The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-12-11

they coil them in huge balls and toss
them up and down; they Irvine them
about their necks and tuck them be-
tween the belts of their kits and their
nude waists, and carry them, held at
the middle, in their mouths. All this
time they are hopping about the sun
baked plaza. Now they circle about
the kisi with their burden Of serpents
in their hands. Then at signal by
old Kopali, the snake chief, the dane
,ers form in threes, and with the snakes
wriggling for freedom in their hands,
they march backward and forward.
Another signal and they form In row
and toss the serpents to and fro. Then
the dance starts anew. More circling,
marchings and conference.-the In
ones, twos and threes. Occasionally .
reptile wriggles itself loose from ar
Indians hand. It is, however, instant
~ picked up like so much rubber hose
An Hour Of Horror.
The snake dance lasts about fifty
minutes. At its close the Indian spec
tators have risen to their feet, and are
weaving their arms and bodies bach
and forth in time to the rapid chorus
they are shouting over and over again
The dancers are dripping with per
spiration. The white visitors are dazec
at the Incredible scene. No one who
has not seen 1t would believe these
men can be so thoroughly Indifferent to
the serpent's venom.
Suddenly at signal from wrinkled
Kopali the dancing ceases and the high
snake priest advances to an open
place. He solemnly sprinkles meal in
ring, denoting all compass points to
which serpent messengers are to con-
vey the Moki petitions. At another
signal the mathematics are thrown in a
heap within the circle. Meal is hastily
thrown upon the wriggling heap, while
CULTURAL invocation Is pronounced. In
a moment each Of the dancers snatches
several Of the serpents in his hands
and starts at full speed for the narrow
trail which leads down from the mesa
to the plains below. There the grue.
some burdens are thrown upon the
sands and permitted to 60 their way
In peace.
The dance IL over, but there's anoth
er scene. When the athletic dancers
have come running back to the plaza
they hasten to the sacred .kiva, where
they remove all the trappings Of the
ceremony. Then they come out and
drink deeply from bowl of mysteri
ous decotion Of herbs brewed only By
Salako, the oldest snake woman II
Mokiland.
Then the Mokis go home in silence
| They have performed the most imp0r
! tant service In their lives and have
propitiated the rain god as sacredly a!
they know how. Their wives ant
sweethearts wait upon them and wasl
them OF their paint On the morrow
the pueblo feast takes place, and th'
new green corn and melons are eater
without stint.
i Very naturally the question is asked
Are not the rattlesnakes used in tn
MOk ceremonies drugged or deprived
i OF their fangs? II not, why are not tn
half-nude snake dancers and priest
bitten? White people who have seel
several Moki snake dances say the.
have never known Moki to confes
he was fanged, but every year specta
tors see snake dancers pull away fron
their arms serpents that have fastene'
there. Every year some of the reptile
coil and strike at their captors. Tn
best-posted scientists who have locke
| upon Moki snake dances say that tn
priests and dancers have certai
manner of handling the creatures, an
that the strange broth which the snak
i handlers drink renders venom harm
| less. AT any rate 1t is unique anon
berbaric customs.