article

Zuni sacred theater

American Indian quarterly • 7 (3) • Published In 1983 • Pages: 93-110

By: Tedlock, Barbara.

Abstract

Annually the inhabitants of Zuni Pueblo participate in a series of dramatic ceremonial performances, some of which are public and others secret. These ceremonies, or as Tedlock calls them 'dramatic theatrical performances', both celebrate and help to unite the social, economic, political and religious aspects of the community by the manipulation of a set of symbols rather than a set of explicit beliefs encoded in religious doctrines or creeds (p. 93). In this article the author describes in detail how these symbols operate in the general course of Zuni ceremonial performances. The document includes a wealth of information on participating groups (<native>kiva</native> groups and curing societies), the determination of the proper time for the ceremonies(based on celestial observations), and the description of the ceremonial garb, paraphernalia, and masks of the performers. Special emphasis in this work is placed on the <native>Shalako</native> ceremony and feast held in late November or early December.

HRAF PubDate

2009

Region

North America

Sub Region

Southwest and Basin

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle; 2007

Field Date

1969

Coverage Date

not specified

Coverage Place

Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, United States

Notes

by Barbara Tedlock

Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-110)

LCCN

74647596

LCSH

Zuni Indians