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Page Six
THE COCONINO SUN
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 1919.
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HOPI INDIAN SNAKE DANCE TO
TAKE PLACE LATE THIS MONTH
The world-famous snake dance of
the Hopi Indians will be held this
year at Polacca (First Mesa) on Au
gust 20, and at Second Mesa on Au
gust 17. Its advent is of perennial in
terest, not only to people of the entire
Southwest, but to people from all over
the country, who come each year to
the little villages on the Moqui res
ervation, located 80 miles north of
Flairs taff.
The Blue and Drab Flute cere
monies nitty be witnessed this year in
the villages of Oraibi, Shumopovi, and
Shipaulovi, and the Snake-Antelope
ceremonies in Mishongnovi and Walpi.
In each of the five villages of the
Hopi there are two Flute organiza
tions, one known as the Cakwalenya,
or Blue Flute, and the other as the
Macilenya or Drab Flutew Their rites
arc very similar, and a description of
one will suffice for both.
The secret rites are not held in
kivas, but in the chamber of a house
of somo leading member. Here the
altar is erected, prayers arc offered,
and the sacred traditional songs arc
sung. On the ninth day there is a
public performance at a spring near
the foot of the mesa and early in the
ceremony the six directions' altar,
with its accompanying charm liquid,
is erected. At sunrise of the ninth
day a spectacular foot race from the
plains to the village is held, and the
winner places the prize on his field
to insure special success for his crops.
These ceremonies are elaborate pray
ers for rain, and it is this idea which
dominates the whole idea of the
ritual.
"" A description of the performance at
Mishongnovi, where part of the
Snake-Antelope ceremonies are being
held this year, is sufficient to give an
idea of the whole ceremony.
Four days after the close of the
Nlman celebration in the neighboring
village of Shipaulovi, the chief priests
of the Antelope and Snake clans as
semble in Michongnovi in a room at
the home of tho town's chief crier,
where they manufacture bahos or
prayer offerings and smoke together.
The next day at sunrise tho crier an
nounces the timo for the ceremonies
from the housetop.
Nine days after this ceremony, the
first day of the ritual begins. At
about 10 o'clock in the morning of the
second day three or more priests,
naked except for the loin cloth, each
bearing a small packet of food on his
back, a small snake whip, a rude dig-
fing stick, and a bag of meal, start
rom the village in a northward direc
tion. Scattering, they begin the hunt
lor rattlesnakes.
As soon as a, snake is found, either
sleeping beneath a sage brush or
crawling along in the sand, the priest
halts, casts a pinch of sacred meal
upon the reptile, and addresses a
short prayer to it Stooping over, he
waves his whip slowly in front of the
snake's eyes, whereupon the snake be
gins slowly to uncoil. The Hon! Driest
then swoops down upon it and drops
the snake into a buckskin bag. The
bags containing the snakes arc depos
ited in the kiva in the village at the
end of a day's hunt. The three fol
lowing days are devoted to the hunt
to the three remaining points of the
compass, and a general hunt up until
the ninth day occupies the- various
members of the clan after the prelim
inary search.
Early on the sixth day, as the morn
ing star appears, the Snake priest,
accompanied by a young man, enters
the kiva, where the priests are as
sembling. The Antelope priest likc
"wise brings in a young maiden, one
of the prettiest of tho tribe. These
two are led to the altar, where an
earthen vessel containing growing
corn anu melon vines is put in the
hands of the Antelope girl. The young
maritof the Snake clan is given one of
V h A f intfiio In nnA hnml nrl i ntinlrA
htiv wuiuo 11 viiu ituuu &uu fuiurvc i
in the other. Songs of great an-1
tiquity are sung, holy water is then
sprinkled on the sand, invocations are
sung to the yellow clouds of the north,
Hot and Cold Water Phone 271
Steam neat Good Service
All Outside Rooms
PINE HOTEL
ALF. DICKINSON, Prop.
Next Door to Flagstaff Garage
Opposite the Depot
FLAGSTAFF -:- -:- ARIZONA
White House Cafe
White cooks and waiters
t
Good Food and Good
Cooking
Large helpings low prices
'. Open Day and Night ,
Jos. Bender, Proprietor.
i
THE NEW
IDEAL HOTEL
Scrupulously Clean
Air.Outside Rooms
Quietland Comfortable
the green clouds of tho west, the red
clouds of the south and the white
clouds of the cast. At the termina
tion of the eighth song the young
couple are lelievcd.
