Jim:, 1902. The Mishongnom Ceremonies — Dorsev. 251 



ceding day, at diagonally opposite ends of the lines. (PI. CXXXIII, d). 

 As soon as the two platoons had faced each other, all interlocked arms 

 and bent slightly forward; they then hummed a song in a low tone, 

 moving at the same time their bodies sideways which caused a slight 

 rattling of the Antelope rattles. They then released each other's arms 

 and performed for a few minutes a vigorous dance, forcibly stamping 

 their right feet on the ground, singing loudly and accompanying the 

 singing, the Antelope priests with the shaking of their rattles, the 

 Snake priests by the shaking of their whips. In a few minutes they 

 repeated the low humming song, then the dancing, etc., both perform- 

 ances being repeated about ten times. The Snake men then thrust 

 their snake whips behind their belts and, while they again hummed a 

 song, at the same tim^e stepping forward and backward, the Antelope 

 men rattling, some of the Snake men began to detach themselves in 

 threes from the line, going to the /^m w'here a snake was handed to one 

 of them by a Snake priest who did not participate in the ceremony, but 

 was called from among the spectators on the house tops for this 

 purpose. 



The dancer having been handed a snake, placed it between his 

 lips (kahchan^la7vii) and moved slowly forward being accompanied by 

 another priest who had placed his arm around the dancer's neck 

 {iiidwokngti.ni), occupying, as it were, with his snake whip, the atten- 

 tion of the snake, warding off the latter's head from the dancer's face 

 as much as possible (see Pis. CXXXVII and CXXXVIII). As soon 

 as these two had described the circuit in front of the kisi the snake 

 was dropped and picked {pungtlimani) up by the third man. The two 

 again approached the kisi, received another reptile and went through 

 the same performance. The gatherers held sometimes as many as 

 four, five and even more snakes in their hands, and it has been 

 observed that on several occasions a dancer would take more than 

 one reptile at a time between his lips. 



As soon as a snake is dropped the gatherer concerns himself with 

 it, either picking it up at once or first letting it glide away a short 

 distance. If the reptile be a rattlesnake and threatens to coil, the 

 man touches it with the points of his snake whip, moving the latter 

 rapidly. A rattlesnake, already coiled up and ready to fight, even 

 the most experienced priest will not touch until he has induced it to 

 uncoil. A pinch of meal is always thrown on the snake before it is 

 picked up. It is astonishing, however, with what complete uncon- 

 cern the dancers will move about among the snakes that are being 

 constantly dropped, even if they are coiled up and apparently ready 

 to strike at the foot or leg of the man who passes in close proximity 



