O Ancient White, you have drawn near to hearken, for you have said, "When I shall hear my grandchildren, I shall hold up their heads." Because you have said it, now therefore you have drawn near to listen. The relief has been caused to come. Yû!

Listen! In the Darkening Land you repose, O Black Spider. Quickly you have brought and laid down the black path. O great ada'wehi, quickly you have brought down the black threads from above. The intruder in the tooth has spoken and it is only a worm. The tormentor has wrapped itself around the root of the tooth. Quickly you have dropped down the black threads, for it is just what you eat. Now it is for you to pick it up. The relief has been caused to come. Yû!

O Ancient White, you have drawn near to hearken, for you have said, "When I shall hear my grandchildren, I shall hold up their heads." Because you have said it, now therefore you have drawn near to listen. The relief has been caused to come. Yû!

Listen! You repose on high, O White Spider. Quickly you have brought and laid down the white path. O great ada'wehi, quickly you have brought down the white threads from above. The intruder in the tooth has spoken and it is only a worm. The tormentor has wrapped itself around the root of the tooth. Quickly you have dropped down the white threads, for it is just what you eat. Now it is for you to pick it up. The relief has been caused to come. Yû!

O Ancient White, you have drawn near to hearken, for you have said, "When I shall hear my grandchildren, I shall hold up their heads." Because you have said it, now therefore you have drawn near to listen. The relief has been caused to come. Yû!

(Prescription)--This is to treat them if there are pains moving about in the teeth. It is only (necessary) to lay on the hands, or to blow, if one should prefer. One may use any kind of a tube, but usually they have the medicine in the mouth. It is the Yellow-rooted Grass (kane'ska dalâ'nige unaste'tla; not identified.) One must abstain four nights from cooked corn (hominy), and kanâhe'na (fermented corn gruel) is especially forbidden during the same period.

Explanation.

This formula is taken from the manuscript book of Gatigwanasti, now dead, and must therefore be explained from general analogy. The ailment is described as "pains moving about in the teeth"--that is, affecting several teeth simultaneously--and appears to be neuralgia. The disease spirit is called "the intruder" and "the tormentor" and is declared to be a mere worm (tsgâ'ya), which has wrapped itself around the base of the tooth. This is the regular toothache theory. The doctor then calls upon the Red Spider of the Sunland to let down the red threads from above, along the red path, and to take up the intruder, which is just what the spider

{p. 359}

eats. The same prayer is addressed in turn to the Blue Spider in the north, the Black Spider in the west and the White Spider above (galûn'lati). It may be stated here that all these spirits are supposed to dwell above, but when no point of the compass is assigned, galûn'lati is understood to mean directly overhead, but far above everything of earth. The dweller in this overhead galûn'lati may be red, white, or brown in color. In this formula it is white, the ordinary color assigned spirits dwelling in the south. In another toothache



Prev Home Next



index.htm  -   cherokee_formulas1.htm  -   cherokee_formulas2.htm  -   cherokee_formulas3.htm  -   cherokee_formulas4.htm  -   cherokee_formulas5.htm  -   cherokee_formulas6.htm  -   cherokee_formulas7.htm  -   cherokee_formulas8.htm  -   cherokee_formulas9.htm  -   cherokee_formulas10.htm  -   cherokee_formulas11.htm  -   cherokee_formulas12.htm  -   cherokee_formulas13.htm  -   cherokee_formulas14.htm  -   cherokee_formulas15.htm  -   cherokee_formulas16.htm  -   cherokee_formulas17.htm  -   cherokee_formulas18.htm  -   cherokee_formulas19.htm  -   cherokee_formulas20.htm  -   cherokee_formulas21.htm  -   cherokee_formulas22.htm  -   cherokee_formulas23.htm  -   cherokee_formulas24.htm  -   cherokee_formulas25.htm  -   cherokee_formulas26.htm  -   cherokee_formulas27.htm  -   cherokee_formulas28.htm  -   cherokee_formulas29.htm  -   cherokee_formulas30.htm  -   cherokee_formulas31.htm  -   cherokee_formulas32.htm  -   cherokee_formulas33.htm  -   cherokee_formulas34.htm  -   cherokee_formulas35.htm  -   cherokee_formulas36.htm  -   cherokee_formulas37.htm  -   cherokee_formulas38.htm  -   cherokee_formulas39.htm  -   cherokee_formulas40.htm  -   cherokee_formulas41.htm  -   cherokee_formulas42.htm  -   cherokee_formulas43.htm  -   cherokee_formulas44.htm  -   cherokee_formulas45.htm  -   cherokee_formulas46.htm  -   cherokee_formulas47.htm  -   cherokee_formulas48.htm  -   cherokee_formulas49.htm  -   cherokee_formulas50.htm  -   cherokee_formulas51.htm  -   cherokee_formulas52.htm  -   cherokee_formulas53.htm  -   cherokee_formulas54.htm  -   cherokee_formulas55.htm  -   cherokee_formulas56.htm  -   cherokee_formulas57.htm  -   cherokee_formulas58.htm  -   cherokee_formulas59.htm  -   cherokee_formulas60.htm  -   cherokee_formulas61.htm  -   cherokee_formulas62.htm  -   cherokee_formulas63.htm  -   cherokee_formulas64.htm  -   cherokee_formulas65.htm  -   cherokee_formulas66.htm  -   cherokee_formulas67.htm  -   cherokee_formulas68.htm  -   cherokee_formulas69.htm  -   cherokee_formulas70.htm  -   cherokee_formulas71.htm  -   cherokee_formulas72.htm  -   cherokee_formulas73.htm  -   cherokee_formulas74.htm  -   cherokee_formulas75.htm  -   cherokee_formulas76.htm  -   cherokee_formulas77.htm  -   cherokee_formulas78.htm  -   cherokee_formulas79.htm  -   cherokee_formulas80.htm  -   cherokee_formulas81.htm  -   cherokee_formulas82.htm