Yuha´ahi´, yuha´ahi´, yuha´ahi´, yuha´ahi´,
Yuha´ahi´, yuha´ahi´, yuha´ahi´ Yû!
Listen! In the great lake the intruder reposes. Quickly he has risen
up there. Swiftly he has come and stealthily put himself (under the
sick man).
Listen! Ha! Now you two have drawn near to hearken, there in the Sun
Land you repose, O Little Men, O great anida´wehi! The intruder has
risen up there in the great lake. Quickly you two have lifted up the
intruder. His paths have laid themselves down toward the direction
whence he came. Let him never look back (toward us). When he stops
to rest at the four gaps you will drive him roughly along. Now he has
plunged into the great lake from which he came. There he is compelled
to remain, never to look back. Ha! there let him rest. (Yû!)
(Directions.)--This is to treat them when their breast swells. Fire
(coals) is not put down.
_Explanation._
This formula, from A‛yûⁿinĭ’s manuscript, is used in treating
a disease known as Dalâni, literally, “yellow.” From the vague
description of symptoms given by the doctors, it appears to be an
aggravated form of biliousness, probably induced by late suppers and
bad food. According to the Indian theory it is caused by revengeful
animals, especially by the terrapin and its cousin, the turtle.
The doctors recognize several forms of the disease, this variety
being distinguished as the “black dalâni” (Dalâni Ûⁿnage´ĭ) and
considered the most dangerous. In this form of dalânĭ, according to
their account, the navel and abdomen of the patient swell, the ends of
his fingers become black, dark circles appear about his eyes, and the
throat contracts spasmodically and causes him to fall down suddenly
insensible. A‛yûⁿinĭ’s method of treatment is to rub the breast
and abdomen of the patient with the hands, which have been previously
rubbed together in the warm infusion of wild cherry (ta´ya) bark. The
song is sung while rubbing the hands together in the liquid, and the
prayer is repeated while rubbing the swollen abdomen of the patient.
The operation may be repeated several times on successive days.
The song at the beginning has no meaning and is sung in a low
plaintive lullaby tone, ending with a sharp _Yu!_ The prayer possesses
a special interest, as it brings out several new points in the
Cherokee mythologic theory of medicine. The “intruder,” which is held
to be some amphibious animal--as a terrapin, turtle, or snake--is
declared to have risen up from his dwelling place in the great lake,
situated toward the sunset, and to have come by stealth under the
sick man. The verb implies that the disease spirit _creeps under_ as a
snake might crawl under the coverlet of a bed.
The two Little Men in the Sun Land are now invoked to drive out the
disease. Who these Little Men are is not clear, although they are
regarded as most powerful spirits and are frequently invoked in the
formulas. They are probably the two Thunder Boys, sons of Kanati.
The Little Men come instantly when summoned by the shaman, pull out
the intruder from the body of the patient, turn his face toward the
sunset, and begin to drive him on by threats and blows (expressed in
the word gû´ⁿtsatatagi´yû) to the great lake from which he came.
On the road there are four gaps in the mountains, at each of which
the disease spirit halts to rest, but is continually forced onward by
his two pursuers, who finally drive him into the lake, where he is
compelled to remain, without being permitted even to look back again.
The four gaps are mentioned also in other formulas for medicine and
the ball play and sometimes correspond with the four stages of the
treatment. The direction “No fire (coals) is put down” indicates that
no live coals are put into the decoction, the doctor probably using
water warmed in the ordinary manner.
Takwati´hĭ uses for this disease a decoction of four herbs applied
in the same manner. He agrees with A‛yûⁿinĭ in regard to the
general theory and says also that the disease may be contracted by
neglecting to wash the hands after handling terrapin shells, as, for
instance, the shell rattles used by women in the dance. The turtle or
water tortoise (seligu´gĭ) is considered as an inferior being, with
but little capacity for mischief, and is feared chiefly on account of
its relationship to the dreaded terrapin or land tortoise (tûksĭ´).
In Takwatihĭ’s formula he prays to the Ancient White (the fire), of
which these cold-blooded animals are supposed to be afraid, to put the
fish into the water, the turtle into the mud, and to send the terrapin
and snake to the hillside.