This ceiemony is repeated on the
seventh and eighth days, with the
glorious antelope race occurring on
the latter day.
At noon of the ninth day a mys
terious silence hangs over the village,
apparently a silence ot reverence anu
awe. A large bowl is brought into
the Snake kiva and in it holy water
is prepared. Sand is spread over the
floor, and the priests take their places
facing the wall and surrounding the
sanded area.
Another priest, costumed as tho
war god, stands in the center, with i
bowl of holy water in front of him.
Two or three of the priests proceed
to a corner of the kiva, where the
snakes arc kept, and picking up the
snake jars, put them in canvas sacks
(infl tnWft thpm fn flirt KnnlrA nnncto
The most solemn moment of the cere
mony is at hand. Beginning a low
chant, the priest reaches his hand into
the sacks and draws out as many
snakes as he can hold. He repeats
this, intil the sanded area is a wrig-
plinfr mnss of rnntllno TTn tlian niMsc
up the bowl of holy water, leaves the
bii tuiu nirvana ti pull. Ui It Ul um
four trails leading out from the In
dian village.
In the meantime the snakes arc
herded by naked boys from seven to
twelve years old, who play with the
snakes. tiflrmiltinf thorn tn ,-nl
over, around and under them, with no
apprcnension or the danger whatso
ever.
At sunset thi finnl nnrfnrm?in
curs on the plaza.
iwo lines of men enter, singing.
One of the Snaki ni-insta. thn in-rin
approaches, receives a snake from the
tho kisi, which ho places in his mouth,
wniie another man, the hugger, fol
lows immnriiatplv nnfclnrl nnH kIomo
his arm over his shnnlrW n mmwl
the man's face from the snake's head
with his snake whip. A third priest
ioiiows, tnc gatnerer. All the other
priests follow in trios similar tn thn
first.
If a snake wriggles from the car
rier's mouth, it is pounced upon by
the gatherer. By and by all the
snakes are deDositod in n. rirrln -farm
ed by the sacred corn meal, about
five feet in diamptor. Tho lutmln lino
passes by immediately afterward, and
tutii man as ne passes plunges his
hands into the mass of rattlesnakes,
takes a double linnrlfnl artA eta.-e T
over the side of the mesa, the first
man north, tne second west, and go
on, until the last snake has been gath
ered from the pile. The snakes are
deposited at the foot of the mesa, and
after the purification rites, during
which all the men who have handled
the snakes take violent emetics, the
dance is over.
. Frank Marks, son of E. A. Marks,
superintendent of the Oraibi Indian
scnooi, gave The Hun man much ad
ditional information about these cele
brated snake dances.
"The Snake God of the Hopi is not
a good spirit, but an evil spirit. The
Indians don't need any extraordinary
ceremonies to propitiate the good
spirits, because they know they will
bo good to them anyway. But they
want to keep on the right side of the
devil, because they want him to leave
them alone.
"There will be no dance at Boeaibi,
because the snake chief of that village
is dead. There has been none at
Oraib'i for thrpp vnnrs. Thio 5 1-
causc of a quarrel between the chief
of the snake clan and the village
chief. One of the sons of the former
lost his wife, nnnthnr Tnrlinn tnlrinr
her. The village chief refused to in
tervene, so the snake clan chief is on
a prolonged strike.
"The dances this year will be at
the First and Second Mesas.
"The dances next year will be at
the Second and Third Mesas.
"Some of these snakes have been
sent to Washington to verify tho
claims that their fangs had not been
extracted. They were found to be
fully equipped to deal out death.
"I saw one old chap who was bitten
in the cheek by a big rattler, which,
of course, he held in his mouth. He
never lost step. The Indian dancing
next him teased the snake's head
away with his feathers. A little boy,
who was bitten at tho beginning of
a dance was all in when it came time
for him to drop out of the dance. And
then he did drop out literally. There
was no time to get him to the kiva, so
they doctored him right there, and he
got out of it all right.
