USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. VII > Part 11
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center. About it are a few blocks of stone, which are used by the priests for seats. These stones are utilized, for practical use, as seats by being covered with blankets, rolled up, to make cushions of. The priests are perfectly naked while going through their religious perform- ances, excepting, of course, the gee string (al- ways worn around the waist of the male), which is not used at all as a covering, but as a suspen- sory.'
"Mr. J. Walter Fewkes (1891) says that 'in none of the kibvas (kivas, or estufas) in the Moqui pueblos, is there a fire burning all the time.'
MOQUI GODS.
"The number and variety of idols or images belonging to the Moquis is startling. In every household can be seen from one to a dozen wooden or clay idols or gods of the oddest and quaintest shapes, roughly made, and while re- sembling one another, they are different from any other Indian images. They are of all sizes, from two inches to over four feet high, painted in various colors; sometimes they are invested with beautiful ceremonial robes, woven ex- pressly for them. These gods are not, prop- erly speaking, gods at all, but represent dif- ferent Cachinas (or Katcheenas), who are but semi-gods and intermediaries between the Mo- quis and their principal deity. The Cachinas are said to have once existed : 'It was in the long morning twilight of the earth's age'; however this may be, they certainly have an existence now in the grotesque figures found suspended to
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the beams that support the roofs of Moqui dwellings or tucked away in little niches or standing up in rows on stone shelves. They are male and female, some vigorously pronounced ; the females have extraordinary headdresses only, but the males are most modestly decorated. The male is called O-mow and the female A-to- se-ka; but they are still Cachinas. These gods are used during the ceremonies in the estufas; all possess great antiquity, and when not in use are hidden away by their custodians where they cannot be found except by those who have them in charge. There were two found by a gentle- man in a cave under the mesa on which stand the ruins of Awatubi. The male was four feet one inch and the female three feet nine inches in height. He carried them to his house, some twelve miles distant, but they were soon missed by the Indians who venerated them, and a dele- gation was sent to the gentleman to tell him of the loss of the gods and implore his help in their recovery. They spoke so earnestly, and believed so firmly that ill fortune would follow them if these Cachinas were not found, that he finally said that he had brought them from Awatubi, not realizing that they were so much esteemed; he then led them to a room where they had been placed. The gentleman said the Moquis were be- side themselves with joy at the restoration of their gods. This happened some years ago, and since that time no white man has seen them.
"Of this circumstance Mr. J. Walter Fewkes writes in 1891: 'The worship of the horned A-lo- sa-ka is more strictly characteristic of the pueblo of Mi-con-in-o-vi (Mishongnavi), where this fra-
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ternity is probably more numerous than at Walpi. The images of A-lo-sa-ka were once in the possession of Mr. Keam (T. V.) for a few days, but at the earnest solicitation of almost the whole population of Mi-con-in-o-vi they were re- turned to the priests. At that time they were carried from Keams Canyon back to the pueblo with great ceremony, when a pathway of sacred meal was made for many miles along the trail over which they were borne.' Some Moqui idols or gods are not, perhaps, so sacred as those above referred to. Dr. Oscar Loew, chemist of the Wheeler expedition in 1874, refers to some gods which were for sale, and his experience is that of visitors to the Moquis to-day. The Moquis like money, silver especially. If the wooden gods or figures which Dr. Loew saw in the house of a chief were designed as objects of worship, no profound veneration was manifested for them, since they were readily parted with for a trifling quantity of tobacco.
"The gods made from trunks or limbs of small trees, which by chance have grown to resemble in part a man, are regarded with great favor, especially for gods for the estufa, it being be- lieved that the spirit of a Cachina is in such wood. The material employed in making the Cachinas is usually cottonwood. Such as have ceremonial vestments on are of wood. the clothes being of white cotton cloth, richly embroidered in colors; the cloth used is from the Moqui looms and is of a peculiar fabric; the clothes, including headdress, are also made of feathers. The colors employed in making these gods are not
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used with any regard to rule, but as each indi- vidual fancies.
