Show INDIAN TALES By Albert B. B Reagan Ph D. D All rights reserved STRANGE STRANG E CHRISTMAS RITES lUTES A modern instance of oC how many of our Christian customs may possibly possibly pos pos- sibly have become interwoven in into into into in- in to Christian observances by our pagan ancestors many generations ago is furnished by bythe bythe bythe the Indians of the Jemez Pueblo not far from Santa Fe Their forefathers were by bythe bythe bythe the Spanish friars a long time ago but they have kept many of their original customs which they weave into the observances of the church in their own way celebrating Christian holy days with ceremonies that were originally originally originally nally pagan just as we ourselves still keep the originally pagan Christmas tree and holly and mistletoe The Jemez people extend their Christmas festivities to the full length of the World Old holidays from Christmas to Epiphany or Twelfth Night on Januar January 6 the traditional date of the visit of the Magi At dusk Christmas eve the cacIque cacique caci cad que and his aids make the rounds of the village pray and sprinkle corn pollen and sacred meal in every house and each inmate of same Then to the kivas the native religious houses they proceed proceed proceed pro pro- and sprinkle the sacred meal before the symbolic paintings and andover andover over the images of the gods bi brought ought thither for the dance preparation Then the sprinkling I in the being completed four of the caciques leave the north Iii Uiva kiva a and go one in each of the four cardinal directions for a distance of about a half a mile Reaching their destination each cacique lights a low fire and then sits down beside it so as to face I Ithe the silvery sil faced moon As soon I as seated each begins to beat a small drum and chant to his dei del ties This th they v continue till morning On Christmas night at Jemez an excavation is made about a foot in depth by the mound that marks the site of the old Spanish church Meal is then sprinkled into this hole and of dough are put in it At this time dough images of various animals are arc also made which after being kept at home four days are deposited with much sprinkling of meal in the center of ones one's corral Christmas dancing ng begins on De- De lets her hair hang loosely over over her cember comber 25 and continues four days outside In the plaza But Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas night the Bow Dance is danced dane dane- ed eU inside inide the present church At sunset the tw twelve lve chanters and a drummer enter the church and begin to sing and lift their hands in supplication Soon two dancers a man and a woman enter enter enter en en- ter followed by the populace wholine wholine who line up on the two sides of the floor The woman a virgin shoulders her dress Is of heavy black cloth embroidered in shells and silver slIver badges From her neck at the front hang many strings of shell and turquoise beads A feathered cord Is suspended suspended sus sus- at her back In her right hand she carries a bow and some arrows in her left a tomahawk The man too is gorgeously dress dress- ed In his right hand he hc grips a abow abow abow bow in his left he holds a heavy rawhide shield on which Is painted paint paint- ed the symbol of the sun Entering the central space the dancers hop crow-hop leap trip or dance cs the meaning of the chant dema demands s. s On separate lines in front of the slowly forward ing musician arid and the populace they dance back and forth the squaw facing and ansi dancing in one direction the Indian in the site The squaw squaw goes goes goe through the motions of shooting at her ner ner partner and draws her tomahawk to scalp him At the same time her approaching foe defends himself himself himself him him- self with his shield and goes through the motions of shooting at ather ather her with his bow When the first pair of dancers retire a new set take their places and d dance nce the very same dance over again They keep this up until dawn approaches Then the war captain and caciques line the people up and pray long and earnestly over them This closes the Christmas ceremonies On the Feast of Epiphany the Bucalo dance is performed in the plaza In this dance there are arc alternating alternating alternating al al- al- al sets of a man and a woman from each kiva The man manIs manIs manis Is dressed in a buffalo hide the horns over the had He carries a rattle gourd and a tomahawk in his left hand and a bow and some arrows and nd a ligh lightning ng wand in his right The woman is dressed In gala attire and wears a whole turkey skin for a head dress The dance is a peculiar spring knee-spring ing scraping foot backward and forward movement This is alternated alternated alternated alter alter- by sets of what is designated ed the Animal Dance In this men medicine place their sacred Indian in the plaza in a row in a line sun un images image bowls bowls- of corn com n and ln meal groups of eagle feathers medicine beads the skins of snakes and birds bunches of rabbit rabbit rabbit rab rab- bit wool and the head-coverings head of beasts The men of the village followed by the women pass d down wn the long line i in a stooping ing position and each one having blown his breath on his left hand strokes the medicine things one by one with it and sprinkles the sacred meal over them at the same time with his right hand The Indian believes that the strength cunning or health powers powers powers pow pow- ers of the medicine things will vill thus be imparted to h him m. m c cAa A Aa As soon as all aU have s and sprinkled th the sacred sacred dust t on on each of the things i in lii the medicine medici e line the curios are removed from the plaza and two men carrying pa- pa shaped drums made of corn com husks enter th the plaza and seat themselves elves on opposite sides of the tho public ar a. a so as to face each other They then hen begin to beat their looking curios-looking musical musical musical musi musi- cal instruments with sticks drum that resemble potato-mashers potato ex- ex except that they are much larg larger r. r Scarcely have they seated selves when the the aid d g gathered around them and begin to chant and gesticulate gesticulate gesticulate to the earth the animals and the other sacred things on the I earth and to those above Soon the men dress dressed d in te he heskins e eskins I skins of animals or birds v ar- ar ing ipg masks representing the heads of animals and birds come cantering cantering cantering can can- galloping crawling or flying from one of the dressing dressing- rooms to the plaza and commence performing according to their re respective respective te- te re- re kind The buffalo paws pawa the earth and bellows The rabbit rabbit rab rab- bit and deer leap from place to place The turkey gobbles and struts The coyote howls The fhe bear growls Followed by the chanters these odd performers move slowly a across ross t the te e plaza The cacique then sprinkles all the participants with sacred meal The actors disperse A new set forms and the previous extravagant extravagant extravagant gant actions and strange ejaculations ejaculations ejaculations are gone over again until sunset Then all line up in iTt double column with columns facing Lacing each other Between these lines the cacique and his aids march backward backward backward back back- ward and forward for a considerable considerable considerable consider consider- able time sprinkle their hearers with sacred meal and pray to the gods This scene closes the dance |