MODERN PUEBLOS. 123 



some yards when the snake is dropped. Each j)air of 

 dancers is followed by a third snake priest who pickb^ up 

 the snakes as they fall and keeps them in his hands. 

 When his hands are full, he passes some of them to the 

 antelope priests who are still in line. The dancers re- 

 turn for additional snakes until the entire number, fifty 

 or more, have been carried in the dance. The head snake 

 priest then makes a large circle of corn meal and draws 

 six radii which represent the world quarters. Into this 

 circle the snakes are thrown in a heap and the women 

 sprinkle them plentifully with corn meal. At a given 

 signal the snake priests approach, grab as many snakes 

 as they can hold in each hand, run down the trails to 

 the plain, and release the snakes. 



In alternate years the flute ceremony is held in the 

 place of the snake dance. This ceremony is given by 

 two orders, the blue and drab flute priests. The 

 final pubHc ceremony takes place at certain springs where 

 songs and prayers are rendered. The rite is charac- 

 terized by playing on long flutes. An interesting 

 feature of the ceremony is the placing of prayer oiBfer- 

 ings at the bottom of a deep spring for which pur- 

 pose a priest enters it. 



Following the snake and flute ceremonies are other 

 nine day ceremonies given by societies of women. 

 During the public performance of one of them, the 

 Marau, the w^omen carry in their hands large wooden 

 slabs on which kachinas, cloud symbols, and ears of 

 corn are painted. Following this is the Ooqol cere- 

 mony. Alternating wdth these two ceremonies, the 