"About the heads of some are coronets of five or six small squares of wood. These coronets sometimes resemble a Maltese cross, with a near approach to a Grecian border on them, the lines being in green. The bodies of the wooden gods are usually painted white, and frequently a bit of the down of a feather is glued to the points of the coronet, which may be a symbol, copied from the halos around the heads of the images of saints in Catholic churches. The Spanish Catholic influence is quite apparent in many of the Moqui images, and also in some of their cus- toms, on their pottery, and in figures on their blankets."
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CHAPTER X. THE HOPI (OR MOQUI) (Continued).
THE SNAKE DANCE-STORY OF ITS ORIGIN-DE- SCRIPTION OF BY PETER MORAN - PREPARA- TION FOR-ACCOUNT OF BY CHARLES F. LUM- MIS-SPECIAL AGENT SCOTT'S REPORT ON.
The story of the Moquis would be incomplete without not only a reference to, but a full de- scription of the Snake Dance, which is an at- tractive feature of this Indian tribe, many Ari- zonans making visits to Walpi every other year to witness it. This dance is held at Walpi in August of every other year, and is an invoca- tion or plea for water and good crops. The de- tails of the dance vary from year to year be- cause everything connected with it is transmitted orally from tradition, and much depends upon the imagination and originality of the priests in charge. The old men of this tribe, as, in fact, of every other tribe of Indians, are the keepers of the mysteries and the directors of all cere- monies, so that while certain essentials are never departed from, such as fasting by the dancers, the race from the spring, the preparation of an- tidotes or decoction for snake bites, the dance itself is conducted according to the whims of the veteran leaders. The snake estufa at Walpi is hewn out of the solid sandstone of the mesa and covered with logs, brush, and dirt. There is a ladder in it, but there are no benches around it.
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Like every other religious ceremony among the Indians of the southwest desert, it is per- formed for the purpose of influencing the gods to send the rains that the yield of corn and beans and melons in the little hand-tilled fields at the foot of the mesa may be sufficient for the sus- tenance of the people. Here, according to J. W. Schultz, in the Pacific Monthly for August, 1908, is the story of it which the priests of the Moquis relate, in hushed voices, to certain favored ones :
"Away back in the long ago-when the Moquis lived in cliff dwellings, a youth would sit day after day on the edge of the height, gazing down at the rushing river so far below. He was dif- ferent from all the other young men of the tribe, he did not care for sports-he did not court the young girls; always, day after day, he sat gaz- ing at the river, silent, solemn, a faraway look in his eyes. His parents became anxious about him, fearing that he was mentally unsound, and the youths and maidens jeered at him, joked about him, saying: 'He is an old man; old man without mind or strength.'
"After sitting on the edge of the cliff day after day for several summers and winters, he went to his home one evening and said to his mother: 'I must leave you for a while; I have been gazing at the river this long, long time and it is calling me; I must go down it and learn where it ends-if end it does; I must see that far land through which it flows.'
"His mother began to cry, and brokenly-be- tween her sobs-begged him to think no more of such a journey. 'No one has ever been away
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down in that beyond country,' she said; 'no one knows what it is like-what dreadful monsters may inhabit it. Do not go my son. You are my all; if I should lose you I would die.'
"Then his father came in and the mother ran over to him and told him of this wild plan of their son and begged him to forbid it. The son sat silent, making no further plea; the father sat with bowed head, considering what he had heard; finally he said :
""'It is for men to do things; to travel and learn what this great land is like. I think, mother, that he must go; something-something beyond our knowledge, is calling him. He may meet great dangers-he may never return-yet must he go.'
"In vain the mother cried and pleaded, the father had decided and the youth was to have his way. Therefore, she determined to do all in her power to make this venture into the un- known, easy for him. Calling to her assistance other women, with great labor they collected enough drift logs for a raft and bound them strongly together with rawhide thongs and worm-grass ropes. Then she provided food; ground corn, dried squash and other things; sacks of her store of food she placed on the raft.
"The time came for the youth to depart and his father had a last talk with him. 'You may meet a strange people away down in that un- known country,' he said, 'and if you do, a few presents to them will perhaps help you to be kindly treated. Here, my son, are four little packages of my choicest medicine, and here is a
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little bag of sacred meal. Keep the meal for offerings in case of danger; give the presents to those whom you may meet in your wanderings.'
