Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/337

 The Cherokee River Cult. 5

has with him an assistant, who, at the conclusion of the final para- graph, ejaculates Kit ! when the members of the family start in procession to go down to the water, followed by the doctor and the attendant.

On arriving at the stream, the persons for whose benefit the cere- mony is intended stand in line side by side close to the water's edge, with their eyes intently fixed upon the stream, while the priest stands behind them with his hands outstretcht and his eyes looking straight forward. He then recites the prayer to the " Long Man," the River, followed by the seven paragraphs addressed to Ge'hyaguga, the Sun, represented as the owner of tables spread with "white," or peace-bringing food, which the client eats and is restored to health. During this part of the ceremony the attendant is closely watching the appearance of the water in front of the clients for the distance of a " hand-length " {awa!Jiilii, a formulistic term, not always to be taken literally) from the shore. Should a stick, fish, or other object come within this limit during the recitation of the prayer, it is a sign that the death in the family was due to witchcraft. By certain signs in connection with the appearance of the object, the priest is enabled to guess the whereabouts, or even the name, of the secret enemy, who must then be proceeded against in another ceremony to neutralize any further evil conjurations. On the other hand, should the water appear clear, the death was due to ordinary circum- stances, and no further ceremony is necessary.

As the priest mentions each in turn of the seven upper worlds, — each of which is figuratively said to be a " hand-length " above the last, — he raises his hands gradually higher, until, at the concluding paragraph, they are stretcht high above his head. At the final Yti ! his clients bend down with one accord, and, dipping up the water in their hands, lave their heads and breasts, or else, wading out into the stream, plunge their bodies completely under seven times.

Each "upper world" or heaven {gaWtdati) symbolizes a definite period, usually one year or one month, according to the nature of the formula. In ceremonies for obtaining long life, the period is com- monly one year. Should the omens in the water be propitious up to the mention of the third, fourth, or fifth upper world, the client will live three, four, or five years longer. If all goes well until he is raised up to the seventh or highest heaven, he may expect at least a seven years' lease of life, for beyond this limit the mental vision of the seer is unable to pierce the future. If, on the contrary, an unfa- vorable omen is perceived in the water during the recital, for instance, of the paragraph which raises the client to the fifth upper world, the priest knows that some great danger, possibly death itself, threatens

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