Page:Transactions of the Second International Folk-Congress.djvu/275

 for instruction, which he gave freely; but as he took leave of a disciple he always stung him. The sister, in the goodness of her heart, immediately healed the poisoned wretch, who then went off with all the serpent wisdom he had acquired. Finally Grandfather became so enraged that he changed his sister into snakeweed. As such she still heals, but not so freely as formerly, for she cannot go to the afflicted; they must come to her.

Since that time men, warned by the sister's fate, have not willingly approached Grandfather very nearly. They find it best to dance about him, and thus absorb the shrewdness and cunning he really cannot help giving out. As a further precaution they render him almost torpid by giving him a young rat, bird, or toad just before the dance begins.

The dance itself has no method in its madness, I have been told. The participants, who are not all Voodoos by any means, have been on short rations or none for nine days; they are full of tobacco-smoke or whiskey, and their nerves are still further excited by fear of the snake and the god or devil he represents. They howl in any key, without words or rhythmic sounds, the same as they do at a religious revival or camp-meeting. Sometimes they circle wildly about, with their hands clasping those of the persons next them; sometimes they jump up and down in one spot, while they make indecent gestures or twine their arms about their own naked bodies. They keep up this exercise until the greater number of them fall exhausted, when they have a rest, followed by a feast of black dog and, Arthur McManus says, kid. Four conjurers—two men and two women—cook the meat and distribute it.

The fire-dance is for strength of body, as the snake-dance is for strength of mind. I have never heard of anything being eaten at this dance. The same ceremony, or lack of ceremony, in the dancing is observed.

Any wood may be used for the fire except sassafras or maple. During the dances to the moon they chant—what I know not—and circle round with rhythmic motion, which sometimes changes into a rapid trot. I have never seen a moon-dance, nor more than a glimpse of the others, but I am sure my information is correct. The reason I am sure, I may state in parenthesis, is because every participant in the dances denies that he has been