"The youth descended the great cliff, all the people following to see him start on the fear- some journey. He sat down on the raft and kindly hands pushed it out into the current. His mother, sobbing bitterly, would have fol- lowed him had she not been held; his father turned away and covered his head with his robe so that no one could witness the tears streaming from his eyes. And thus, swiftly borne by the current, the youth on his raft was swept around the bend of the stream and had really begun his journey.
"On he went, and on, with a long stick fend- ing the raft from projecting boulders and shal- low places. Several days he travelled, camping by night on the shore, seeing no one-nothing but the different kinds of game and other ani- mals-the deer, the bighorn, the coyotes, the cougars and badgers, which were then very plen- tiful in the land.
"One morning as he was drifting along close to the shore, he heard someone weirdly singing. Shoving the raft hard against the sand, he stepped ashore to see who and what kind of per- son the singer might be. Even as he sprang off to the ground an old, old woman appeared, calling and beckoning to him. Bent with age she was, and white-haired and furrow-faced. 'Whence come you ?' she asked.
" "The river has called me,' he replied, 'I seek to know all about it-how far it goes-to what end-and of the country bordering it.'
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" 'Youth,' said she, 'it matters not where the river goes. Come with me and I will show you something far better than that you have planned. I will show you the people of the Under World. I am the Spider Woman. I will change my- self into a little spider and hide myself in the fold of your ear and you must be very careful not to scratch me off or bruise me or you will get into trouble. I will keep whispering to you-directing you-and you must do exactly as I say.'
"The Youth agreed to that, and removing his sacks of food and little bundles of gift offerings from the raft, the old woman spider in his ear directed his course. Travelling for some dis- tance, he came to a large hole in the ground. 'Descend this!' he was told, and he entered it with hesitation, it was so dark and fearsome a place. Down, down it slanted and he felt his way along it, thinking many times to turn and flee back to the sunlight, but ever, as if know- ing his thoughts, the spider encouraged him: 'Go on'-she kept telling him, 'Go on, all will be well.'
"At last, after what seemed to him a long night's travel, he saw light again and, arriving at the mouth of the tunnel, stepped out into the Under World. Here was a beautiful country and a large pueblo. Directed by the spider he mounted a ladder of one of the houses and stepped off on its roof. Here a terrible sight met his eyes; two huge grizzly bears that guarded the entrance arose and with bristling hair growled fiercely at him.
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" 'Quick!' whispered the spider, 'Open your sack of sacred meal and sprinkle some of it upon them!'
"He did so with trembling hands, and at once the grizzlies lay down, rested their heads on their paws and closed their eyes. 'Now all is well,' said the spider; 'fear not; descend the ladder.'
"In the house, lighted by a small fire, he found a number of men assembled-fine looking men, evidently chiefs of the tribe, and to him who sat in the principal place the youth advanced and handed one of the presents his father had pro- vided.
"'You are welcome,' said this man, who proved to be the chief. Some women were there, and one of them, a beautiful young maiden, was ordered to set food before him. The two talked together of various things, and he told her whence he had come.
"The men were singing strange songs and say- ing various prayers. After a time the chief questioned him, and he told of his journey and his quest, but no word said he of the spider; she whispered him to be quiet about her.
"There he remained for four days, well cared for,-and then the chief said to him: 'I see that you are worth a trial, you are well-behaved, at- tentive to our prayers and songs; I wish you to see everything-learn everything in this Under World of ours., Go you now to the other villages and visit there for a time-it is not far-and then return here.'
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"At the entrance, on top of the house in this next pueblo, to which the spider guided him, two mountain lions on guard arose and barred his way, spitting and switching their tails. These he also sprinkled with the sacred meal and they became quiet. He passed them and descended into the room. Here also he found the head men of the village assembled, engaged in offer- ing prayers, in dancing, and singing sacred songs. And having advanced and offered the chief a present, he was made welcome. Four days he stayed there, listening to them, and then went on in turn to two other pueblos, where he listened to still different songs and prayers. At last he returned to the first pueblo and house he had visited and was more kindly welcomed than ever. The beautiful maiden waited upon him, the chief talked long and earnestly to him.
