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Cherokee Taboos
Things Cherokee believed were not to be done.
There are some plants and animals that should not ordinarily be
killed. It is forbidden to kill an eagle, wolf, or rattlesnake. There were and
are a few people who are trained specialists that deal with killing a wolf,
eagle, or rattlesnake. Specialists for taking Eagles come from the Bird Clan and
specialists for killing wolves come from the Wolf Clan. It is rarely done but
sometimes they are hired to do this. The reasons for it being done vary but one
of the main reasons is to acquire certain parts of these animals for ritual and
ceremonial use. Certain rituals, ceremonies, and dances require this. The Eagle
Dance, for example, requires the use of eagle feathers. As to plants, the
killing of evergreens is generally avoided but sometimes these are harvested and
used usually for ceremonial purposes. When this is done it is done by people who
know what they are doing, by people who are aware of the proper forms of ritual
associated with the taking of an evergreen. It is more common for a part of an
evergreen to be properly taken and used for medical or ceremonial use than the
entire plant. For example, in some ceremonies pine boughs are thrown onto the
fire. In my family sometimes sprigs of cedar or pine needles are put into a pot
of hot coals, this produces a smoldering effect giving of a great quantity of
pungent smoke which is then used for purifacation. Evergreen wood is never used
for common tools or firewood etc. Like the evergreens, ginseng, is a sacred
plant and is respected. When seeking ginseng the first three or four plants are
passed by, when the desired plant is found and uprooted with proper prayer some
beads are placed in the hole. Any offering would really suffice but
traditionally red beads are used for this.
The Cherokee regard the
rattlesnake as the chief of the snake tribe and fear and respect him
accordingly. Few Cherokee will venture to kill a rattlesnake, unless they cannot
help it, and even then they must atone for the crime by craving pardon of the
snake’s ghost either in their own person or through the mediation of a priest,
according to a set formula. If these precautions are neglected, the kinsfolk of
the dead snake will send one of their number as an avenger of blood, who will
track down the murderer and sting him to death. No ordinary Cherokee dares to
kill a wolf, if he can possibly help it; for he believes that the kindred of the
slain beast would surely avenge its death, and that the weapon with which the
deed had been done would be quite useless for the future, unless it were cleaned
and exorcised by a medicine-man. However, certain persons who know the proper
rites of atonement for such a crime can kill wolves with impunity, and they are
sometimes hired to do so by people who have suffered from the raids of the
wolves on their cattle or fish-traps
Men who are preparing for war must avoid sexual intercourse for four days prior to leaving and four days after returning. During these periods they will undergo purifacation. This same rule is heeded for going on a large hunt.
After killing a deer the hunter should cut out the hamstrings and leave them behind. He should not leave them in the meat. He should also not leave without offering a prayer for pardon to the deer. He should use the tip of the deers tongue as an offering of thanks by putting it in the fire. It is also common for people to throw some of the meat from every meal to the fire as an offering of thanks.
Women who are pregnant should avoid eating squirrel, speckled trout, rabbit, and they should be sparing with salt. They should not loiter in doorways or wear anything tied around their neck such as a neckerchief. For three months after birth the mother should not prepare meals for her husband and should avoid sexual intercourse with him, she should also avoid touching him in general.
Young children should not touch moles.
Women in their moontime (going through the menstral cycle) should be seperated from the community by going to stay in a house built by the community for this purpose, they should remain there for the duration of their menstration. Women in their moontime should avoid men, they should not be upstream or upwind from them and should never touch them or prepare food for them, they should never take part in any community ceremonies. At the end of their bleeding they should be purified by sweating and going to water before re-entering the community. This is not disrespective to women in any way, quite to the contrary. This is done because of our great respect for women and the creative powers they possess. A menstrating womans presence anywhere in the vacinity of a ritual or ceremony could render it ineffective or could cause some other problem. A womans menstral cycle is evidence of her creative powers. It is a time when they should be careful because of the strong energies they exude.
Foods from the opposing realms of this world should not be mixed. For example foods from the upper world of sky such as birds should not be mixed with foods from the lower world of water and underground such as fish.
Members of the same clan may not have sexual relationships with each other.
The mourning period lasts for one year during which the name of the deceased should not be spoken.