{"id":17176,"date":"2016-11-30T20:41:06","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T00:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmicconvergence.org\/?p=17176"},"modified":"2016-11-30T20:41:06","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T00:41:06","slug":"myths-of-the-cherokee-sacred-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosmicconvergence.org\/?p=17176","title":{"rendered":"Myths of the Cherokee: Sacred Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Malaga Bay<\/a><\/p>\n

\"myths-of-the-cherokee-sacred-numbers\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Religious Instruction<\/i> I received back in the days of black and white<\/i> television didn\u2019t explicitly encompass Sacred Numbers<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The Indian has always four as the principal sacred number<\/b>, with usually another only slightly subordinated.<\/p>\n

\"cherokee-colours\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The two sacred numbers of the Cherokee are four and seven<\/b>, the latter being the actual number of the tribal clans, the formulistic number of upper worlds or heavens, and the ceremonial number of paragraphs or repetitions in the principal formulas.<\/p>\n

Thus in the prayers for long life the priest raises his client by successive stages to the first, second, third, fourth, and finally to the seventh heaven before the end is accomplished.
\n\u2026.
\nThe Cherokee have seven clans<\/b>, viz: Ani\u00b4-Wa\u00b4\u201dya,Wolf; Ani\u00b4-KawI\u00b4, Deer; Ani\u00b4-Tsi\u00b4skwa, Bird; Ani\u00b4-Wa\u00b4dI, Paint; Ani\u00b4-Saha\u00b4nI; Ani\u00b4-Ga\u00b4tage\u00b4wI; Ani\u00b4-Gila\u00b4hI.<\/p>\n

The names of the last three can not be translated with certainty.<\/p>\n

The Wolf clan is the largest and most important in the tribe.<\/p>\n

It is probable that, in accordance with the general system in other tribes, each clan had formerly certain hereditary duties and privileges, but no trace of these now remains.<\/p>\n

Children belong to the clan of the mother, and the law forbidding marriage between persons of the same clan is still enforced among the conservative full-bloods.<\/p>\n

The \u201cseven clans\u201d are frequently mentioned in the sacred formulas<\/b>, and even in some of the tribal laws promulgated with in the century.<\/p>\n

There is evidence that originally there were fourteen, which by extinction or absorption have been reduced to seven; thus, the ancient Turtle-dove and Raven clans now constitute a single Bird clan.<\/p>\n

Myths of the Cherokee \u2013 James Mooney \u2013 1902
\nhttp:\/\/archive.org\/details\/mythsofcherokee00moon<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Religious Instruction<\/i> I received back in the day<\/i> most certainly didn\u2019t suggest the Cherokee cosmological concept of \u201cseven heavens\u201d was echoed in the Hindu, Judaic, Islamic and Christian cultures.<\/p>\n

Hand-breadth<\/b><\/p>\n

The Cherokee word is utawa, from uwdyi, hand.<\/p>\n

This is not to be taken literally, but is a figurative expression much used in the sacred formulas to denote a serial interval of space.<\/p>\n

The idea of successive removals of the sun, in order to modify the excessive heat, is found with other tribes.<\/p>\n

Buttrick, already quoted, says in his statement of the Cherokee cosmogony<\/b>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen God created the world he made a heaven or firmament about as high as the tops of the mountains, but this was too warm.<\/p>\n

He then created a second, which was also too warm.<\/p>\n

He thus proceeded till he had created seven heavens<\/b> and in the seventh fixed His abode.<\/p>\n

During some of their prayers they raise their hands to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh heaven,\u201d etc.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In Hindu cosmogony<\/b> also we find seven heavens<\/b> or stages, increasing in sanctity as they ascend; the Aztecs had nine<\/b>, as had also the ancient Scandinavians<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Some Polynesian tribes have ten<\/b>, each built of azure stone, with apertures for intercommunication.<\/p>\n

The lowest originally almost touched the earth and was elevated to its present position by successive pushes from the gods Ru and Matti, resting first prostrate upon the ground, then upon their knees, then lifting with their shoulders, their hands, and their finger tips, until a last supreme effort sent it to its present place.<\/p>\n

Myths of the Cherokee \u2013 James Mooney \u2013 1902
\nhttp:\/\/archive.org\/details\/mythsofcherokee00moon<\/a><\/p>\n

Seventh Heaven or 7th Heaven is a state of euphoria<\/b>.<\/p>\n

It may also refer to:
\n\u25cf The highest of Seven Heavens according to Islam and Judaism<\/b>
\n\u25cf One of the Celestial spheres generally acknowledged until the early 17th century.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Seventh_Heaven<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In fact it was a surprise to discover that 3 and 7 are explicitly Christian Sacred Numbers<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Seven: The sacred numbers<\/b><\/p>\n

