Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/339

 The Cherokee River Cult. 7

a low chant or intonation, the voice rising at intervals, after the man- ner of a revival speaker. Then, turning to the black bead in his left hand, he addresses it in a similar manner, calling down withering curses upon the head of the victim. Finally looking up, he addresses the stream, under the name of Yfi'iiwi Gtlnahita, the " Long Man," imploring it to protect his client and raise him to the seventh heaven, where he shall be secure from all his enemies. The other, then stoop- ing down, dips up water in his hand seven times and pours it over his head, rubbing it upon his shoulders and breast at the same time. In some cases he dips completely under seven times, being stript, of course, even when the water is of almost icy coldness. The priest, then stooping down, makes a hole in the ground with his finger, drops into it the fatal black bead, and buries it out of sight with a stamp of his foot. This ends the ceremony.

While addressing the beads the priest attentively observes them as they are held between the thumb and finger of his outstretcht hands. In a short time they begin to move, slowly and but a short distance at first, then faster and farther, sometimes coming down as far as the first joint of the finger or even below, with an irregular serpentine motion from side to side, returning in the same manner. Should the red bead be more lively in its movements and come down lower on the finger than the black bead, he confidently predicts for the client the speedy accomplishment of his desire. On the other hand, should the black bead surpass the red in activity, the spells of the shaman employed by the intended victim are too strong, and the whole ceremony must be gone over again with an additional and larger quantity of cloth. This must be kept up until the movements of the red bead give token of success, or until it shows by its sluggish motions or its failure to move down along the finger that the oppos : ing shaman cannot be overcome. In the latter case the discouraged plotter gives up all hope, considering himself as cursed by every im- precation which he has unsuccessfully invoked upon his enemy, goes home and — theoretically — lies down and dies. As a matter of fact, however, the priest is always ready with other formulas by means of which he can ward off such fatal results, in consideration of a suffi- cient quantity of cloth.

Should the first trial prove unsuccessful, the priest and his client fast until just before sunset. They then eat and remain awake until midnight, when the ceremony is repeated, and if still unsuccessful it may be repeated four times before daybreak, both men remaining awake and fasting throughout the night. If still unsuccessful, they continue to fast all day until just before sundown. Then they eat and again remain awake until midnight, when the previous night's program is repeated. As the enemy and his shaman are supposed

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