" 'I see,' he said, 'that you are a steady, wise young man. Therefore I am going to be good to you. These prayers and songs you have heard are all for rain, the rain that makes our corn and other things grow big and ripen. Do you think you can remember them ? go back and teach them to your people.'
"The youth repeated and sang them all with- out one mistake, and performed the dances per- fectly.
" 'That is well,' said the chief; 'You may now return to your home. I see that this maiden loves you, so I give her to you. All this you have learned here you must be careful to teach your wise ones, so that it may be handed down from father to son for evermore, and be the
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means of bringing the rain when it is sorely needed. We, the Snake People, have learned much by long and careful study. All this is a free gift to you from us. You may depart.'
"Hand in hand the young couple left the place, and, guided by the spider, came to another hole in the earth, running straight up into the blue sky and sunlight of the Upper World.
"Here the spider, descending from the youth's ear, wove a basket of strong web and drew them up in it to the faraway surface of the earth, where she bade them goodbye and disappeared in the distance.
"The youth saw the pueblo of his people; thither he led his young wife and there was great rejoicing over his return. His tales of all he had seen and learned were listened to with wonder; the songs and prayers and dances he taught were learned quickly.
"All was peace and happiness in the pueblo. Rains fell copiously. The crops were large. In honor and gratefulness for what he had done the people named the youth Eldest Brother.
"After a time the young wife conceived and gave birth-not to a child-but to a number of rattlesnakes. This was something so unheard of-so loathsome-that a council was held and it was decided that the woman must be driven from the village.
" 'If that be done to her,' said Eldest Brother, 'then I go too.' They departed, the woman carrying her snake offspring in her bosom, and set up a little home of their own some distance from the pueblo. The snakes grew and crawled away out on the desert to live the life which was
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natural to them. In time their mother gave birth again, but to a fine man child instead of snakes.
"There came a season of drought and the crops withered and died. Although the people sang the songs, offered the prayers and performed the dances Eldest Brother had taught them, the sky remained cloudless; there was not even any dew at night, to say nothing of rain. More seed was planted in the fields but it did not sprout. Day after day the sun poured its heat on the dry and dusty land.
"Then in their trouble the people sent mes- sengers to Eldest Brother: 'What is wrong ?' they asked. 'Why have these prayers and songs and dances you taught us failed to bring the rain ? Have we omitted any part of them ?
""'You have done a grievous wrong,' he re- plied, 'those people of the Under World are Snake people, and you have driven their kin from your pueblo. Never will you get rain un- less you atone for it.'
"'Oh, we will atone!' cried the elders, 'we will atone; tell us what to do.'
" 'You will go out on the desert,' he replied, 'and gather in those younger brothers and tak- ing them to a Kiva (sacred house) wash them carefully, purifying their bodies. Then you will carry them with you in the sacred dance. Thus will their kindred of the Under World be appeased and your prayers to the gods will be answered.'
"This they did, first recalling Eldest Brother and his family to the pueblo to remain there.
VII-12
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Forth on the desert they went, and whenever they found a rattlesnake, quickly seized it, put it in a sack and carried it to the Kiva. Near and far they searched for them, and when no more were to be found, the snakes were care- fully washed and the dance was held. Then Eldest Brother's counsel was proven to be true. The rains did fall and plentifully, and the needed crops were heavy. Ever since that time in the long ago, once every year these people have held the sacred dance.
"It truly is a singular custom, this dance of the isolated Moqui people, but more singular is the fact that they never are bitten by the deadly reptiles. They go out on the desert and care- fully seizing them, lift them and put them into their sacks. Equally fearless are they in wash- ing them in preparation for the ceremony, and in rushing out with them in their hands and mouths to join in the dance. What is the appa- rent power which they seem to possess over the poisonous things ? Is it because, in the course of centuries, the knowledge has been bred into the snakes that the red men never harm them, and that, therefore, they have no fear of being handled ?
