﻿394 
  SACKED 
  FORMULAS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CHEROKEES. 
  

  

  success. 
  The 
  formula 
  is 
  repeated 
  in 
  a 
  low 
  chant 
  or 
  intonation, 
  the 
  

   voice 
  rising 
  at 
  intervals, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  a 
  revival 
  speaker. 
  

   Then 
  turning 
  to 
  the 
  black 
  bead 
  in 
  his 
  left 
  hand 
  he 
  addresses 
  it 
  in 
  sim- 
  

   ilar 
  manner, 
  calling 
  down 
  the 
  most 
  withering 
  curses 
  upon 
  the 
  head 
  

   of 
  the 
  victim. 
  Finally 
  looking 
  up 
  he 
  addresses 
  the 
  stream, 
  under 
  

   the 
  name 
  of 
  Yu'"wi 
  Gunabi 
  ta, 
  the 
  "Long 
  Person," 
  imploring 
  it 
  to 
  

   protect 
  his 
  client 
  and 
  raise 
  him 
  to 
  the 
  seventh 
  heaven, 
  where 
  he 
  will 
  

   be 
  secure 
  from 
  all 
  his 
  enemies. 
  The 
  other, 
  then 
  stooping 
  down, 
  dips 
  

   up 
  water 
  in 
  his 
  hand 
  seven 
  times 
  and 
  pours 
  it 
  upon 
  his 
  head, 
  rub- 
  

   bing 
  it 
  upon 
  his 
  shoulders 
  and 
  breast 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  In 
  some 
  

   cases 
  he 
  dips 
  completely 
  under 
  seven 
  times, 
  being 
  stripped, 
  of 
  course, 
  

   even 
  when 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  of 
  almost 
  icy 
  coldness. 
  The 
  shaman, 
  then 
  

   stooping 
  down, 
  makes 
  a 
  small 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  with 
  his 
  finger, 
  

   drops 
  into 
  it 
  the 
  fatal 
  black 
  bead, 
  and 
  buries 
  it 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  with 
  a 
  

   stamp 
  of 
  his 
  foot. 
  This 
  ends 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  which 
  is 
  called 
  "tak- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  water." 
  

  

  While 
  addressing 
  the 
  beads 
  the 
  shaman 
  attentively 
  observes 
  them 
  

   as 
  they 
  are 
  held 
  between 
  the 
  thumb 
  and 
  finger 
  of 
  his 
  outstretched 
  

   hands. 
  In 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  they 
  begin 
  to 
  move, 
  slowly 
  and 
  but 
  a 
  short 
  

   distance 
  at 
  first, 
  then 
  faster 
  and 
  farther, 
  often 
  coming 
  down 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  the 
  first 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  finger 
  or 
  even 
  below, 
  with 
  an 
  irregular 
  ser- 
  

   pentine 
  motion 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  returning 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  

   Should 
  the 
  red 
  bead 
  be 
  more 
  lively 
  in 
  its 
  movements 
  and 
  come 
  down 
  

   lower 
  on 
  the 
  finger 
  than 
  the 
  black 
  bead, 
  he 
  confidently 
  predicts 
  for 
  

   the 
  client 
  the 
  speedy 
  accomplishment 
  of 
  his 
  desire. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  

   hand, 
  should 
  the 
  black 
  bead 
  surpass 
  the 
  red 
  in 
  activity, 
  the 
  spells 
  of 
  

   the 
  shaman 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  intended 
  victim 
  are 
  too 
  strong, 
  and 
  the 
  

   whole 
  ceremony 
  must 
  be 
  gone 
  over 
  again 
  with 
  an 
  additional 
  and 
  

   larger 
  quantity 
  of 
  cloth. 
  This 
  must 
  be 
  kept 
  up 
  until 
  the 
  movements 
  

   of 
  the 
  red 
  beads 
  give 
  token 
  of 
  success 
  or 
  until 
  they 
  show 
  by 
  their 
  

   sluggish 
  motions 
  or 
  their 
  failure 
  to 
  move 
  down 
  along 
  the 
  finger 
  that 
  

   tin' 
  opposing 
  shaman 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  overcome. 
  In 
  the 
  latter 
  case 
  the 
  

   discouraged 
  plotter 
  gives 
  up 
  all 
  hope, 
  considering 
  himself 
  as 
  cursed 
  

   by 
  every 
  imprecation 
  which 
  he 
  has 
  unsuccessfully 
  invoked 
  upon 
  his 
  

   enemy, 
  goes 
  home 
  and 
  — 
  theoretically 
  — 
  lies 
  down 
  and 
  dies. 
  As 
  a 
  

   matter 
  of 
  fact, 
  however, 
  the 
  shaman 
  is 
  always 
  ready 
  with 
  other 
  for- 
  

   mulas 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  which 
  he 
  can 
  ward 
  off 
  such 
  fatal 
  results, 
  in 
  con- 
  

   sideration 
  of 
  a 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  of 
  cloth. 
  

  

  Should 
  the 
  first 
  trial, 
  which 
  takes 
  place 
  at 
  daybreak, 
  prove 
  unsuc- 
  

   cessful, 
  the 
  shaman 
  and 
  his 
  client 
  fast 
  until 
  just 
  before 
  sunset. 
  They 
  

   then 
  eat 
  and 
  remain 
  awake 
  until 
  midnight, 
  when 
  the 
  ceremony 
  is 
  

   repeated, 
  and 
  if 
  still 
  unsuccessful 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  repeated 
  four 
  times 
  be- 
  

   fore 
  daybreak 
  (or 
  the 
  following 
  noon 
  ?). 
  both 
  men 
  remaining 
  awake 
  

   and 
  fasting 
  throughout 
  the 
  night. 
  If 
  still 
  unsuccessful, 
  they 
  con- 
  

   tinue 
  to 
  fast 
  all 
  day 
  until 
  just 
  before 
  sundown. 
  Then 
  they 
  eat 
  again 
  

   and 
  again 
  remain 
  awake 
  until 
  midnight, 
  when 
  the 
  previous 
  night's 
  

  

  