Guyot. The fourth is southeast of Franklin, North Carolina, toward the South
Carolina line, and may be identical with Fodderstack Mountain. In Kuwahi dwells
the great bear chief and doctor, in whose magic bath the wounded bears are
restored to health. They are said to originate or be conceived in the mountains
named, because these are their headquarters. The "good black things"
referred to in the recitation are the bears.
HIÄ' ATSÛ`TI'YÏ TSUN'TANÛ.
Sgë! Nâ'gwa hitsatû'ngani'ga hitsiga'tugï'. Titsila'wisû'nhï
uwâgi'`lï tege'tsûts`gû'`lawïstï'. Tsuli'stana'lû ûlë' waktûï,
agi'stï une'ka itsû'nyatanilû'ïstani'ga. Gûnwatu'hwïtû'
nûnna'hï degûndâltsi'dâhe'stï. uWâ'hisâ'nahï
tigiwatsi'la. Tutsegû'`lawistï'tege'stï. Ûntalï' degû'nwatanûhï,
uhisa'`tï nige'sûnna. Tsuwatsi'la dadâl`tsi'ga. A`yû A`yû'ninï
tigwadâ'ita. Yû!
Translation.
THIS IS FOR CATCHING LARGE FISH.
Listen! Now you settlements have drawn near
to hearken. Where you have gathered in the foam you are moving about as one.
You Blue Cat and the others, I have come to offer you freely the white food.
Let the paths from every direction recognize each other. Our spittle shall be
in agreement. Let them (your and my spittle) be together as we go about. They
(the fish) have become a prey and there shall be no loneliness. Your spittle
has become agreeable. I am called Swimmer. Yû!
Explanation.
This formula, from A`yûnini's' book, is for the purpose of
catching large fish. According to his instructions, the fisherman must first
chew a small piece of Yugwilû' (Venus' Flytrap--Dionæa muscipula) and spit it
upon the bait and also upon the hook. Then, standing
{p. 375}
facing the stream, he recites the formula and puts the bait upon the hook.
He will be able to pull out a fish at once, or if the fish are not about at the
moment they will come in a very short time.
The Yugwilû' is put upon the bait from the idea that it will enable the hook
to attract and hold the fish as the plant itself seizes and holds insects in
its cup. The root is much prized by the Cherokees for this purpose, and those
in the West, where the plant is not found, frequently send requests for it to
their friends in Carolina.
The prayer is addressed directly to the fish, who are represented as living
in settlements. The same expression as has already been mentioned is sometimes
used by the doctors in speaking of the tsgâ'ya or worms which are
supposed to cause sickness by getting under the skin of the patient. The Blue
Cat (Amiurus, genus) is addressed as the principal fish and the bait is
spoken of as the "white food," an expression used also of the viands
prepared at the feast of the green corn dance, to indicate their wholesome
character. "Let the paths from every direction recognize each other,"
means let the fishes, which are supposed to have regular trails through the
water, assemble together at the place where the speaker takes his station, as
friends recognizing each other at a distance approach to greet each other, uWâhisâ'nahï
tigiwatsi'la, rendered "our spittle shall be in agreement," is a
peculiar archaic expression that can not be literally translated. It implies
that there shall be such close sympathy between the fisher and the fish that
their spittle shall be as the spittle of one individual. As before stated, the
spittle is believed to exert an important influence upon the whole physical and
mental being. The expression "your spittle has become agreeable" is
explained by A`yûninï as an assertion or wish that the fish may
prove palatable, while the words rendered "there shall be no
loneliness" imply that there shall be an abundant catch.
LOVE.
(YÛnWË'HÏ UGÛ'nWA`LÏ
I.)
Ku! Sgë! Alahi'yï tsûl`dâ'histï, Higë`'ya tsûl`di'yï, hatû'ngani'ga.
Elahi'yï iyû'nta ditsûl`dâ'histï, Higë'`ya Tsûne'ga.
Tsisa'`tï nige'sûnna. Tsâduhi'yï. Nâ'gwa-skïn'ï usïnuli'yu hûnskwane'`lûngû'
tsisga'ya agine'ga. Agisa'`tï nige'sûnna. Nâ'gwa nû'nnâ
une'ga hûnskwanûnneli'ga. Uhisa'`tï nige'sûnna.
Nâ'gwa skwade'tastani'ga. Sa`ka'ni u'tatï nige'sûnna. Nûnnâ
une'ga skiksa'`ûntaneli'ga. Elaye'`lï iyû'nta
skwalewistä'`tani'ga E'latï gesû'n tsïtage'stï. Agisa'`tï nige'sûnna.
Agwâ'duhi'yu. Kûltsâ'te une'ga skiga'`tani'ga. Uhisa'`tï nige'sûnna,
gûnkwatsâti'tege'sti. Tsi-sa`ka'ni agwä'tï nige'sûnna.
Usïnuli'yu hûnskwane'`lûngû'.
Ha-nâ'gwûlë Elahi'yï iyû'ntä dûhiyane'`lûngû'
a'gë'`ya sa`ka'ni. Nâ'gwa nûnnâ'hï sa`ka'ni hûntane'`laneli'ga.
Uhisa'`tï-gwû u'danû dudusa'gï tanela'sï. Nûnnâ'hï sa`ka'nï
tade'tâstani'ga. Nâgwûlë'
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hûnhiyatsâ'ûntaniga. E'latï gesû'n
tû'l`taniga. Dedu'laskû'n-gwû igû'nwa`lawï'stï
uhi'sa`ti'yï widaye'la`ni'ga. Dedulaskû'n-gwû igû'nwa`lawï'stï
uhi'sa`ti'yï nitû'nneli'ga.
Ha-sâgwahi'yu itsilasta'agï + + uwä'sahi'yu,
etsane'`laneli'ga. Agisa'`tï nige'sûnna. Agwâ'duhï. A'yû
agwadantâ'gï aye`li'yu d?ka'`lani'lï duda'ntâ, uktahû'nstï nige'sûnna.
Yû'nwï tsu'tsatûn widudante'`tï nige'sûnna,
nitû'nneli'ga. Sâ'gwahï itsilasta'lagï, etsane'`laneli'ga
kûlkwâ'gi-nasï' igûlstû'`lï gegane'`lanû'n.
Anisga'ya anewadi'stûn unihisa`ti'yï. Tsu'nada'neilti'yï.
Dï'la-gwû degû'nwänatsegû'`lawi'sdidegû'. Ayâ'ise'ta-gwû u'danû.
Tsunada'neilti'yï. Utse'tsti-gwû degû'nwänatsegû'`lawis'didegû'.
Tsunada'neilti'yï. Ka'ga-gwû degû'nwänatsegû'`awisdidegû'.
Tsunada'neilti'yï. Da'l`ka-gwû degû'nwänatsegû'`lawisdidegû'.