Nov., 1903. Oraibi Summer Snake Ceremony — Voth. 355 



tell me, as I wanted to find out whether I had been correctly informed. 

 He hesitated, said that that was very sacred to them, and finally 

 asked, "Must I tell you?" I repeated what I had said, and being prom- 

 ised that his name would not be revealed, he named the two plants 

 already known to me. In a similar manner one of the leading men in 

 the Snake ceremony and an old woman of the Snake Fraternity sub- 

 stantiated this information. In no case did I first mention the names 

 of the plants, but led them to do so. 



As to the antidotes used in the other villages, I have a number of 

 notes on that question, and the names of several plants from different 

 sources, but I feel that my information is not sufficiently corroborated 

 and sifted to justify me in making positive statements. I have rea- 

 sons to believe, however, that at least in some of the villages an herb 

 — or in some cases perhaps more than one — is used for each of the six 

 cardinal points, the colors of the blossoms corresponding to the colors 

 for the different world quarters. I hope to be able to settle this ques- 

 tion more definitely this summer. 



The following two facts I record for what they are worth at pres- 

 ent: (i) On one occasion I questioned the Snake chief of another 

 village, who visited me, on the snake antidote. He at first refused to 

 give me the desired information, saying that that was so sacred that 

 he could not reveal it. Finally, I held a bunch of each of the plants 

 used in Oraibi before his eyes. He first stared at me, and then 

 asked, "Where did you get that?" and then admitted that they used 

 those herbs too, but claimed that they used- them in connection with 

 others; (2) A similar experience I had once with Kopeli, the Snake 

 chief of Wilpi, who died a few years ago, only he did not commit 

 himself as far as the other man. After repeated efforts to induce him 

 to tell me what he used against snake bites, I intimated that I believed 

 I knew it, and that I had in my possession at least the plants used in 

 Ordibi. He challenged me to produce them. I did so. He said in a 

 half-joking manner, which seemed to say, "No, I say, but yes, I 

 mean," that they did not use these, but the very manner in which he 

 said it, and the fact that he then became serious and asked me not to 

 show these plants to any one nor to reveal their names, led me to sus- 

 pect that these two plants form at least a part of the antidote used in 

 Wdlpi. But this is not to be considered as a statement of a fact, but 

 only as a clue to further investigation in the other villages. 



In case of a snake bite the manner of proceeding is as follows, 

 although it may vary in detail in the different cases, according to the 

 attendant circumstances — the place where it occurs, the quick access 

 to this or that remedy, the opportunity to call the Snake chief, etc. 