"There are only nine or ten Snake
Clan men in Hotevillc, and three boys
who belong to the clan. Contrary to
the usual belief, not alh Hopis are
Snake Clan men. Some belong to the
Antelope Clan, some to the Beaver
Clan, others to the Corn, Elk, and
other clans.
"Membership in the Snake Clan is
strictly hereditary, except when a
Hopi is bitten by a rattler, when he
is eligible to the clan. There is an
Indian boy here in Flagstaff now who
was bitten by a rattler when he stuck
his hand into a rabbit's hole. He was
doctored by the snake men, and is now
one of them himself.
"At First Mesa there arc about 25
Snake Clan men. '
"The kiva in which the snakes are
kept after capture until they're taken
out for the dance is a big underground
room, about 20x50 feet in size, with an
entrance through the roof. Theodore
Roosevelt and the late Charles Hub
bell are said to be the only two white
men who were ever in one of these
kivas while the snakes were in them.
"The snake men dance a round or
two with the snakes in their mouth?,
then take fresh snakes, and keep at
it until every snake has been danced
with. The dancer keeps one hand on
the snakes' tail, but the head is free.
During the dance, the antelope men
sing.
"The belief that only, rattlers are
used in the dance is wrong. Any kind
of snake' is used, so long as it' is a
IN THE EARLY DAYS
(From
the Coconino Sun's file of
August 8, 1885.)
On Monday 400 head of meat cat
tle from the range of Campbell &
Baker was sent to Kansas City.
Wm. Garland, Jerry Sullivan and
others from Ash Fork shipped 28 cars
of prime beef cattle to the same
point.
Smith, Carson & Tee have the larg
est herd in Apache county.
Fine cattle will never again brins
the fancy prices of the past. (A bum
prophecy.)
The largest cannon in the world
built at Jersey City. Sixty feet Jong.
(This would be a fair-sized pocket
piece now.)
Average sheep price is $2.14 a head.
In 1884 Arizona had 203,000 head of
cattle.
When Sheriff Mulvison gets
through pulling opium dens in Pres
cott there is work to do in Flagstaff.
S. S. Ackers, of the Verde, saved
$50 on $300 worth of supplies here
under what he would have had to pay
in Prcscott.
Peter J. Brannen is building a large
residence south of the railroad. He
will send for his sister when it is
completed.
New street lamp in front of the San
Juan saloon. '
Mrs. John Hise, of Green Valley,
gave birth to a child on her way from
Tonto Basin to Flagstaff. One of her
husband's hired men was the only one
with her.
MAY MEAN CHEAPER
COAL FOR ARIZONANS
Cheaper coal for Arizona may be
the result.of the complaint in inter
vention filled by the corporation com
mission in a case before the inter
state commerce commission, brought
by the copper companies, which com
plain that they have been charged ex
cessive and prohibitive rates for the
shipment of coal from Dawson, New
Mexico, to various points in this
state.
The corporation commission has in
tervened in the interest of the rest
of the people of the state, lest in set
tling the matter the rates might be
lowered only to the copper towns and
the rest of the state left out of con
sideration in the matter.
The copper companies complain that
they have been charged from $7.65 to
$8.20 per ton in carload lots for
freight, which they characterize as
excessive, and ask that a lower rate
be set and a refund made for the al
leged overcharge.
o
CAUSE FOR SPEED
Nothing so much vexes a physician
as to be sent for in great haste and
tn find after his arrival that nothing,
or next to nothing is the matter with
his patient. There was an urgent case
of this kind recorded by an eminent
siircooA. He had been sent for by a
man who had just received a slight
wound,and gave his servant orders to
ro home with all haste imaginable and
fetch a certain plaster. The patient,
turning a little pale, said:
"Sir, I hope there is no danger."
"Indeed there is," answered the sur
geon, "for if the fellow doesn't run
like a racehorse the wound will be
healed before he can possibly get
back."
o
SHOP BY AIRPLANE IN PARIS
Women who had been eagerly anti
cipating the distinction of wearing in
London at night some dainty article
of clothing which earlier in the day
had been brought by airplane from a
Paris shop will have to wait a while
longer. Arrangements had been made
by certain firms for the adoption of
this method of transport of the latest
French creations, but for the moment
at all events, civilian flying from this
country to Paris is prohibited pending
international arrangements in the
matter.
