Virginia Shropshire Heath 



The definite origin of this dance 

 was not found recorded, though its 

 presence in the modern exhibition 

 may be accounted for in like man- 

 ner as was the first dance, namely, 

 an introduction by stranger guests, 

 human or supernatural, at the first 

 great mythic mountain chant, the 

 one inaugurated for the sake of 

 curing the prophet Dsilyi' Neyani 

 of his distaste for certain human 

 conditions. 



Ninth Dance 



" It was after i o'clock in the 

 morning when the dance of the 

 hoshkawn {Yucca baccata) began. 

 The ceremony was conducted in 

 the first part by twenty-two per- 

 sons in ordinary dress. One bore, 

 exposed to view, a natural root of 

 yucca, crowned with its cluster of 

 root leaves. . . . The rest bore in 

 their hands wands of piiion. . . . On 

 their third journey around the fire 

 they halted in the west and formed 

 a close circle for the purpose of 

 concealing their operations. . . . 

 After a minute spent in singing 

 and many repetitions of ' Thohay ' 

 [Stand], the circle opened, disclos- 

 ing to our view the yucca root 

 planted in the sand. Again the circle 

 closed ; again the song, the rattle, 

 and the chorus of 'Thohay' were 

 heard, and when the circle was 

 opened the second time an excel- 

 lent counterfeit of a small budding 

 flower stalk was seen amid the 

 fascicle of leaves. A third time 

 the dancers formed their ring of 

 occupation. After the song and 

 din had continued for a few sec- 

 onds, the circle parted for the third 

 time, when, all out of season, the 

 great panicle of creamy yucca 

 flowers gleamed in the fire-light. 

 The previous transformations of 

 the yucca had been greeted with 

 shouts and laughter; the blossoms 

 were hailed with storms of ap- 

 plause. For the fourth and last 

 time the circle closed, and when 

 again it opened the blossoms had 

 disappeared and the great, dark 

 green fruit hung in abundance from 

 the pedicels. When the last trans- 

 formation was completed, the dan- 

 cers went once more around the 

 fire and departed, leaving the fruit- 

 ful yucca behind them. 



" In a moment after they had 

 disappeared the form of one per- 

 sonating an aged, stupid, short- 

 sighted, decrepit man was seen to 

 emerge slowly from among the 

 crowd of spectators in the east. 



394 



