The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-01
SNAKE dance IS
ACE old RITE
Weird Ceremony Is Performed
Yearly by Hopi Indians.
HANDLE REPTILES UNFRAMED
Tradition Says Ceremony Originated
During Great Drought Which Was
Broken When the Children Went
Out on the Plain and Gathered
Snakes and Played and Danced
With Them Sometimes Dancer
Are Bitten, but They Do Not Even
Get Sick.

HiC othhCfJ " ~
Get Sick.
Many years ago a great drought Wis
tied the land of the Hopi Indians, III
northern Arizona, according to an IN
dian legend. The corn and the mel
ons died and there was no game. BY
and by the people themselves began
to die of hunger and thirst. The old
men planted many prayer sticks. The
gods were invoked in every way the
| people could devise. But no rain
came. There was great suffering.
Then the children said: Eve must
help. How can we make the gods lis
ten? BY doing something that we
hate" SO they went out on the plain
below and gathered snakes, and
played with them, putting them in
their mouths. and singing and lane
ing with them.
Then came great rains and the
peoples lives were saved. And. the
old men said: THE children have
pleased the gods by playing with that
which the gods love. We have learned
our lesson" So they bound themselves
in the great snake fraternity, made
songs and prayers, and once every
year since Their they have appealed
to the gods for rain with their snake
brothers, who are the messengers to
the underworld, says Frederick ]. Has
kin in the Chicago Daily News.
Dance Remains the Same.
T,Lo ,lo,,ao ;s aor,.io6 ant now in
much the same nj as it was years
ago, it is believed. Two f~raternitles
always participate, the Antelope and
the Snake, the former as assistants in
certain rites. For nine days before
the dance the men of the latter or
ganization go out on the plains with
notched sticks, buckskin bags and wal
let's Of sacred meal to hunt for their
snake brothers.
Late in the afternoon of the day
before the dance, the Antelope priests
appear In full regalia of painted
bodies, dance sashes and kits Of brill
liant colors, and with symbolic equip
ment such as bowls of sacred meal,
prayer plumes, sacrif1cial plants, and
f~eathered wands. For half an hour
they chant and enact a prayer for
rain and for their brothers, the
Snake priests.
The next morning before dawn run
ners have gone far out on the plain
that they may race to h mesa top,
hoping to reach it as he sun rises.
They go Looping along various paths,
all Of which converge In the trail to
the top.
The court in which the dance occurs
looks as usual except for the kisi
built at one end. The kisi is the
shrine of cottonwood bOughs covered
with canvas wherein the snakes are
put for the ceremony. A shallow hole
Is dug in front Of it, owe which a
board is laid. This Is Shi-pa-pu, the
entrance to the underworld or the
abiding place of the gods.
At s p. m. or a little later the Ante
lope priests enter the court with the
paraphernalia they employed
the day before. After circling over
.hi-pa-pu a few times they take their
places on either side of the kisi and
sing Justify, rhythmically, and with q
wild, vigorous melody.
Then the snake priests dash n
dash in-their rattles jim
Cling madly, their feet padding the
hard-packed earth faster than ear can
count.
The Dance Grows Furious.
They take their places In front of
he Antelope priests and with them
chant and wave their wands for man.
minutes. The music seems to grow
Suddenly it breaks. The
priests separate. One of them
xneels in front Of the kisi, reaches in
leck with his lips so that it's head
a little beyond his left jaw,
If 1t is a large snake, six or seven
eet long, he grasps It's body with his
lands. Meantime another priest, with
wand, has taken his place at
he dancers right, places his left hand
n the dancers left shoulder, and
With the wand strokes the body of the
make. Together, with high rhythmic
tep, they start around the court. A
bird priest, also with a feather wand,
alls In behind. Thus the whole fra
ernity forms into groups Of three
aster than words can describe, max
ng the circle Of the dance.
Finally, almost unnoticed, women
ONE from an inner room with
laques of sacred meal and draw a
uge white circle in one corner of
he court. Then the lines break. The
makes are thrown in a heap inside
he circle, the ome hastily and tim
lily sprinkle them with meal, and as
astily depart. Certain of the younger
priests dart in and, selling as
lany reptiles as they can hold, dash
l the four directions. Far out on the
lain they release their loads-and
leir serpent brothers seek their holes
nd bear the recently enacted rain
to the gods below.
The snakes fangs are not pulled.
the men are bitten, but 1t