"Could white men approach them and lift them into a bag, wash them, dance with them, with like immunity from being struck ?"
Mr. Peter Moran, the eminent artist of Phila- delphia, was a frequent visitor to those Indians, and, in company with Captain John G. Bourke, saw the dance at Walpi in August, 1883. His notes on that dance which are contained in the Eleventh Census of the United States, 1893,
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differ materially from the account given by Spe- cial Agent Scott of the dance of 1891. The accounts of the dance of 1883 by Mr. Moran and Captain Bourke agree. The following are these different accounts of the dance and of the ceremonies preceding them :
THE ESTUFAS AND SO-CALLED
SACRED FIRES OF THE MOQUI SNAKE DANCE OF 1883.
By Peter Moran.
"By reference to my notes made during my trip to witness the snake dance of the Moquis in 1883, I find that Captain Bourke and myself left Keams Canyon about noon on August 11. 1883, and that we reached the foot of the mesa on which the pueblo of Walpi stands, late that afternoon. The distance is about twelve miles. On every hand there was evidence of the agri- cultural industry of the Moqui Indians. On arriving at the top of the mesa at the Tewa end we found no quarters, but we obtained a room in which to stay during our visit in the middle town, called Sichumnavi. After supper we con- cluded to visit Walpi and go down into the estu- fas. The one visited that night was square in shape, about 25 or 30 feet long by 15 or 20 feet wide and 9 or 10 feet high, cut out of the sand- stone, and with mud roof. There was present during our visit a large number of Indians, men and boys, all naked except the breechclout ; all had spats of white paint over their bodies. The walls of the estufa were covered with arti- cles of various kinds, which were to be worn
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or used in the dance on the morrow. On one side of the room on the floor was what might be called an altar, made of various colored clays, sands, or ashes, say three feet square. The center was a flat ground of light gray earth or ashes, and in the center of this was a crude representation of a mountain lion with blood flowing from the nose. This square was bounded by three fine lines or bands of color, black, yellow, and red; this again was bounded by a broad band of dark gray, on which were representations of four snakes, white, red, green, and yellow; around this on three sides of the square was a railing of sticks painted black, the lower ends resting in a base of mud balls, their upper ends ornamented with feathers and corn; around all was a broad band of earth or ashes of light gray. There was no fire of any kind in the estufa at this time, nor did we see any evidence that there had been. The men and boys were eating ravenously of food brought them by the squaws, which had been cooked out- side in their houses. The squaws were not per- mitted to enter the estufa. At this time there was no evidence that there were any snakes in this estufa, as they were kept in large earthen jars. The dance took place on August 12th, between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Early on the morning of the 12th we revisited the estufa that we were in the evening before and found a number of men and boys getting ready for the dance. The snakes had been lib- erated and were crawling along the floor against the wall near the altar, and were kept together by several old men, who seemed to me to be
SNAKE DANCE AT MISHONGNOVI.
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under the influence of a narcotic; whether this was so or not we had no means of knowing. These old men sat on the floor with bahoos of feathers in their hands. When a snake at- tempted to move away from the wall the old men, with a snake-like motion, moved up to it and drove it back. These old men acted like snakes. At one corner of the altar in the estufa there were two earthen jars, one containing water, the other meal; in the middle of the outer gray band was a portion of an abalone shell, and in the center of the red band was a num- ber of stone objects. We left this estufa after half an hour's visit and visited another one, and found therein only one person, an old man at work; here we found another altar about the same size as the one before described, but dif- ferent in design and color; the center was a gray ground, the upper portion of which had a series of circles running together and colored yellow, green, red, and white; these represent clouds from which are coming four snakes, represent- ing lightning, yellow, green, red, and white. This center is surrounded by four bands of color, the same as snakes and clouds, as three sides of this square are. As in the altar before described, there were small sticks stuck into balls of mud and surmounted by corn, feathers, and the down of eagles or turkeys dyed a bright red. This was surrounded by a broad band of gray color; in the center and upper portion of this band were four stone implements, hammers and axes. Behind the altar was some freshly cut corn, and near it were some pipes and stone implements in a pile. One of the pipes was of
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