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22 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99 The considerable role the fire plays in divination ceremonies is retained for discussion in a future paper dealing with that subject, when also the use made of the fire in a "man-killing" ceremony will be amply described. Jhe Moon.-—The moon, although he is the brother of the sun (see p. 20), is not very prominent in the tribal mythology, nor does he play a part of any importance in the folklore. It would appear, however, that this loss of popularity is of rather recent date, since very old customs, such as the "going to water" (see p. 150), with every new moon seem to indicate that the moon cult must once have been of far greater unportance than it is now. The diseases held to be caused by the moon are very scarce; bUndness is one of them. It is furthermore believed that if, at new moon, a person sees the lominary for the first time through the trees he will be ill all the following month. It may be that originally this illness was considered to be caused by the moon, but such a belief does not exist now; it is now merely looked upon as an omen. (See p. 37.) The moon is never appealed to with a view to dispelling disease. This offers the more cause for surprise, as the moon must once have been the object of great respect. It is still occasionally addressed as "grandparent," the only spirit to share this honor with the Sun and the Fire. The Cherokee believe that when a person sees the new moon of the month the first time he must look at him and say G9"yo-'li'Ga' €Di;-'du e'ti skt'^nu.ste'sti' I greet thee maternal grandfather long time this like it will be i-y^-npa k'tla'Ji'' Dt'GtndaGo"wa.t5".ti' *iG€'"S€*sti' over there continually thou and I to be seeing one it wDl be another ("How do, Grandpa! At the time when it will be like this again (i. e., next month) we wiU still be seeing each other." (i. e., I will still be alive.) Pronouncing this salutation formula is a sure means of safeguarding against all sickness or accidents throughout the ensuing month. The River.—The River cult of the Cherokee has formed the object of a paper read by James Mooney before the Columbus meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, ia August, 1899, and which has been reprinted.'^ This paper is practically exhaustive, and what small additional points of information have been obtained subsequently by Mooney or by me will be found in their relevant places in these pages. " The Cherokee River Cult, in JAFL., January- March, 1900, pp. 1-10. :

O^BREraTs] THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT 23 The river, usually addressed in the ritualistic language as y9-"wi' Ga'na't-'no" "Long Human Being," a'sku'ya Ga'na't-'Do'' "Long Man," t-na'D5° Ga'na'f'Do" "Long Snake," continues to enjoy a great deal of credit and is still an object of sincere respect to the more traditionalist of the Cherokee. The rite of going to water, however, is rapidly disappearing from the tribal life, and after another couple of generations all that will probably subsist of the river cult will be a few survivals, unintelligible even to those who practice them. The river sends disease to those who insult it by such actions as throwing rubbish into it, by urinating into it, etc. As a vengeance for the latter act it causes a disease from a description of the symptoms of which it appears that enuresis is meant. The use of river water in the preparation of medicine is discussed under Materia Medica (p. 52 et seq.). Apart from the rites that are performed at the river's edge in such ceremonies as "going to water," "for long Ufe," in divination and incantation ceremonies, which are all described in the notes appended to the relevant formulas, attention should here be called to the custom of vomiting into the river to get rid of diseases, especially of those in which the patient's "saliva has been spoiled." (See p. 63.) The patient drinks the emetic at home, while still fasting, and then hurries to the river's edge, where he vomits into the water, thereby ''throwing off the spoiled saliva," and, with it, the disease. If the emetic itself does not have the desired result mechanical means are resorted to (irritating the uvula with finger, grass stalk, etc.). A formula is usually recited at the same time by the medicine man accompanying the patient, by which the water is commanded to carry the disease down the stream, "to the settlements where (other) people live." "In every case where a ceremony is performed at the water side, either by a number of persons or by a single individual, it must be at daybreak, while the participants are still fasting, and the spot chosen for the performance of the rite is at a bend of the river where the supplicants can face the east while looking upstream." (Mooney, Notes.) Thunder— Red Man— Two Little Bed Men.—The Thunder is referred to by these three different names. The two former refer to the Thunder himself; the latter to his two sons. Often in the formulas the Thunder is spoken of as surrounded by a host of Little Red Men, all Thunderers. The heavy rolling crashes of thunder are said to be the voice of Thunder himself, whereas the lighter, metallic peals of thunder are ascribed to the Little Red Men. —

22 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99<br />

The considerable role the fire plays in divination ceremonies is<br />

retained for discussion in a future paper dealing with that subject,<br />

when also the use made of the fire in a "man-killing" ceremony<br />

will be amply described.<br />

Jhe Moon.-—The moon, although he is the brother of the sun<br />

(see p. 20), is not very prominent in the tribal mythology, nor does he<br />

play a part of any importance in the folklore.<br />

It would appear, however, that this loss of popularity is of rather<br />

recent date, since very old customs, such as the "going to water"<br />

(see p. 150), with every new moon seem to indicate that the moon cult<br />

must once have been of far greater unportance than it is now.<br />

The diseases held to be caused by the moon are very scarce; bUndness<br />

is one of them. It is furthermore believed that if, at new moon,<br />

a person sees the lominary for the first time through the trees he will<br />

be ill all the following month. It may be that originally this illness<br />

was considered to be caused by the moon, but such a belief does not<br />

exist now; it is now merely looked upon as an omen. (See p. 37.)<br />

The moon is never appealed to with a view to dispelling disease.<br />

This offers the more cause for surprise, as the moon must once have<br />

been the object of great respect. It is still occasionally addressed as<br />

"grandparent," the only spirit to share this honor with the Sun and<br />

the Fire.<br />

The Cherokee believe that when a person sees the new moon of the<br />

month the first time he must look at him and say<br />

G9"yo-'li'Ga' €Di;-'du e'ti skt'^nu.ste'sti'<br />

I greet thee maternal grandfather long time this like it will be<br />

i-y^-npa k'tla'Ji'' Dt'GtndaGo"wa.t5".ti' *iG€'"S€*sti'<br />

over there continually thou and I to be seeing one it wDl be<br />

another<br />

("How do, Grandpa! At the time when it will be like this again<br />

(i. e., next month) we wiU still be seeing each other." (i. e., I will still<br />

be alive.)<br />

Pronouncing this salutation formula is a sure means of safeguarding<br />

against all sickness or accidents throughout the ensuing month.<br />

The River.—The River cult of the Cherokee has formed the object<br />

of a paper read by James Mooney before the Columbus meeting of the<br />

American Association for the Advancement of Science, ia August,<br />

1899, and which has been reprinted.'^ This paper is practically<br />

exhaustive, and what small additional points of information have<br />

been obtained subsequently by Mooney or by me will be found in<br />

their relevant places in these pages.<br />

" The Cherokee River Cult, in JAFL., January- March, 1900, pp. 1-10.<br />

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