arless and likewise immune? Or are they
wise in their handling of the snakes, so that danger is reduced to the
vanishing point? No one knows.

The writer has made no attempt to go into the very numerous minute
details of this ceremony, such as the mixing of the liquid for snake
washing, the making of the elaborate sand painting for the Snake altar,
or descriptions of various kinds of prayer-sticks and their specific
uses. Authorities differ greatly on these points and each village uses
somewhat different paraphernalia and methods of procedure. These details
occupy hours and even days and are accompanied by much prayer and
ceremonial smoking, and the sincerity and solemnity of it all are most
impressive to any fair-minded observer.

The Hopi year is full of major and minor ceremonies, many of them as
deeply religious as those already described at some length; others of a
secular or social order, but even these are tinged with the religious
idea and invariably based on tradition.

If many elements of traditional significance have been forgotten, as
they undoubtedly have in some instances, nevertheless the thing is kept
going according to traditional procedure, and the majority of the
participants believe it best to keep up these time-honored rituals.
Their migration tales, partly mythical, partly historical, relate many
unhappy instances of famine, pestilence, and civil strife, which have
been brought upon various clans because of their having neglected their
old dances and ceremonies, and of relief and restored prosperity having
followed their resumption. Once, bad behavior brought on a flood.

Here is the story, and it will explain at least partially, the
ceremonial use of turkey feathers.

=A Flood and Turkey Feathers=

Turkey feathers are much prized for ceremonial uses today. If you want
to carry a little present to a Hopi friend, particularly an old man, or
an old woman, save up a collection of especially nice looking turkey
feathers. They will be put to ceremonial uses and bring blessings to
their owners.

Here is at least one of the legends back of the idea, as collected by
Stephen and reported by Mindeleff.[31] The chief of the water people
speaks:

"In the long ago, the Snake, Horn, and Eagle people lived here (in
Tusayan), but their corn grew only a span high, and when they sang for
rain the cloud sent only a thin mist. My people then lived in the
distant Palatkiwabi in the South. There was a very b