The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees: Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 301-398Mooney, James
Religion
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees: Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 301-398
Mooney, James
Cherokee Indians -- Religion; Cherokee language -- Texts; Indians of North America -- Medicine
The recitation is not used excepting in the most serious cases, when,
according to the formula, “a very small portion” of the disease
still lingers. It is accompanied by blowing _of the breath alone_,
without medicine, probably in this case typical of the action of the
whirlwind. After repeating the whole ceremony accompanying the song,
as above described, the doctor returns to his position in front of
the patient and recites in a whisper the first paragraph to the Little
Whirlwind, after which he advances and blows his breath upon the
patient four times as he has already blown the medicine upon him. Then
going around to the north he recites the second paragraph to the Great
Whirlwind, and at its conclusion blows in the same manner. Then moving
around to the west--behind the patient--he again prays to the Little
Whirlwind with the same ceremonies, and finally moving around to the
south side he closes with the prayer to the Great Whirlwind, blowing
four times at its conclusion. The medicine must be prepared anew by
the doctor at the house of the patient at each application morning
or evening. Only as much as will be needed is made at a time, and the
patient always drinks what remains after the blowing. Connected with
the preparation and care of the medicine are a number of ceremonies
which need not be detailed here. The wild cherry bark must always be
procured fresh; but the Tsâl-agayû´[n]lĭ (“Old Tobacco”) leaves
may be dry. When the latter plant is used four leaves are taken and
steeped in warm water with the fire coals, as above described.
HIĂ´ TSUNSDI´GA DIL‘TADI´NATANTI´YǏ. I.
Sgĕ! Hĭsga´ya Ts‘sdi´ga ha-nâ´gwa da´tûlehû[n]gû´
kĭlû-gwû´. Iyû´[n]ta agayû´[n]linasĭ´ taya´ĭ. Eska´niyŭ
unayĕ´histĭ´ nû[n]ta-yu´tanatĭ´. Sgĕ´! tinû´lĭtgĭ´!
Tleki´yu tsûtsestâ´gĭ hwĭnagĭ´. Yû!
Sgĕ! Hige´cya ts‘sdi´ga ha-nâ´gwa da´tûlehû[n]gû´
kĭlû-gwû´. Iyû[n]´ta tsûtu´tunasĭ´ tăya´ĭ. Eska´niyŭ
unayĕ´histĭ nû[n]tayu´tanatĭ´. Sgĕ! tinû´lĭtgĭ´!
Tleki´yu tsûtsestâ´ hwĭnagĭ´. Yû!
_Translation._
THIS IS TO MAKE CHILDREN JUMP DOWN.
Listen! You little man, get up now at once. There comes an old woman.
The horrible [old thing] is coming, only a little way off. Listen!
Quick! Get your bed and let us run away. Yû!
Listen! You little woman, get up now at once. There comes your
grandfather. The horrible old fellow is coming only a little way off.
Listen! Quick! Get your bed and let us run away. Yû!
_Explanation._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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