Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

oIbrecIts] the swimmer MANUSCRIPT 273
EXPLANATION
[This is another of the Ut. formulas, so that the explanation must
be gathered from the text itself.]
It is for the cure of wounds made by a bullet or arrow, both being
called by the same word, and the application consists of the inner
bark of "wdnf ', Hicoria alba (L.) Britt., hickory, chewed and blown
through a buzzard quill, or the hollow stalk of a species of Gerardia.
The directions specify that both the medicine man and the patient
must abstain from tobacco for four days ["because the juice of
chewing tobacco irritates wounds"].
The song of four verses at the beginning is an invocation of the
spirits of the rocks, the earth, the forest, and the water, and is sung
by the medicine man prior to blowing the hickory juice on the
wound. The part addressing the brown dog is recited after the
medicine man has blown the chewed bark into the wound. The
expressions are somewhat obscure, but the purpose seems to be
for the dog to lick up the blood as it flows from the wound. The
buzzard, as stated elsewhere, is held to have a mysterious power
over disease.
The treatment here prescribed is that usually followed in cases
of bullet wounds, especially where the bullet remains in the wound.
The application has no very pronounced effect, but acts rather as
an emollient and sedative.
The word Ga°ni' originally meant arrow, but by a natural evolution
has now come to signify bullet and lead, just as the original word
for bow, k'alo'Gwe', now means also gun and rifle.
The whole formula is carefully written out, as is usually the case
with the Ut. manuscripts.
sGe" I
70
*i'a' tsynstf'ca DtDo'tlt'aDr^noDaN!tt^-yi'
this they are little to make them jump down for
them, E
Now
theni
'tskiiya'
thou man
ts'Astf'aa
thou Uttle
V-no-'owo''
ha, now
Do-'tVle'g-ria'
arise, facing us
ki'luthen,
Gwo'" I
a'GayQh-'nasi" Da'ya'.i' |
fy6*'De e"ska*'Na*-yu' i;naye'*tsti'
L yonder the old one, E (?) she is coming close by, E they fearful
no-Dayu'noVnti' |
|
this way (things)
tle-'kf-yu'^^ |
sGe" Dtno'lt'oGt'
she does as she conies Now let thou and I run rightaway, E
this way then
tsii'DZesto-'Gi w't'na'Gi' |
'ya''
for thee to lie on take it over Sharply
there
22 W. D. -ts-; C. D. -S-.