Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

oLbrechts] the swimmer MANUSCRIPT 281
a likeness of it will remain when you will have passed. Relief has
been caused. Sharply.
EXPLANATION
This formula is used when the medicine man suspects from the
soreness of the abdominal region of the patient that some enemy has
"changed the food" in his stomach, and caused it to sprout or become
a living thing inside of the man's body. The sickness is evident-
ly a digestive trouble.
The treatment consists of a simple rubbing of the abdomen with
the hands of the medicine man, previously warmed over the fire.
This is said to ease the pains and induce action of the bowels, thus
dislodging the metamorphosed and unwholesome food.
The medicine man warms his hands at the fire and then recites
the first paragraph while rubbing the patient's abdomen, blowing
upon it at the end of the recital. This is repeated with each of the
four paragraphs, and if necessary the whole ceremony is repeated
four times before noon.
Each paragraph starts out with a statement that the trouble is
due to a metamorphosis or change caused by "the Old Woman"
a'cawe-'k. This is a formulistic name for the new corn which is the
cliief food staple of the Cherokee, and which according to one of
their myths originally sprang from the blood of an old woman
(Mooney, Myths, p. 242).
The common word for corn is se*lu'.
78
*i'a' iiQ'Vo't'i' tsi;*'ntskwo"'l8Di*.a' nu"'ndi*w"sk9*'n8
this to cure with they (let) them down from they do not recover
stomach
sGe" tsane-^tlano''i tsotlsko-'lt*a(no3°)!'i no'"Gwo"
now then
I
thou hast apportioned thou bast given permission
I
now
nQ'Vo'tH' i;ne''G8 Gi;\nt*Ga'
to cure with it which I have come and
put it into it (Uq)
SGe" tsane-'tlanori tsotlsko-'lt'aCno^oyji no-"Gwo"'
now then
I
thou hast apportioned thou hast given permission
i
now
n^'Vo'tU' i;ne''G9 GQ'DaGi^'sfGa' I
no'Gwo"' n9'Vo*t'i' i;ne*'G9
to cure it which I have come to take now to cure with it white
with it out of the fire
'o°''-sktne*'Gwo.e''li'Ga'
again, thou hast come to increase
it for me
t'e"l9"'ldi ngno-'-yi tst-Viikt?''.i e'^laoi tsi'-Gang.'i |
(summer grape) sun, Loc it which, it comes low it which, it lies
out (Hab) (Hab.)
u^'nasu.'Ga-N'^ n9'D0"'-yi tst'-wi;l^t?*'.i €"'ldi tst'-Gan^.'i |
they have claws, and sun, Loc it which, comes low it which, lies
out (Hab.) (Hab.)
*° Emendation by W., recorded by editor.