The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees

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James Mooney. The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees

INTRODUCTION

HOW THE FORMULAS WERE OBTAINED

THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT

THE GATIGWANASTI MANUSCRIPT

THE GAHUNI MANUSCRIPT

THE INÂLI MANUSCRIPT

OTHER MANUSCRIPTS

THE KANÂHETA ANI-TSALAGI ETI

CHARACTER OF THE FORMULAS—THE CHEROKEE RELIGION

THE ORIGIN OF DISEASE AND MEDICINE

THEORY OF DISEASE—ANIMALS, GHOSTS, WITCHES

SELECTED LIST OF PLANTS USED

MEDICAL PRACTICE

ILLUSTRATION OF THE TABU

NEGLECT OF SANITARY REGULATIONS

THE SWEAT BATH—BLEEDING—RUBBING—BATHING

SHAMANS AND WHITE PHYSICIANS

MEDICINE DANCES

DESCRIPTION OF SYMPTOMS

THE PAY OF THE SHAMAN

CEREMONIES FOR GATHERING PLANTS AND PREPARING MEDICINE

THE CHEROKEE GODS AND THEIR ABIDING PLACES

COLOR SYMBOLISM

IMPORTANCE ATTACHED TO NAMES

LANGUAGE OF THE FORMULAS

SPECIMEN FORMULAS

MEDICINE

DIDÛnLĔ´SKĭ ADANÛn´WÂTĭ KANÂHĔ´SKĭ

Translation

Explanation

HIĂ‘-NÛ´ NASGWÛ´ DIDÛnLĔ´SKĬ ADĂNÛ´nWÂTĬ

Translation

Explanation

HI´ I´NATÛ YUNISKÛ´LTSA ADANÛ´NWÂTĬ

Translation

Explanation

GÛnWĂNI´GIST´Ĭ ADANU´nWÂTĬ

Translation

Explanation

GÛnWANI´GISTÛ´nĬ DITANÛnWÂTI´YĬ

Translation

Explanation

HIA´ DU´NIYUKWATISGÛ´nÍ KANA´HÈHÛ

Translation

Explanation

UNAWA STÎ EGWA (ADANÛnWÂTÏ)

Translation

Explanation

HIĂ´ TSUNSDI´GA DIL‘TADI´NATANTI´YĬ. I

Translation

Explanation

(HIĂ´ TSUNSDI´GA DIL‘TADI´NATANTI´YI. II.)

Translation

Explanation

DAL´NI ÛnNĂGE´Ĭ ADANÛ´nWÂTĬ

Translation

Explanation

TSUNDAYE´LIGAKTANÛ´HĬ ADANÛ´nWÂTĬ

Translation

Explanation

HUNTING

GÛN´HILÛ´nTA UGÛ´nWA‘LĬ

Translation

Explanation

HIĂ´ TSI´SKWA GANÂHILIDASTI YĬ

Translation

Explanation

INAGĔ´HĬ AYÂSTInYĬ

Translation

Explanation

(Y´NA TĬ´KANÂGI´TA.)

Translation

Explanation

HIĂ´ ATSÛ‘TI´YĬ TSUN´TANÛ

Translation

Explanation

LOVE

(YÛnWĔ´HĬ UGÛ´nWA‘LĬ I.)

Translation

Explanation

HĬ´Ă ĂMA´YĬ Ă´TAWASTI´YĬ KAN´HEHÛ

Translation

Explanation

(YÛ´nWĔ´HĬ UGÛ´nWA‘LĬ II.)

Translation

Explanation

ADALANI´STA‘TI´YĬ. Ĭ

Translation

Explanation

ADAYE´LIGA´GTA‘TĬ´

Translation

Explanation

(ADALANĬ´STĂ‘TI´YĬ II.)

Translation

Explanation

MISCELLANEOUS FORMULAS

SÛnN´YĬ ED´HĬ E´SGA ASTÛnTI´YĬ

Translation

Explanation

GAHU´STĬ A´GIYAHU´SA

Translation

Explanation

HIA´ UNÁLE (ATESTI´YĬ)

Translation

Explanation

DANAWÛ´ TSUNEDÂLÛ´HĬ NUNATÛ´NELI´TALÛ´nHĬ U´NALSTELTA´‘TANÛ´HĬ

Translation

Explanation

DIDA´LATLI´‘TĬ

Translation

Explanation

HIĂ´ A´NE´TS UGÛ´nWA´LĬ AM´YĬ DITSÛ´nSTA´TĬ

Translation

Explanation

Отрывок из книги

The sacred formulas here given are selected from a collection of about six hundred, obtained on the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina in 1887 and 1888, and covering every subject pertaining to the daily life and thought of the Indian, including medicine, love, hunting, fishing, war, self-protection, destruction of enemies, witchcraft, the crops, the council, the ball play, etc., and, in fact, embodying almost the whole of the ancient religion of the Cherokees. The original manuscripts, now in the possession of the Bureau of Ethnology, were written by the shamans of the tribe, for their own use, in the Cherokee characters invented by Sikwâ´ya (Sequoyah) in 1821, and were obtained, with the explanations, either from the writers themselves or from their surviving relatives.

Some of these manuscripts are known to be at least thirty years old, and many are probably older. The medical formulas of all kinds constitute perhaps one-half of the whole number, while the love charms come next in number, closely followed by the songs and prayers used in hunting and fishing. The great number of love charms will doubtless be a surprise to those who have been educated in the old theory that the Indian is insensible to the attractions of woman. The comparatively small number of war formulas is explained by the fact that the last war in which the Cherokees, as a tribe, were engaged on their own account, closed with the Revolutionary period, so that these things were well nigh forgotten before the invention of the alphabet, a generation later. The Cherokees who engaged in the Creek war and the late American civil war fought in the interests of the whites, and their leaders were subordinated to white officers, hence there was not the same opportunity for the exercise of shamanistic rites that there would have been had Indians alone been concerned. The prayers for hunting, fishing, and the ball play being in more constant demand, have been better preserved.

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11. Û´nLĔ UKĬ´LTĬ=“the locust frequents it”—Gillenia trifoliata—Indian Physic. Two doctors state that it is good as a tea for bowel complaints, with fever and yellow vomit; but another says that it is poisonous and that no decoction is ever drunk, but that the beaten root is a good poultice for swellings. Dispensatory: “Gillenia is a mild and efficient emetic, and like most substances belonging to the same class occasionally acts upon the bowels. In very small doses it has been thought to be tonic.”

12. SKWA´LĬ=Hepatica acutiloba—Liverwort, Heartleaf: Used for coughs either in tea or by chewing root. Those who dream of snakes drink a decoction of this herb and I´natû Ga´n‘ka=“snake tongue” (Camptosorus rhizophyllus or Walking Fern) to produce vomiting, after which the dreams do not return. The traders buy large quantities of liverwort from the Cherokees, who may thus have learned to esteem it more highly than they otherwise would. The appearance of the other plant, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, has evidently determined its Cherokee name and the use to which it is applied. Dispensatory: “Liverwort is a very mild demulcent tonic and astringent, supposed by some to possess diuretic and deobstruent virtues. It was formerly used in Europe in various complaints, especially chronic hepatic affections, but has fallen into entire neglect. In this country, some years since, it acquired considerable reputation, which, however, it has not maintained as a remedy in hæmoptysis and chronic coughs.” The other plant is not named.

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