Nov., 1903. OrAibi Summer Snake Ceremony — Voth. 341 



drugged is entirely unfounded. Not only does the alertness with 

 which the snakes move about speak against this theory and snakes 

 just captured are handled just as unconcernedly as those which have 

 been secured before, but the superstition of the Indians would forbid 

 them to subject the snakes to any such treatment as drugging them, 

 extracting their fangs, etc. But how, then, can the mystery, for such 

 it must appear to the superficial observer, be explained? While I do 

 not pretend to be able to fully explain the matter, I offer the follow- 

 ing suggestions: (i) The repeated handling of the snakes undoubtedly 

 makes them more or less gentle. There is no question but what the 

 priests are more afraid of the snakes when they first capture them 

 than later. One of them, in explaining to me the details of the snake 

 hunt, emphasized the fact that they at once commence to "tame" 

 them by careful handling and by slowly stroking them, and when I 

 asked him why so very seldom one was bitten by any snake, he said he 

 could only explain it by the careful handling of the snakes. He said 

 they never hurt the snakes and hence the latter became used to them 

 and were not afraid of them. He compared the case with that of a wild 

 pony, which, when first caught, would "kick,, bite, and jump," but when 

 repeatedly and carefully handled would become gentle; (2) The snakes, 

 being often touched by the points of the snake whips, become used to 

 seeing objects over themselves and to being touched by them, and hence 

 do not find it so strange when a hand reaches towards or touches them. 

 It must be added, however, that if this point explains anything, it 

 does so to a limited extent only, as §nakes are brought in even up to 

 the last days, which from the very nature of the case have been 

 handled but very little; (3) The principal explanation, therefore, does 

 not, I IV: lieve, lie in the frequency of the handling, but rather in the 

 manner iA which it is done. I have again and again seen the snakes 

 picked up in the kivas and on the plazas, put into and taken out of the 

 jars, jugs, and bags, not only in Oraibi, but in all the other villages, 

 by the old experienced priests as well as by the novices, but only very 

 seldom have I seen one reach after or grasp a reptile with a quick, 

 jerking, hesitating movement of the hand, and even on those few 

 occasions the snakes were generally trying to get away, at least they 

 were not in a proper position to strike when taken. Under ordinary 

 circumstances the movement of the hand, in trying to take a snake is 

 slow, gentle, but sure and unhesitating. I saw old, half-blind NQvd- 

 kwahu reach towards several snakes, that with heads raised and drawn 

 back, were watching the approaching hand, and that probably would 

 have struck, since they were at least partly coiled, had they noticed 

 the least twitching or jerking motion of the hand; (4) Never, at any 



