Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-13

court. A third priest, also with
feather-wand, falls in behind. Thus
the whole fraternity forms into
groups of three faster than words
can describe, and are 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.
Circle Step
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 1t by
the neck swings it high in the air.
Then he drapes it over his left arm
as unconcernedly as a woman ad-
justs a bouquet. Meantime, his
two companions, the dancer" and
the "hugger," have gone on
around to the klsi and have Sc
cured another serpent. And SO on
and on and around and around I'M
til the "gatherers' have armfIls
of reptiles. Now and then they
hand them to the Antelope priests
who nonchalantly fold them over
their left arms without losing a
beat in their song. Altogether,
they use seventy or eighty Of the
creatures, big and Ilittle, harmless
and poisonous, whip snakes, bull
snakes, rattlers, any kind of snake.
Finally, almost unnoticed, wo-
men come from an inner room
with plaques of sacred meal and
draw a huge white circle In one
corner of the court. Then the lines
break, the snakes are thrown IN n
heap inside the circle, the women
hastily and timidly sprinkle them
with meal, and as hastily depart.
Certain of the younger Snake
priests dart in. and Selling as
many reptiles as they can hold
dash to the four directions. Far
out on the plain they release their
loads-and their serpent brothers
seek their holes and bear the re-
Gently enacted rainprayer to the
gods below.
That is, although not quite,
for there is the taking of the eme-
tic which the old women have pre-
pared from desert herbs and
which prevents sickness and death
from snake bite. 1t is neither a
pretty sight nor dramatic, we
will omit it from this description
Moreover, there inevitably and in
variably follows q series OF cues
tions, asked by the uninitiated or
him who has seen the dance
Question and answer run like ttls'
@. Don't the snakes bite? A.
They do. o
@. Do they really use rattlers
A. They do. .,,,.
bite? A. They don't.
O. Well, don't they even get
sick? evidently the men are
meant.) A. Apparently not-at
least. not during the dance.
@. They have pulled their fangss'
haven't they? A. They have not.
O, Well, then, why don't they
get sick? A. / don't know. !
have heard that for many Gays
before the dance the men use the
herb-tea which the women pre-
mare. 1t may be a counter-poiFon'
Also. I imagine the snakes are
nretty we'll scared after nine days
Of meal-sprinkling and wet-wash-
ing, and haven't much poison LETT
After all, there's something on
their side in this affair. Butt
don't know. -,
It's a great spectacle. Travel
ers come from Europe to see IT,
for Europe has nothing like IT,
Neither has Asia. Africa may
equal it in wild primitive saVas-
erv. but not in religious signiii-
canoe. It is the only rite OF us
kind in the whole world and---less
I than four hundred miles from AL
buquerque.