. Bulletin. Ethnology. waves before the snake, with tlie other hand, a snake whip, consisting of a short staff to which are attached two eagle feathers; this is for the purpose of caus- ing the snakes to uncoil and run, when they are picked up with great celerity. While the dance is progressing a group of women and maidens in picturesque costume stand at one side of the plaza and sprinkle the dancers with sacred meal from basket travs. When the snakes have all been carried, the participants pause while a "six-direc- tions picture" in sacred corn-meal is drawn on the ground. At a sign
. Bulletin. Ethnology. waves before the snake, with tlie other hand, a snake whip, consisting of a short staff to which are attached two eagle feathers; this is for the purpose of caus- ing the snakes to uncoil and run, when they are picked up with great celerity. While the dance is progressing a group of women and maidens in picturesque costume stand at one side of the plaza and sprinkle the dancers with sacred meal from basket travs. When the snakes have all been carried, the participants pause while a "six-direc- tions picture" in sacred corn-meal is drawn on the ground. At a signal the collec- tors throw the snakes on the meal; then a wild scramble ensues, and one l)y one the priests emerge with snakes in their hands and rush down the rocky trail of the mesa to release the reptiles at various points below the pueblo. Keturning, the priests are given an emetic drink, made from herbs, and undergo a thorough puri- fication. The ceremony closes with feast- ing and games by the entire populace. The Snake dance is celebrated princi- pally as a prayer for rain. The legend as to its origin recounts that the children of the union of the Snake Hero and the Snake Maid were transformed into snakes, lience snakes are regarded by the Hopi as their elder brothers and are thought to be powerful in compelling the nature gods to bring rain. For this purpose they are set free at the close of theceremony. The snake rite is thought to have been originally an obser- vance of the ancient Snakeclan, which fur- nishes the chief of the society. Thecere- mony is believed to represent an agree- ment between the Snake and Anteloi)e clans to hold joint celebration of their re- spective rites, which no doubt conflicted when the clans orig- inally came to live together. Some ri- valry is still obser- vable in connection with the assumed efficiency of the rain charms of the two societies. Two species of rattlesnake and the btdl and the whip snake are carried in the dance. The latter t
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