Journal of John Winchester (Supernatural)

1991

January 5

                                     DIDA’LATLI’'TÏ (To Destroy Life)

Sgë! Nâ’gwa tsûdantâ’gï tegû’nyatawâ' ilateli' ga. Iyustï  tsilastû’'lï Iyu’stï distadâ' ita. Tsûwatsi’la elawi’nï tsidâ’hïstani’ga.Tsûdantâgï elawi’nï tsidâ’hïstani’ga. Nûnya' gû’nnage gûnyu’tlûntani’ga. Ä'nûwa’gï gû’nnage’ gûnyû’tlûntani’ga. Sûn’talu’ga gû’nnage degû’nyanu’galû’ntani’ga, tsû’nanugâ’istï nige’sûnna. Usûhi’yï nûnnnâ’hï wite’tsatanû’nûnsï gûne’sâ gû’nnage asahalagï’. Tsûtû’neli’ga. Elawâ’tï asa’halagï’a’dûnni’ga. Usïnuli’yu Usûhi’yï gûltsâ’të digû’nnagesta’yï, elawâ’tï gû’nnage tidâ’hïstï wa'yanu’galûntsi’ga. Gûne’sa gû’nage sûntalu’ga gû’nnage gayu’tlûntani’ga. Tsûdantâ’gï ûska’lûntsi’ga. Sa'ka’nï adûnni’ga. Usû’hita atanis’se’tï, ayâ’lâtsi’sestï tsûdantâ’gï, tsû’nanugâ’istï nige’sûnna. Sgë!

Mooney, Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee: When the shaman wishes to destroy the life of another, either for his own purposes or for hire, he conceals himself near the trail along which the victim is likely to pass. When the doomed man appears the shaman waits until he has gone by and then follows him secretly until he chances to spit upon the ground. On coming up to the spot the shaman collects upon the end of a stick a little of the dust thus moistened with the victim’s spittle. The possession of the man’s spittle gives him power over the life of the man himself. Many ailments are said by the doctors to be due to the fact that some enemy has by this means “changed the spittle” of the patient and caused it to breed animals or sprout corn in the sick man’s body. In the love charms also the lover always figuratively “takes the spittle” of the girl in order to fix her affections upon himself. The same idea in regard to spittle is found in European folk medicine. The shaman then puts the clay thus moistened into a tube consisting of a joint of the Kanesâ’la or wild parsnip, a poisonous plant of considerable importance in life-conuring ceremonies. He also puts into the tube seven earthworms beaten into a paste, and several splinters from a tree which has been struck by lightning. The idea in regard to the worms is not quite clear, but it may be that they are expected to devour the soul of the victim, as earthworms are supposed to feed upon dead bodies, or perhaps it is thought that from their burrowing habits they may serve to hollow out a grave for the soul under the earth, the quarter to which the shaman consigns it. In other similar ceremonies the dirt-dauber wasp or the stinging ant is buried in the same manner in order that it may kill the soul, as these are said to kill other more powerful insects by their poisonous sting or bite. The wood of a tree struck by lightning is also a potent spell for both good and evil and is used in many formulas of various kinds. Having prepared the tube, the shaman goes into the forest, to a tree which has been struck by lightning. At its base he digs a hole, in the bottom of which he puts a large yellow stone slab. He then puts in the tube, together with seven yellow pebbles, fills in the earth, and finally builds a fire over the spot to destroy all traces of his work. The yellow stones are probably chosen as the next best substitute for black stones, which are not always easy to find. The formula mentions “black rock,” black being the emblem of death, while yellow typifies trouble. The shaman and his employer fast until after the ceremony. If the ceremony has been properly carried out, the victim becomes blue, that is, he feels the effects in himself at once, and, unless he employs the countercharms of some more powerful shaman, his soul begins to shrivel up and dwindle, and within seven days he is dead.