Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-07-16 | Page 3 | Hopi Tribe Awaits Moon's Shadow to Begin Snake Dance

Hopi Tribe Awaits Moons Moon's Shadow to Begin Snake Dance FLAGSTAFF Am Ariz July 16 JOver J- J Over the mesa lands of northern Anzona Arizona Ari An- rl zona the nightly vigil for a mystic shadow cast by the moon as a signal for the setting of the date for the annual snake dance a old century pagan pagan pa pa- gan rite has been started by the Hopi Indians Fleet runners sped today over the plains and mesa land to the tribesmen with th the message to be prepared to gather at Hotevilla and either cither ivi livI or tor for the ceremony ceremony of thanksgiving and prayer The Hopi Hop Indian medicine man believes believes be- be ieves the date of the rite rile will be August 20 but ho he is not certain The date depends upon a certain shadow cast by the moon and the dance follows that by a fortnight Meanwhile in the rude huts of Hopi Hop land and the squaws are busy preparing a secret herb formula to give the dancers who must handle the deadly rattlesnakes and bull snakes in the rite Although in past ceremonies countless Indians have been bitten by y the reptiles so effective is the secret preparation of the squaws that none of them has ever been known to todi di die diThe The The snake dance is founded on the legend of the snake having saved the life of the antelope after Injecting deadly venom into the sacred animals animal's body ody Both the antelope and snake clans of the Hopi people participate In n the ceremony which will end with the he release of the reptiles to w the four winds to carry a message to w the plumed serpent god serpent god of rain thunder thunder thun thun- der and lightning