286 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



32. Shoulder belt which the priests of the Serpent wear during the dance as a pre 



servative against the stings of the venomous snakes. It is of buckskin, dyed 

 with oxide of iron, and is worn on the right shoulder. The little globes con 

 taining the charms are attached to the whole of the back of the shoulder belt 

 where the fringes begin. The fetish is made of clay, moistened with a liquid 

 prepared with great ceremony, and over which the traditional songs are sung. 

 This piece of clay is molded with the hand and incised with the nail of the 

 thumb, to represent the Great Feathered Serpent. Every priest wears several 

 charms during the dance. 



33. Red belt of the priests in the serpent dance. It was used in the ceremony of 



1891. 



34. Moccasins, shoes with silver buttons, of a Snake priest. 



35. Rings which the priests wear on their ankles in the serpent dance. 



36. Wrist guard used in the serpent dance. The object of this apparatus is to pre 



vent the cord of the bow from striking the hand after shooting the arrow. 

 The wrist guard, which was formerly only of silver, is now adorned with 

 various metals. 



37. Medicine bag containing sacred meal, which the priests carry when they go to 



catch snakes; also one of the whip handles used in charming serpents. It has 

 a snake painted on it, and was used in the Serpent drama in 1891. 



38. Nak-tci, or boards which the women carry on their heads in the butterfly dance. 



Nine distinct specimens, all ornamented with appropriate symbols, among 

 which the sun, the cloud, and the growth of the corn (maize) deserve mention, 

 figure in the collection. 



39. Knotted white cotton belt, worn by those who take part in the sacred dances. 



40. Woolen garter, worn as an ornament above the knee in the religious dancesi 



41. Fox skin, worn suspended from the belt at the back by those who take part in 



the religious dances. The fox skin receives a very careful preparation for this 

 purpose, and is one of the most important ornaments of the so-called Ka-tci-nas 

 or gods. It is also suspended at the entrance of the sacred room during the 

 secret rites, to give notice that the religious ceremonies are going on. 



42. Special head ornament for the sacred dances. 



43. Blanket worn on the waist in the serpent dance. It is made of native cotton, 



spun and woven by the Indians and dyed with oxide of iron. From the lower 

 edge of this skirt, as is seen in the adjoining specimen, hang some small metal 

 lic cones representing bells, which rattle when the wearer moves in the dance. 



44. Crown. Symbol of the &quot; cloud&quot; which the leader wears in the La-la-kon-ti 



dance, praying for the fructification of the crops and the fecundity of the ani 

 mals. In this ceremony, to which great attention is paid, and which lasts nine 

 days and nine nights, the chief priestess makes with sand a representation of 

 the sun, like that in the center of the room (603). It is an invocation praying 

 for the fructification of plants and the fecundity of animals and of the human 

 race. 



45. Board which Zuni women wear on the head in the Ham-po-ney dance. The cen 



tral figure represents the sun, and the crosses at the top and bottom, the stars. 

 The triangular pieces of wood, arranged in terraces, represent the clouds. 



46. Helmet worn by the priests of the horns, or warriors, when they light the new 



fire in the estufas at the November festival. The horns are an imitation of 

 those of the wild goats. During this celebration the young men are initiated 

 into the priesthoods. The &quot;Na-ac-nai-ya,&quot; a baptismal washing of the head, 

 owes its name to a portion of the ceremony of initiation. . 



47. Wooden tablet representing the lightning. It is worn on the helmet, or is placed 



on the altars during the ceremonies. The serpent represents the lightning, 

 and it is represented as male and female in the altars and mosaics of sand. 



48. Claws of a small bear, used in the incantations and ceremonies at which the 



sacred medicines are prepared. 



