Nov., 1903. Oraibi Summer Snake Ceremony — Voth. 335 



front of the booth, still shaking their rattles, holding them upward, 

 and await the arrival of the Snakes. (See A, PI. 182.) The latter now 

 emerge from their kiva, proceed to the plaza, walk around four times 

 in the same manner as did the Antelopes (see PI. 183), and then draw 

 up in line about six feet from the Antelopes, the two platoons facing 

 each other. (See B, PI. 182.) The Antelope chief then sprinkles a line 

 of corn-meal about eighteen inches in front of the Snakes between the 

 two platoons of men, and another line about eighteen inches in front of 

 the Antelopes, and then steps back to his place at the extreme south 

 end of the line of his men. The Antelope rattles are still in 

 motion, the sound thus produced resembling very much the sound 

 produced by the tails of rattlesnakes. Presently the Chief Ante- 

 lope priest puts on the meal line in front of the Antelopes, the tfponi, 

 the sprinkler, the medicine bowl, and the other water vessels and 

 sticks. (See PI. 184.) While this is done, the Snakes lock their hands 

 and in a slightly stooping position (see PI. 185), hum a song, waving 

 their hands in which they hold the whips sideways to the time of their 

 singing. The Antelopes also wave their rattles from side to side. In 

 a few minutes the Snakes assume an erect position and sing the same 

 song, but much louder, accompanying the singing with vigorous stamp- 

 ing of the right foot, and shaking of the whips. (See PI. 202.) The 

 Antelopes also sing and rattle louder. These two kinds of perform- 

 ances alternate about eight times, the number of times having been 

 found to vary in the different ceremonies. Hereupon all make a short 

 pause and then begin to step forward and backward, the Antelopes 

 stepping backward when the Snakes step forward and vice versa. As 

 soon as this kind of backward and forward dancing begins the 

 sprinkler steps forward (the man next to him taking the medicine 

 bowl), and then moves slowly around four times in an elongated 

 circuit between the two platoons, the sprinkler moving his arms to the 

 time of the singing (see PI. 186), the Snake priest follows him, hold- 

 ing his left hand on the sprinkler's left shoulder and stroking with his 

 right hand, in which he holds his snake whip, the back of the latter. 

 After the fourth time, they stoop down before the booth, from which 

 the sprinkler takes the bunch of vines which we saw during the day in 

 the Snake klva. This bunch of vines he takes between his teeth near 

 the root end, and grasping it with his hands, he again steps forward, 

 describing the same circuit as before, and being followed by the 

 Snake priest in the same manner as before (see PI. 187 and B, 188), 

 waving the bunch to the time of the singing in the same manner 

 as the snakes are held and moved at the public performance the 

 next day. When the circuit has been described four times, the 