Rumor had it that the marine store
dealer was something of a miser, and
two gentlemen of the Sikes persua
sion conceived a brilliant notion to re
lieve him of his superfluous wealth.
One of them was to be smuggled
into the shop in a bag and placed with
other sacks filled with old iron, and
at midnight grasp the opportunity to
give entrance to his confederate.
Up to a point the plan worked ad
mirably, but unfortunately the dealer,
struck bv the Deculiar shape of the
sack, gave it a tremendous kick. A
10-horseDowor howl followed, and a
Uecond later the man in the bag was
beating all records ror his liDeny.
"Well, I'm disappointed in yer,
Bill," said his friend, when later on
the tale of failure was told.
"It was your own idea, too. 'Ere
was you posin' as old iron, and when
some one come along and jest kicked
yer you 'adn't got the bloomin' sense
to clink!"
PIE AND RUIN
"The American's fondness for pie,
to which I was alluding the other
day, was the ruin of Emerson," ac
cording to a letter written by one of
his friends, Henry J. Warner. "It
was pie at breakfast that broke down
Emerson prematurely; no human be
ing, however well, can live long and
keep his mind unclouded on pie at
breakfast. Emerson lost his mind.
or memory at a much earlier period
than he would have been likely to lose
it owing to tho vicious habit of pie
at breakfast."
PORTRAIT SELLS FOR $60,000
The portrait of himself in a broad
brimmed hat by Nicholas Berghem
brought $60,000 at a recent sale in
London.
A letter by Keats to Fanny Brawne,
telling her of the advance of his con
sumption, sold for $390 at the same
sale.
Sir Walter Raleigh's life and two
of his autograph letters realized
$4,000, and Jonathan Swift's letters to
Vanessa $1,500.
: o
ARMY TRACTORS ARRIVE
The caterpillar tractors arrived here
during the week for use on the state
highway. These are the first of sev
eral army tractors to arrive that have
been donated to the state by the gov
ernment as they arenot needed any
more by army service. Snowflake
Herald.
snake. But very many of them are
rattlers.
"The dancers never mis3 a step. If
one of the snakes they have danced
with gets in the way, they avoid step
ping on him, but there is no pause.
"Snake worship began away back in
early Indian history, whon the great
snake god sent two, Hopis out of the
ground. These two founded the vil
lage of Oraibi.
"After the dance, the snake men
bathe, and then they drink the holy
water they washed with." ,
HON. GEO. U. YOUNG
APPRECIATES THE SUN
Phoenix, Ariz., Aug. 8. 1919.
The Coconino Sun,
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Dear Editor (and not to be envied
Owner) :
Herewith find a piece of tinted
paper the acme of the engraver's art,
stamped with a perfect five supposed
to be $5.00, but Oh! what an illusion
and delusion.
However, if it will preserve me and
protect me in my bluff for a two-year
paid-up subscription for the Dear Old
Sun, may the protecting powers that
be, be just as kind to you, and en
able you in making the same bluff
by planting it as a full five, thereby
relieving your own good self of the
same amount of obligation with somo
other poor unsuspecting sucker.
It was worth five in days within
the memory of many of us yet liviqg
but no more because of one cer
tain Wood row, a Vanderlip, the avari
cious meat and lumber trusts, aided
by the coal trust, also flourishing, be
cause of a general epidemic of insani
ty, which tends to grasp, grab, and
appropriate anything and everything
that looks like money so-called. But
no more is it worth five, and it be
comes gieat if the foolish call it $1.30,
for to men of wisdom it is not worth
ad .
My congratulations jto The Sun, as
it shines resplendent in a material
world, and I find encouragement, be
cause of the honesty of its Editor,
Manager, and Owner, at times makes
it speak with a directness not in ac
cord with the lying hypocrisy of the
day and thereby me-thinks the time is
near when it will speak from tho
standpoint of the metaphysical or
real. r
Whether this may be or not, there
are certain old-time memories, and
bonds of love between its owner and
the writer that naught can sever, and
again because it shows a cleanliness,
a clannish love for its community, and
a dignity, which to the observer are
visible proof of the worth and char
acter of its editor and owner my old
friend just that common, ordinary,
"onery," good old sport, Fred Breen.
Sincerely yours,
GEO. U. YOUNG.
