AT ZU5fl AND MOQUI PUEBLOS. Hi 
to the (lance, but it is by no means .sure that the ophidian 
part of the ceremony is th(^ most important ; it is rather 
secondary, and in the sim[)k>r observance of Ley-laAuk 
we have the primitive meaning of the ol)servance which 
in the snake dance is masked or possibly lost. The snake 
is the guardian of the springs of the water, and as such is 
very pro})erly carried in ceremonials for water, just as in 
the Zuui Kor-kok-shi, the live turtles, are carried in the 
hands of the dancers. One can readily see how the in- 
troduction of the live snake, effective as it is as a syml)ol, 
would in the elaboration of the observance lead to an undue 
development of a subordinate feature of the dance, in- 
stead of a rain ceremonial it became a snake dance and as 
such is at present known to the majority of the Indians. 
The ceremonials connected with one of the symbols so 
overtowers the others that it conceals from sight the true 
nature of the observance. That is precisely, it seems to 
me, wdiat has happened in the snake dance. I would regard 
it not so much an instance of snake worship, but as a rain 
or water ceremony in which the snake as a symljol of the 
sources of w^ater, the springs, is introduced. The impres- 
sion made by its introduction naturally led to the elabor- 
ation of all events connected with its capture, handling and 
introduction in the dance into ceremonials an account of 
which is given in such an entertaining manner l)y Captain 
Bourke. The idea behind this Moqui snake dance, once 
universal among the pueblos, now obscured by the dis- 
play of living snakes carried in the mouth, is a ceremou}- 
for water in the springs of which the serpent is guardian. 
The ceremony of Ley-la-tuk has all the essential parts 
of the snake dance except the ceremony with the snakes. 
It occurs at about the same time in the year on alternate 
years. From the nature of all the ceremonies in Ley-la- 
tuk; the exercises at the Sacred Spring in the plain, the 
