon-
ials. Sixtyone snakes of which over
forty were rattlers were bathed in
ollas containing water and given the
ritualistic message to carry with them
to the underworld.
The first ceremony open to the pub
lie gaze is held the same day as the
washing ceremony, toward evening. 1t
is participated in by the priests of the
antelope clan. While this is termed
dance, there is not much dancing
connected with 1t. A song is COM
menced and all of the priests accom-
pany it with their rattles and also
with the movement of the right leg,
under the knee of which is another
| rattle made from an empty shell of a
| land tortoise upon which is hung by
thongs the dried hoofs of antelopes,
and with every movement the rattle
sounds. The ritua.istic songs are
! sung accompanied by the rattles and a
few steps, and the dance is over.
| The evening of the next day brings
l the peculiar snake dance. The ante
lope priests appear jim much the same
manner as they did the day before.
/ After lining up at designated spot
they begin "a song While this is going
on the snake priests make their APP
pearance, passing over an excavation
covered with a piece of plank, In
front of the antelope priests Each
snake priest as he passes stamps hard
upon the plank. This opening is sup
posed to be the entrance to the abode
of chose below" and the noise of the
feet stamping on the entrance is to at
tract their attention-to advise them
that the ceremony is about to begin
and to ass them to listen.
After march'nk or dancing around
the plaza several times, the men break
into groups and the head man APP
proaches the kisa. reaches into it and
brings out one or two snakes in his
! hand. AS he raises up he puts these
in his mouth, grasps them a short dis
i lance behind their heads with his
teeth, taking care not to hurt them
always putting them with their heads
TO his right.
For the dance the priests are di-
! vided into three positions; first, the
snake man who handles the snakes as
they come from the kisa; second, the
I hugger, whose duties are to dance
with the snake man, his left arm
around the shoulders of the dancer
and carrying in his right hard one OF
the snake wands to keep the snake
from clinging to or biting him. Fol
lowing these two IS the "gatherer,'
one of the younger priests. whose
duties are indicated by his name. the
priests being promoted from the posi-
ton of gatherer to that of hugger be-
fore they become full fledgcl snake
men.
After dancing" for a time each
snake man drops his snake and 1t IL
quickly stopped by the gatherer and
carried carelessly in the left hand
Toward the end of the dance some Of
the gatherers are staggering under
the weight of snakes they are trying
to carry.
|
snakes in a circle on the ground and
at given signal each priest darts in
grasps double handful of the rep
tiles and away they all go over the
mesa and down into the valleys
where the snakes are liberated to re.
turn to their accustomed haunts anC
carry the message they have received
to the underworld and those below.
The late Colonel Roosevelt, aftei
witnessing one of the dances. said ne
had seen many sights in MANY land:
but had never witnessed as impressive
ceremony as this one.
Mr.. Robinson branded rs untrua !
recent magazine article wherein the
statement was made that ''the Indian:
themselves have come to regard the
ceremony more as show for revenue
than as a pious appeal and that ole
members of the tribe counsel the dis.
continuance of the dance. The H..
dams receive no revenue whatever
consequently there are no mercenary
motives back of the ceremonia. This
red man adheres to it because it is
part of his religion.
The following names were proposed
for membership. to be voted on two
| weeks from yesterday.
DIR. David Spence Hill. president OF
| the state university; r. o. Campbell
\ of the Matthew dairy and w. e. Jack
| son, manager of the tie treating plant
The attendance prize, check for
| SIS, donated by John Strumquist, was
| won by A. l.. Martin. A. l. Rielding
of thu Baldwin piano romnqpy WAS