Seventh Annual Report Part 83

Unigwalngi tignwattsanhi.

Hikaynl-Unega, Kanati, sksalatt.i.tegesti, sa?kani ginutti nigesnna. Sge!

_Translation._

THIS IS FOR HUNTING BIRDS.

Listen! O Ancient White, where you dwell in peace I have come to rest.

Now let your spirit arise. Let it (the game brought down) be buried in your stomach, and may your appet.i.te never be satisfied. The red hickories have tied themselves together. The clotted blood is your recompense.

O Ancient White, * * * Accept the clotted blood (?)

O Ancient White, put me in the successful hunting trail. Hang the mangled things upon me. Let me come along the successful trail with them doubled up (under my belt). It (the road) is clothed with the mangled things.

O Ancient White, O Kanati, support me continually, that I may never become blue. Listen!

_Explanation._

This formula, from A?yninis ma.n.u.script, is recited by the bird-hunter in the morning while standing over the fire at his hunting camp before starting out for the days hunt. A?ynini stated that seven blowgun arrows are first prepared, including a small one only a hand-length (awhil) long. On rising in the morning the hunter, standing over the fire, addresses it as the Ancient White. rubbing his hands together while repeating the prayer. He then sets out for the hunting ground, where he expects to spend the day, and on reaching it he shoots away the short arrow at random, without attempting to trace its flight. There is of course some significance attached to this action and perhaps an accompanying prayer, but no further information upon this point was obtainable. Having shot away the magic arrow, the hunter utters a peculiar hissing sound, intended to call up the birds, and then goes to work with his remaining arrows. On all hunting expeditions it is the regular practice, religiously enforced, to abstain from food until sunset.

A favorite method with the bird-hunter during the summer season is to climb a gum tree, which is much frequented by the smaller birds on account of its berries, where, taking up a convenient position amid the branches with his noiseless blowgun and arrows, he deliberately shoots down one bird after another until his shafts are exhausted, when he climbs down, draws out the arrows from the bodies of the birds killed, and climbs up again to repeat the operation. As the light darts used make no sound, the birds seldom take the alarm, and are too busily engaged with the berries to notice their comrades dropping to the ground from time to time, and pay but slight attention even to the movements of the hunter.

The prayer is addressed to the Ancient White (the Fire), the spirit most frequently invoked by the hunter, who, as before stated, rubs his hands together over the fire while repeating the words. The expressions used are obscure when taken alone, but are full of meaning when explained in the light of the hunting customs. The clotted blood refers to the bloodstained leaves upon which the fallen game has lain. The expression occurs constantly in the hunting formulas.

The hunter gathers up these b.l.o.o.d.y leaves and casts them upon the fire, in order to draw omens for the morrow from the manner in which they burn. A part of the tongue, or some other portion of the animal, is usually cast upon the coals also for the same purpose. This subject will be treated at length in a future account of the hunting ceremonies.

Let it be buried in your stomach refers also to the offering made the fire. By the red hickories are meant the strings of hickory bark which the bird hunter twists about his waist for a belt. The dead birds are carried by inserting their heads under this belt.

Red is, of course, symbolic of his success. The mangled things (unigwalngi) are the wounded birds. Kanati is here used to designate the fire, on account of its connection with the hunting ceremonies.

INAGEHI AYSTInYI.

Usinuliyu Selagwtsi Gigagei getsnneliga tsdandgihi aye?liyu, usinuliyu. Y!

_Translation._

TO SHOOT DWELLERS IN THE WILDERNESS.

Instantly the Red Selagwtsi strike you in the very center of your soul--instantly. Y!

_Explanation._

This short formula, obtained from ?wanita, is recited by the hunter while taking aim. The bowstring is let go--or, rather, the trigger is pulled--at the final _Y!_ He was unable to explain the meaning of the word selagwtsi further than that it referred to the bullet. Later investigation, however, revealed the fact that this is the Cherokee name of a reed of the genus Erianthus, and the inference follows that the stalk of the plant was formerly used for arrow shafts. Red implies that the arrow is always successful in reaching the mark aimed at, and in this instance may refer also to its being b.l.o.o.d.y when withdrawn from the body of the animal. Inagehi, dwellers in the wilderness, is the generic term for game, including birds, but A?wanita has another formula intended especially for deer.

(Y'NA TIKANGITA.)

He+! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

Tsistuyi nehanduyan, Tsistuyi nehanduyan--Yoho+!

He+! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

Kuwhi nehanduyan, Kuwhi nehanduyan--Yoho+!

He+! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

Uy?ye nehanduyan, Uyaye nehahduyan--Yoho+!

He+! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

Gtekw(hi) nehanduyan, Gtekw(hi) nehanduyan--Yoho+!

le-?n asehi tadeyastatakhi gnnage asttsiki.

_Translation._

BEAR SONG.

He! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

In Rabbit Place you were conceived (repeat)--Yoho+!

He! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

In Mulberry Place you were conceived (repeat)--Yoho+!

He! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

In Uy?ye you were conceived (repeat)--Yoho+!

He! Hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa, hayuyahaniwa.

In the Great Swamp (?) you were conceived (repeat)--Yoho+!

And now surely we and the good black things, the best of all, shall see each other.

_Explanation._

This song, obtained from A?ynini in connection with the story of the Origin of the Bear, as already mentioned, is sung by the bear hunter, in order to attract the bears, while on his way from the camp to the place where he expects to hunt during the day. It is one of those taught the Cherokees by the Ani-Tskahi before they lost their human shape and were transformed into bears. The melody is simple and plaintive.

The song consists of four verses followed by a short recitation. Each verse begins with a loud prolonged _He+!_ and ends with _Yoho+!_ uttered in the same manner. Hayuyahaniwa has no meaning.

Tsistuyi, Kuwhi, Uy?ye, and Gtekwhi are four mountains, in each of which the bears have a townhouse and hold a dance before going into their dens for the winter. The first three named are high peaks in the Smoky Mountains, on the Tennessee line, in the neighborhood of Clingmans Dome and Mount 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.

HIA ATS?TIYI TSUNTAN.

Sge! Ngwa hitsatnganiga hitsigatugi.

t.i.tsilawisnhi ?wgi?li tegetsts?g?lawisti.

Tsulista.n.a.l le wakti, agisti uneka itsnyatanilistaniga. Gnwatuhwit nnnhi degndltsidhesti. ?Whisnahi tigiwatsila.

Tutseg?lawist.i.tegesti. ntali degnwatanhi, uhisa?ti nigesnna. Tsuwatsila dadl?tsiga. A?y A?ynini tigwadita. Y!

_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. Y!