Cherokee Religion
Yowa, a Sacred Being
YO-WA (Pronounced Yo'-Way) is the Cherokee's God. He is a very sacred spirit. He is so sacred that only high priests say his name. Only YOWA could be said in a hymn, but they only sang that hymn once a year. Yowa is conceived as a unity of three beings. They were called the elderly fires above.
There were also spirits for the four directions. Theses were:
North: A Blue Spirit showing defeat
West: A Black Specter of Defeat
East: A Red Spirit meaning power of war
South: White spirits of peace
7 - A Special Number
The Cherokees think seven a very sacred number. Cherokees have seven directions, north, south, west, above, below, and here in the center. They have seven festivals, and seven heavens. since the seventh festival is so sacred, they have it only every seventh year. 7 is a very important number.
First New Moon Of Spring
On the first night of the festival the women danced the Friendship
Dance. The next day everybody went into the temple and the chief brought
out the sacred crystal. It is supposed to be able to tell the future. It
really is a quartz crystal. It would tell the chief if the crops were going
to be good.
They left the temple and plunged into the closest river seven times. Just before sunset everybody went into the temple again. The chief burnt tobacco flowers for religion. Then after sunset they ate.
Seven days later they met back into the temple. The re lit the sacred fire. The fire maker extinguished the altar flames and enkindled it.
Eagles
Fire
Eagle Feathers
Rattlesnakes
Smoke
Moon
The Number 7
The Sun
Ark
Corn
Quartz Crystals
Eagle Dance
Green Corn Dance
Warrior/Brave Dance
Friendship Dance
Round Dance
solutsunigististi.....Green Corn Ceromony.......August
First New Moon of Spring..First New Moon of Spring..March
Donagohuni................Ripe Corn Ceromony........September
Nuwatiegwa................Great New Moon Ceromony...October
Atohuna...................Friendship Ceromony.......Oct. or Nov.
Elawatslegi...............Bouncing Bush.............September
Uka Dance.................The Chief Dance...........Every 7 yrs.
Bibliography
Sharpe,J.Ed. The Cherokees Past and Present.
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