552 ANl^UAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1941 



Likewise the typical white man is even more ignorant regarding the 

 habits and actions of snakes than he is of most other animals, since 

 his superstitions cause him to avoid them. The Indian, on the 

 other hand, is a realist regarding snakes and is as well versed in 

 snakelore as in any other native form of life. 



The only venomous snake available to the Hopi is the prairie rattler, 

 Grotalus confluentus confluentus. A study of the results of 128 bites 

 by this species revealed 8 fatalities (Hutchison, 1930) . Some of these 

 had the benefit of antivenin treatment, so that a true fatality per- 

 centage might be somewhat higher. Therefore the prairie rattler 

 may be considered a moderately dangerous snake. Many factors, of 

 course, affect the seriousness of the bite. Among these might be men- 

 tioned the size and health of the victim, the location of the bite, and 

 the amount of venom injected. Thus we might assume that an adult 

 dancer struck fairly by a rattler with full poison glands would suffer 

 painful though probably not serious aftereffects. A small boy par- 

 ticipant, on the other hand, struck in this manner, would probably 

 suffer serious results, possibly fatal. A number of instances of dancers 

 being bitten by rattlers, including some of small boys, have been 

 recorded in the literature by reputable observers. In no case, how- 

 ever, have uncomfortable results been reported nor have the recipients 

 of the bites retired from the ceremony after being bitten. In short, 

 it is evident that the Hopi snake dancers do occasionally get bitten by 

 venomous snakes. Since they are reasonably cautious and skillful in 

 the handling of the rattlesnakes, such bites are not very frequent. 

 From reports of competent observers and from the Indians themselves 

 it would appear that serious results never follow, even though small- 

 boy initiates are sometimes struck. The reason for this seeming im- 

 munity has been speculated upon at great length by observers of 

 widely varying ability. Klauber has listed some of the more common 

 theories which he has summarized in three groupings, as follows : 



A CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE AUDIENCE 



1. The audience is suffering from some form of group hypnotism. 



2. The audience is not qualified to distinguish venomous from nonvenomous 

 species. 



B CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE SNAKE PRIESTS 



1. The priests have taken an internal protective medicine prior to the dance. 



2. They possess knowledge of antidotes — internal, external, or both — which, 

 taken after an accident, quickly render rattlesnake bite innocuous and even 

 painless. 



3. Sucking, cauterizing, and arresting the circulation by tourniquets are re- 

 sorted to in case of accident. 



4. The priests are so purified by the ceremonial emetic as to be immune. 



5. They are smeared with a preparation so disagreeable to the snakes (as, for 

 instance, in odor) that the latter will not bite. 



