SUN WORSHIP FEWKES. 505 



covered by the sun disk, until it projects 3 or 4 feet in front of 

 the screen. 



The act opens with a song by the chorus, and as it progresses 

 the six disks bearing the sun emblems, which are seen to be hung 

 by a hinge on one side, swing open from below. As they do this 

 there protrudes through the openings the blackened heads of six 

 effigies of the great serpent, one of which, larger than the others, has 

 udders and is called the "mother serpent." As the songs begin, 

 these effigies move their heads back and forth, darting at each other 

 as if attempting to bite their neighbors, while from the rear of the 

 screen issue sounds made by concealed actors imitating the fancied 

 roar of the horned serpent. As this continues, the song rises higher 

 and higher, and the attacks of the serpent effigies on their fellows 

 become more and more vicious. Suddenly the head of the mother 

 serpent sweeps down to the floor of the room over the imitation 

 field of corn, overthrowing the hills and scattering them right and 

 left. These realistic movements of the snake effigies are caused by 

 men concealed behind the screen, who handle their charges by 

 means of a stick called the " backbone." After the field of corn 

 has been overturned and the serpent effigies raise their heads, there 

 passes before them the man dressed as the Earth woman, who offers 

 prayer meal as food to the enraged serpent, after which the effigies 

 are withdrawn, the disks fall back in place, and the chief gathers 

 up the scattered clay cones with the sprouting corn plants and dis- 

 tributes them among the audience. 1 



The kiva chief stirs the greasewood fagots in the fire until the 

 flame again lights up the kiva, and all is ready for the advent of 

 another group of actors fresh from a performance in another kiva. 



After a long wait another act is performed, the arrival of the 

 actors being announced in the same manner as before described. 

 In this act a masked man, representing the Sky god, stands in the 

 middle of the kiva, holding in his hands the effigy of a serpent 

 about 5 feet long. When the song that accompanies the rite begins, 

 the snake effigy appears to crawl around the man's neck, twisting its 

 body or darting out its head in a most realistic manner. In this 

 proceeding the serpent is the servant of the man ; it is evident that 

 the effigy is controlled by the manipulator. Near the close of the 

 act, when there is great excitement among the spectators and many 

 loud cries, the effigy is made to sweep down on the floor over a 

 miniature field of corn, skillfully arranged on the floor in the same 

 manner as in the preceding act. 



An examination of the mechanism by which these movements of 

 the effigy are produced reveals the fact that what appears to be 



1 The Horned Serpent is here the agent of the Sky god. The act may dramatically 

 represent the fertilization of the corn by the Sky god. 



