Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-06-01
SACRED TALISMANS.
CAREFULLY GUARDED STONES AMONG
THE CHEROXEES.

Tho Greatest of These Awe Inspiring
Relics Is the Ulasutti, a Transparent
Stone About Which Innumerable sto-
ries Are Told-Its Owner.
Stones endowed with magic powers
have held an important place in the
worlds belief from the days of the
oracular stone in the breastplate of the
ancient Jewish high priest down to the
Lee penny and the murrain stone of
modern times. The Cherokee medicine
men make use of several stone tails
mans, commonly crystals found among
their native mountains. One is trans
lucent purple stone about an inch long.
with sharp point. With this the con-
jurer claimed to be able to find lost or
stolen articles, or to tell the where
abouts of game in the mountains.
To test the matter a coin was thrown
into the grass at random while he was
not looking, and he was told the money
was his if he could find it. Procuring
a string about a yard long he tied one
end of it around the middle of the stone.
Then holding the stone suspended so as
to swing freely, he set it whirling in "a
circle with a stroke of his finger, at the
same time reciting in an undertone some
secret formula. The stone revolved
rapidly, then more and more slowly,
and stopped with the point toward the
north. He walked few feet farther in
that direction, gave the stone another
twirl, and again repeated the formula,
explaining that it must be done seven
times, and that on the seventh trial the
stone would point to the exact spot
where the money was lying.
Having gone through the whole per-
formance, he finally halted at the wrong
place. After hunting in the grass for
some time he was obliged to give it up.
He declared that his failure was due to
the fact that the stone was not fastened
as it should have been. The other In
dians said that the stone was all right,
but that the man was liar, which was
perfectly true, and that, although a
pretty good doctor, he knew nothing of
magic. They asserted that in the hands
Of certain conjurers, whom they named,
the charm never failed.
To obtain a knowledge of future
events they use another talisman. They
put it into bowl of water, where, &C
cording to their testimony, it moves
about on the surface, following the di-
rection of knife in the hand of the con-
jurer, who all the time repeats his Sc
cret formula. Whipple describes that
ceremony as he witnessed it among the
western Cherokees forty years ago.
The talisman was a small round piece of
very dry bread.
The greatest of all Cherokee talismans
is the Ulasutti Qiterally transparency
stone. There is no end to the stories
concerning this stone, which the Indians
invariably speak of in a half frightened
manner, as children speak of ghosts
They assert that it is magic scale from
the head of great horned serpent, with
body as large as tree trunk and two
blazing Goals Of fire for eyes, which
lived ages ago and worked terrible. de-
struction among the people until it was
killed by famous magician. In the
encounter single drop of the serpent's
poisonous saliva fell upon the head of
the slayer, whose hair was transformed
into mass of writhing snakes.
The Indians describe it as triangular
crystal, fat on the bottom and tapering
up to point, and perfectly transparent
with the exception of a single red streak
running through the center from top to
bottom. 1t is evidently a beautiful
specimen of rutile quartz, SO exceedingly
rare that the conjurer who can obtain
one outranks all his rivals.
The stone must be fed, the Indians
say, with the blood of small game every
seven days-rubbed over with the blood
of the animal as soon as killed. Twice
a year it demands the blood of deer or
some other large animal. 1t is wrapped
in whole deerskin and kept in some
secret cave in the mountains. Were the
tribute of blood to be withheld or
neglected the Ulasutti would issue from
its hiding place at night as great blaz-
ing ball of fire, and fly through the air
to satisfy its appetite by drinking the
ifeblood of the conjurer.
The original owner was afraid of it,
and he changed its hiding place fire.
quently, so that the stone might not be
able to find its way out. When he died
it was buried with him, as otherwise it
would issue from its cave by night, like
fiery meteor, to search for his tomb
night after night for seven years. But,
if unable to find its owner, it would go
back to sleep forever where he had
placed it.
AS far back as 1862 Timberlake heard
of the stone with the wonderful story
of its origin. He said that it was kept
hidden in some place known only to two
women, who refused to betray the secret.
Adair, the celebrated trader, also speaks
of it few years later. The conjurer
refused to let him see it for fear of prof
anation.
When consulting it as to any unknown
or future happening the conjurer gazes
into the Ulasutti, and there sees mir
rored all that he wishes to know, and by
the action of the specter, or its position
near the top or bottom of the talisman,
he learns not only the event, but also its
proximity in time or place.
1t is believed that only one of these
rtones is in the possession of the eastern
Cherokees. The owner has refused all
inducements to show it. He said that
he kept it hidden in a cave, wrapped in
its deerskin covering, and that if he
should expose it to the profane gaze of a
white man he could kill no more game,
even if he were permitted to live. 1t
was very evident that he believed what
he said, for no offer could change his
determination.-New York Sun.