Listen! O, now instantly, you have drawn near to hearken, O
Ag[)e][']`yagu[']ga. You have come to put your red spittle upon my
body. My name is (Gatigwanasti.) The blue had affected me. You have
come and clothed me with a red dress. She is of the (Deer) clan. She
has become blue. You have directed her paths straight to where I have
my feet, and I shall feel exultant. Listen!
_Explanation._
This formula, from Gatigwanasti's book, is also of the
Y[^u][n]w[)e][']h[)i] class, and is repeated by the lover when about
to bathe in the stream preparatory to painting himself for the dance.
The services of a shaman are not required, neither is any special
ceremony observed. The technical word used in the heading,
[)a][']tawasti[']y[)i], signifies plunging or going entirely into
a liquid. The expression used for the ordinary "going to water,"
where the water is simply dipped up with the hand, is
[)a]m[^a][']y[)i] dita`ti[']y[)i], "taking them to water."
The prayer is addressed to Ag[)e][']`yaguga, a formulistic name
for the moon, which is supposed to exert a great influence in love
affairs, because the dances, which give such opportunities for love
making, always take place at night. The shamans can not explain the
meaning of the term, which plainly contains the word ag[)e][']`ya,
"woman," and may refer to the moon's supposed influence over women.
In Cherokee mythology the moon is a man. The ordinary name is
n[^u]['][n]d[^a], or more fully, n[^u]['][n]d[^a]
s[^u][n]n[^a]y[)e][']h[)i], "the sun living in the night," while
the sun itself is designated as n[^u]['][n]d[^a] ig[)e][']h[)i],
"the sun living in the day."
By the red spittle of Ag[)e][']`yagu[']ga and the red dress with
which the lover is clothed are meant the red paint which he puts upon
himself. This in former days was procured from a deep red clay known
as ela-w[^a][']t[)i], or "reddish brown clay." The word red as used in
the formula is emblematic of success in attaining his object, besides
being the actual color of the paint. Red, in connection with dress
or ornamentation, has always been a favorite color with Indians
throughout America, and there is some evidence that among the
Cherokees it was regarded also as having a mysterious protective
power. In all these formulas the lover renders the woman blue or
disconsolate and uneasy in mind as a preliminary to fixing her
thoughts upon himself. (_See next formula._)
(Y[^U]['][n]W[)E][']H[)I] UG[^U]['][n]WA`L[)I] II.)
Y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i], y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i], y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i],
y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i].
Gal[^u]['][n]lat[)i], datsila['][)i]--Y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i],
y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i], y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i],
y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i].
N[^u][n]d[^a]g[^u]['][n]y[)i] gatla[']ah[)i]--Y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i].
Ge`yagu[']ga Gi[']gage, ts[^u]watsi[']la gi[']gage tsiye[']la
sk[)i]na[']d[^u]`lani[']ga--
Y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i], y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i], y[^u]['][n]w[)e]h[)i].
Hi[)a]-`n[^u]['] atawe[']ladi[']y[)i] kan[^a][']h[)e]h[^u]
gal[^u][n]lti[']tla.
_Translation._