The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees

This was easier than first thought, once the learner understood the theory involved, as the formulas are all constructed on regular principles with the constant repetition of the same set of words. The obvious effect of such a regulation was to increase the respect in which this sacred knowledge was held by restricting it to the possession of a chosen few.

Although the written formulas can be read without difficulty by any Cherokee educated in their own language referring to the Sequoyah syllabary, the shamans traditional Cherokee spiritual leaders and healers take great care that their sacred writings do not fall into the hands of the laity the common people or non-practitioners or of their rivals in occult practices. When performing the ceremonies, the words used are spoken in such a low tone of voice that they are unintelligible even to the person for whose benefit the formula is being repeated. Since this is the case, it is necessary to explain how the formulas collected here were obtained.

HOW THE FORMULAS WERE OBTAINED.

On first visiting the reservation in the summer of 1887, I devoted considerable time to collecting plants used by the Cherokees for food or medicinal purposes, learning at the same time their Indigenous names, the particular uses for each, and how they were prepared. It soon became evident that the application of the medicine was not the whole treatment—and in fact, was actually the secondary part. The treatment was always accompanied by certain ceremonies and "words." From the workers employed at the time, no definite idea could be obtained regarding the character of these words. One young woman, who had some knowledge of the subject, volunteered to write the words she used in her prescriptions, but failed to do so. This was mainly due to the opposition of the mixed-ancestry original: "half-breed" shamans from whom she had obtained her information.

THE SWIMMER MANUSCRIPT.

Some time afterward, I made the acquaintance of a man named A'yûⁿ'inĭ, or "Swimmer," who proved to be so intelligent that I spent several days with him, gathering information about myths and old customs. He told a number of stories in a very good style, and finally related the "Origin of the Bear."¹ The bears were formerly a part of the Cherokee tribe who decided to leave their relatives and go into the forest. Their friends followed them and tried to persuade them to return, but the Ani-Tsâ'kahĭ, as they were called, were determined to go. Just before parting from their relatives at the edge of the forest, they turned to them and said, "It is better for you that we should go; but we will teach you songs, and someday when you are in need of food, come out to the woods and sing these songs, and we shall appear and give you meat." Their...

¹ This will appear later in the collection of Cherokee myths.