306 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 



This is to Take Oneself to the Water with, to Help Oneself 



FREE TRANSLATION 



Now, then! Ha, now thou hast come to listen, thou Long Human 

 Being, thou art sta5dng (right here?) thou Helper of human beings. 

 Thou never lettest go thy grasp ; thou never lettest go thy grasp from 

 the soul. Thou hast, as if it were, taken a firmer grasp upon (the 

 soul). I originated at the cataract, not so far away. I will stretch 

 out my hand to (where thou art). (My soul) has come to bathe 

 itself in thy body. The white foam will cling to my head as I walk 

 (along the path of life), the wliite staff will come into my extended 

 hand. The fire (of the hearth) will be left (burning) for me inces- 

 santly. The soul has been lifted up successively to the seventh upper 

 (-world), 



explanation 



[This formula for going to water was tentatively edited by James 

 Mooney in his discussion of the Cherokee River Cult, p. 2.] 



It is for the purpose of obtaining long life, and the ceremony may 

 be performed either by the medicine man for the benefit of his client 

 or by the client himself on his own behalf. It may be performed 

 [wheneverl desii-ed, the favorite time being at each new moon. The 

 patient, often accompanied by all the members of his household, goes 

 down to the stream before sunrise, and while still fasting. Whether 

 he recites the foiTuula himself, or whether this is left for the medicine 

 man to do, the ceremony is the same. The client [and those accom- 

 panjang liim, dip out water with the hollow of their hand. This is 

 the action referred to in the expression: "I will stretch out my hand 

 to where thou (Long Human Being, i. e., the stream, the Water) 

 art."] They wash [their face, the crown of] their head and their 

 breast ["where their soul is"] and may even step into the stream and 

 completely duck under seven times, if they so desire. 



The formula is addressed to the "Long Human Being," the stream, 

 the river, the flowing water, and who is called the "helper of man- 

 Idnd." [In many of the formulas the "Long Human Being" is 

 referred to as having originated at the cataract, and this is doubt- 

 lessly the reason why the reciter claims for himself the same origin; 

 this establishes a close and intimate relationship between him and 

 the spirit invoked, and all but forces the latter to pay heed to the 

 requests of liis relative.] 



The idea to be conveyed by the latter part of the formula is that 

 the suppliant, having bathed in the stream, comes out with the white 

 foam [i. e., gray hairs, old age] clinging to his head, and taldng the 

 white [walking stick], or staff [an attribute of old people or chiefs?], 

 in his hands, starts on his journey to the seventh upper-world [i. e.. 



