Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-09-18

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 over which
a board is laid. This is Shi-pa.pu,
! the entrance to the underworld
or the abiding place Of the gods.
At p. m. or a little later, tho
Antelope priests enter the court
| with the same paraphernalia they
employed the day before. After
circling over Shi-pa-pu a few
times they take their places on
either side of the kisi and sing
Justify, rhythmically, and with a
wild, vigorous melody. Two or
three times during the song they
hum u deep reverberating refrain
| that has the effect of many cellos.
They employ no drum. though a
shrill rattle and a "bull-roarer
are occasionally used. All the time
they keep up a certain rhythmic
weaving of their feathered wands.
Then the snake priests dash in
literally dash in--their rattles
jingling madly, their feet padding
the hard-packed earth faster than
ear can conveniently count. They
are wild looking creatures. paint
ed reddish brown from head TO
toe. Their hair is ragged and
fluffy with parrot plumes stained
a soft rosy brown. Their jaws
and chins are painted black, the
mouths broadly outlined with
white.
The Dance Grows Furious
They take their places in front
of the Antelope priests and with
them chant and wave their wands
for many minutes. The music
seems to grow wilder. Suddenly
it breaks. The snake priests
separate. One of them kneels in
front Of the kisi, reaches in and
pulls out a snake. He grips its
neck with his lips so that its
head projects a little beyond his
left Jaw and if it is a large
snake, six or seven feet long, he
grasps its body with his hands.
Meantime another priest, with
feather-wand, has taken his place
at the dancers right. places his
left hand on the dancers left
shoulder, and with the wand
strokes the body OF the snake.
Together, with high rhythmic
step, they start around the court.
third nrigCt o1Cn rtyith n
feather want. falls in behind. This
the whole fraternity forms into
groups of three faster than words
can describe, making the circle
of the dance. Every time they
cross Shi-pa-pu, they stamp upon
the board. These beats fall as
regularly as those Of drum and
keep perfect time to the song of
the Antelopes. Both movement
and song are swift and wild.
Several times each group of
three makes the circle, and then
the dancer drops the snake. The
third member of the group, the
"gatherer," now brushes the
snake with his wand, and selling
it by the neck swings it high in
tilC oil. htl Ilt VI apes IL oNCl
his left arm as unconcernedly as
a woman adjusts bouquet.
Meantime his two companions,
the dancer" and the "hugger,"
have gone on around to the kisi
and secured another serpent. And
so on and on and around and
around until the "gatherers" have
Of reptiles. Now and then
they hand them to the Antelope
priests who nonchalantly fold
them over their arms without
losing a beat in their songs.
Altogether they use seventy or
eighty Of the creatures, big and
little, harmless and poisonous,
whip snakes, bull snakes, rattle
snakes any kind of snake.
Finally almost unnoticed,
women come from an inner room
with plaques Of sacred meal and
draw huge white circle in one
corner Of the court. Then the
lines break. The snakes are
thrown IN a heap inside the cir
Gle, the women hastily and timid-
ly sprinkle them with meal, and
as hastily depart. Certain of the
younger snake priests dart in,
and Selling as many reptiles az
they can hold, dash in the four
Far out on the plain
they release their loads--and their
serpent brothers seek their holes
and bear the recently enacted
TO the gods below.
The snakes fangs are not pull
ed. Sometimes the men are bit
ten. but it is claimed they do not
even get sick. 1t is rumored that
for many days before the dance
the men use an herb tea which
the women prepare, which acts as
L counter pOisoD.