The urine dance of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico by John Gregory Bourke
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"The Urine Dance of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico" by John Gregory Bourke is an ethnological study written in the early 20th century. This book explores a unique ritual of the Zuni Indians, specifically focusing on a peculiar dance that involves the consumption of human urine as part of the ceremonial proceedings. Bourke, a Captain in the U.S. Army, provides a firsthand account of this ritual, illustrating its cultural and historical
context within the Zuni community. In the narrative, Bourke describes his experience attending the urine dance, where he witnesses Zuni performers engaging in an elaborate and grotesque presentation that parodies elements of Catholic worship while incorporating humor and vulgarity. Participants consume urine in front of a mixed audience, highlighting the ceremony's shocking nature. It is suggested that this dance served both as a test of endurance and a reflection on historical experiences of deprivation faced by the Zunis during periods of conflict. Bourke attempts to contextualize the ritual, linking it to broader themes of survival and the intertwining of religious and medicinal practices among indigenous peoples. Overall, the book serves as a vivid, albeit unsettling, description of a specific cultural tradition, shedding light on the complexities of Zuni ceremonial life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Bourke, John Gregory, 1846-1896 |
|---|---|
| Other | Sheridan, Philip Henry, 1831-1888 |
| Title | The urine dance of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico |
| Original Publication | United States: Privately Printed,1920. |
| Credits | Charlene Taylor, Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 63.2 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | E011: History: America: America |
| Subject | Zuni Indians |
| Subject | Urine dance |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 68519 |
| Release Date | Jul 14, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 304 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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