THE HOPI SNAKE-DANCE 89 



snakes should have been quiet and inoffensive 

 under the influence of the slow movements and 

 atmosphere of calm that had hitherto obtained 

 was understandable; but the unexpected vio 

 lence of the bathing, and then of the way in 

 which they were hurled to the floor, together 

 with the sudden screaming intensity of the 

 chant, ought to have upset the nerves of every 

 snake there. However, it did not. The snakes 

 woke to an interest in life, it is true, writhed 

 themselves free of one another and of the upset 

 lightning-sticks, and began to glide rapidly in 

 every direction. But only one showed symp 

 toms of anger, and these were not marked. 

 The two standing Indians at this end of the 

 room herded the snakes with their eagle feathers, 

 gently brushing and stroking them back as they 

 squirmed toward us, or toward the singing, 

 sitting priests. 



The process was repeated until all the snakes, 

 venomous and non-venomous alike, had been 

 suddenly bathed and then hurled on the floor, 

 filling the other end of the room with a wrig 

 gling, somewhat excited serpent population, 

 which was actively, but not in any way ner 

 vously, shepherded by the two Indians stationed 

 for that purpose. These men were, like the 

 others, clad only in a breech-clout, but they 



