The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-05-22
ROBINSON TELLS or
HOPI INDIAN DANCE
He Addresses University
Students on Sacred
Ceremonials

II. n. nohlnson. supervisory enei-
near OF the a.. =. irrigation service Ia
the southwest gave n lecture on the
Hepi Indian snake dance ceremonial
Friday morning that held the at
tcntion OF every M Of his audiences.
who nlled Nodey Hall. HoblnHon waa
introduced BY Prof. J. ~. Clark.
Roblnsdn stated that he had Wit
messed the fiopi snake dance thirteen
times dnd some OF the sacred cere-
monials thai perhops not a dozen
white men had seen. The snake. he
said. n ono OF the most sacred
symbols Of the Indians. who reason
thus that he h divine. The Hops
1.-Two In the palnted desert % Arizona,
one ~ the most arid spots In the
world. and their whole existence de-
ponds on the annual rainfall. which
comes IN August As the snikc
makes n zlg -xag track through the
sand M he goes. 70 docs the lightning
make o. zig-zag track Ia the heavens
= Therefore the snake and the lightning
I are related The lightning brings the
/ thunder. sud the thunder brings the
rain. Therefore, BY paying h most
sacred and devotional rites TO the
snake. he communicates with the
spirits who dwell beneath our world
and they with those who dwell above
The preparations. ne went on to
say, were very elaborate. Fifteen
days before the dance was TO take
place. h own crier announced from
a root Of the village that the snake
ceremonial would take place. About
sixty snakes were caught. two thirds
Of which were rnttlers. aud the rest
nou-poisOnous. Then the snake wash
ing took place In the kiva, where at
one end. the sand-painting altar was
placed. Eight men sat ABOUT the altar
2 with the ceremonial rnttlcs. Placed
IN front OF the chief OF the snake clan
was "a large earthen jar. IN whi5h the
snake WIS plunged. 4 low murmur-
ing song was started by the eight
priests % d sund-aitar. accompanied
hy the swish. swish' Of the ratt.cs
The song rose In crescendo. until it
eqded in a loud yell. All the snakes
are thrown on the sand painting with
some force. and when the washing Is
completed. a priest steps forward, and
PLACING his hand under the writhiug
mass. obliterntes the design In the
sand. Smoke from the pipes T. then
brcathed upon thNm. ~ there are
baprised for the dance.
The music for his dance is sup
piled BY the antelope men, who come.
some 20 from a tunnel underneath
the house. waving the bull-rearer,
n AhAAAt AAAAil'N ~ u NNNh ~ ANAH anu
take their places In line. They keep
up q continuous motion Of the right
leg, q which there il attached un-
dereuath. a rattle. They chant the
.dusic OF the dance. The dancer then
comes out with "a live rattlesnakc
held below the neck. In his teeth,
The "huEeer" follows him. with his
arm on the dancers shoulder. aud the
gatheror follows the hugger and keeps
HNA A..NHA IL. .UNLH - -a.m al
head away from ihe- dancers face.
Rain IL always Known 20 follow the
dance. if not actually 60 go ON dur
ing Il. says MT. Robinson. Many Of
the mon are bitten. hut In an hls eN-
pcrienccs, no man has ever died from
the bite, There b an Indian herb
brew. which they not only wash
themselves With ufter the dance. hut
they also take Internally. Perhaps
this II the cure. u perhaps thH
fangs are removed beforehand. This
Is not known.