Myths of the Cherokee · 102 of 220
Myth 65e
He kept the stone for himself, and calling the people around him he painted them, on face and breast, with the red wâ′dĭ, and whatever each person prayed for while the painting was being done—whether for hunting success, for working skill, or for a long life—that gift was his.
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
◆Prayerpraxis
Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.
The central mechanism of the passage is the act of praying for specific desires (hunting success, skill, long life) which directly results in the granting of those gifts.
All passages →◆Ritual Puritypraxis
The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.
The application of red paint to the face and breast serves as a ritual marking or consecration required for the efficacy of the prayer, suggesting a state of preparedness or purity.
All passages →Related passages · 1 parallel
◆western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|American Indian Symbolismb
“By the first act he returned thanks to the Great Spirit for the preservation of his life during the past year, and for being permitted to be present at this council.
By the second, he returned thanks to his Mother, the Earth, for her vario…”
Both passages describe a ritual involving the use of a sacred substance (red wâ′dĭ in Cherokee and red stone for the calumet in Navaho) that confers blessings or gifts upon the participants. The shared concept is the use of a sacred material in a ritual to invoke divine favor.