HE COULDNT CLINK
ANY 3-CENT STAMPS LEFT?
1. Write the dear girl twice as
much as usual. Stir the mush thor
oughly, add 1-cent stamp and serve.
2. Sell your stamps to somebody
who is color blind, near-sighted and
wealthy. He will be just as happy
using them.
3. Why not decorate your letters
with four 3-cent stamps? Thus the
letter will be sent special delivery,
insuring its arrival this year.
4. Make merry of the occasion by
lightly greeting your mail carrier as
you hand him a letter: "Oh, Postman,
you owe me a penny!"
5. Perhaps the 3-center will remind
you of the likewise purple alligator
which vanished with it last month. If
so, cherish the little sticker for its
tender memories.
6. Generously present the extra
postage proceeds to the founding of a
home for Poor and Indigent Post
master Generals.
LAWSUIT LASTED 478 YEARS
A lawsuit regarding Rhodesian
mining rights, which has reached the
House of Lords in its fourth year, is
quite a legal infant when compared
with some that have preceded it.
The Thellusson will case, for ex
ample dragged out in the courts from
1797 to 1857.
'Another similar action at law, now
known as the Bishop-Demetra will
case, lasted 122 years. '
Even this, however, is not a record.
For, in 1908, there was settled at
Friemar a lawsuit that had been in
pi ogress since 1430. The raising of a
dam was the point at issue, and it
occupied the courts for exactly 478
years.
A GREATER MIRACLE
"My grandfather," said an English
man, "was a very great man. One
day Queen Victoria touched his shoul
der with a swdrd and made him a
lord."
"Aw, that's nothin'," the American
boy replied. "One day an Indian
touched my grandfather on th. head
with a tomahawk, and made liim an
angel."
INNOCENT
Executive Officer (as ship is com
ing to anchor): "Leggo that starboard
anchor."
Recruit (just aboard ship recently):
"I ain't got hold of it, sir."
pu
l(IMI(tMtMMMIMM,MIHMMHtHMMHtMtn
D0N0FRI0
ICE CREAM -
JEVNE'S
FINE
CHOCOLATES
I " J
i ' 6
I i
FULL LINES OF
j CIGARS
STATIONERY
j FANCY GROCERIES r ,
I I
KELLER'S
I Fine Confectionery
and Bakery
V Phone 1 Flagstaff
plimilMtMIIIMIIMMtllMMMIHIMMIIIMIItllllWIMlMHHmBl
Weatherford Hotel
H. B. WHITE, Proprietor
FIR is T CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS
Stem Heat Hot aid cold water Pleasaatly located
Broadway Pocket Billiard Parlor
A PLEASANT PLACE TO SPEND YOUR SPARE TIME
BEST CIGARS, TOBACCOS, CIGARETTES
WEATHERFORD BUILDING H. B. WHITE. Prop
IT'S THE SAME IN FRANCE
"I suppose you are going into the
country for your holiday this year, a?
you always did?"
"No, not this year; our cook pre
fers the seaside."
CATTLE FOR SALE
The Merritt Craig Cattle and Ranches
Qaa
iJCC
R. J. KIDD or F. E. BROOKS
18 cents a package
Camels are eotd everywhere in acentfi?o
Mr sealed packages of 30 cigarettes; or
ten packages (300 eigarettee) in a glass-ine-paper-corered
carton. We strongly
recommend this carton for the home or
office supply, or when yon trarel.
t ft. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
Wlntim-1 .M.C U
CAMELS' expert blend of choice
Turkish and choice Domestic
tobaccos answers every cigarette
desire you ever had ! Camels give
such universal delight, such unusual
enjoyment and satisfaction you'll
call them a cigarette revelatidn!
If you'd like a cigarette that does
not leave any unpleasant cigaretty
aftertaste or unpleasant cigaretty
odor, smoke Camels! If you
hunger for a rich, mellow-mild
cigarette that has all that desirable
cigarette "body" well, you get
some Camels as quickly as you can 1
Camels' expert bjend makes all this
delightful quality possible. Your
personal test will prove that Camel
Cigarettes are the only cigarettes
you ever smoked that just seem
made to meet your taste I You will
prefer them to either kind of to
bacco smoked straight!
Compare Camels for quality and
satisfaction with any cigarette in
the world at any price! .'
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