In every tribe and cult throughout the world we find sacred numbers.<\/p>\n

Christianity and the Christian world have three and seven<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Myths of the Cherokee \u2013 James Mooney \u2013 1902
\nhttp:\/\/archive.org\/details\/mythsofcherokee00moon<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wikipedia provides plenty of examples of three<\/i> and seven<\/i> from the New<\/i> and Old<\/i>Testaments but singularly fails to mention they are explicitly Sacred Numbers<\/i>.<\/p>\n

THREE In Christianity<\/b><\/p>\n

The threefold office of Christ is a Christian doctrine that Christ performs the functions of prophet, priest, and king.
\nThe ministry of Jesus lasted approximately three years (27-30 AD[citation needed]).
\nDuring the Agony in the Garden, Christ asked three times for the chalice to be taken from his lips.
\nJesus rose from the dead on the third day after his death (Sunday April 9, 30 AD).
\nThe devil tempted Jesus three times.
\nSaint Peter thrice denied Jesus and thrice affirmed his faith in Jesus
\nThe Magi \u2013 Zoroaster priests astronomers\/astrologers from Persia[citation needed] \u2013 gave Jesus three gifts.
\nThere are three Synoptic Gospels and three epistles of John.
\nPaul the Apostle went blind for three days after his conversion to Christianity.<\/p>\n

THREE In Judaism<\/b><\/p>\n

Noah had three sons: Ham, Shem and Japheth
\nThe Three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
\nThe prophet Balaam beat his donkey three times.
\nThe prophet Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a large fish
\nThree divisions of the Written Torah: Torah (Five Book of Moses), Nevi\u2019im (Prophets), Ketuvim (Writings)
\nThree divisions of the Jewish people: Kohen, Levite, Yisrael
\nThree daily prayers: Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv
\nThree Shabbat meals
\nShabbat ends when three stars are visible in the night sky
\nThree Pilgrimage Festivals: Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot
\nThree matzos on the Passover Seder table
\nThe Three Weeks, a period of mourning bridging the fast days of Seventeenth of Tammuz and Tisha B\u2019Av
\nThree cardinal sins for which a Jew must die rather than transgress: idolatry, murder, sexual immorality
\nUpsherin, a Jewish boy\u2019s first haircut at age 3
\nA Beth din is composed of three members
\nPotential converts are traditionally turned away three times to test their sincerity
\nIn the Jewish mystical tradition of the Kabbalah, it is believed that the soul consists of three parts, with the highest being neshamah (\u201cbreath\u201d), the middle being ruach (\u201cwind\u201d or \u201cspirit\u201d) and the lowest being nefesh (\u201crepose\u201d). Sometimes the two elements of Chayah (\u201clife\u201d or \u201canimal\u201d) and Yechidah (\u201cunit\u201d) are additionally mentioned.
\nIn the Kabbalah, the Tree of Life (Hebrew: Etz ha-Chayim, \u05e2\u05e5 \u05d4\u05d7\u05d9\u05d9\u05dd) refers to a latter 3-pillar diagrammatic representation of its central mystical symbol, known as the 10 Sephirot.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/3_%28number%29#In_Christianity<\/a><\/p>\n

SEVEN in the Old Testament<\/b><\/p>\n

Seven Hebrew words of Bereishit 1:1 \/ Genesis 1:1 (28 letters).
\nSeven Days of Creation \u2013 1765 book
\nThe number seven in the seven days of Creation is typological and the number seven appears commonly elsewhere in the Bible. These include:
\nSeven days of Creation (Genesis 1) e.g., God rested on and sanctified the seventh day (Sabbath)
\nAnyone who dares to kill Cain \u2018will suffer vengeance seven times over\u2019 (Genesis 4:15)
\nLamech in his \u201cSong of the Sword\u201d claims that \u2018if Cain shall be avenged sevenfold\u2019, he himself shall be \u2018seventy-sevenfold\u2019 (Genesis 4:24)
\nNoah is commanded to bring seven pairs of every clean animal onto the ark (Genesis 7:2)
\nSeven years of plenty and seven years of famine in Pharaoh\u2019s dream (Genesis 41)
\nIn regards to the sin sacrifice, the anointed priest was to sprinkle the bullock\u2019s blood seven times before the lord (Leviticus 4:6)
\nSeven days of the feast of Passover (Exodus 13:3\u201310)
\nSeven-day week and the pattern concerning distribution and use of manna (Exodus 16)
\nThe Menorah (Hebrew: \u05de\u05e0\u05d5\u05e8\u05d4\u200e\u200e), is a seven-branched candelabrum lit by olive oil in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 25)
\nSeven year cycle around the years of Jubilee (Leviticus 25)
\nJericho\u2019s walls fall on the seventh day after seven priests with seven trumpets march around the city seven times (Joshua 6:8)
\nKing David had seven older brothers (1 Samuel 16)
\nThe child sneezed seven times after Elisha raised him from the dead (2 Kings 4:35)
\nSeven things that are detestable to the LORD (Proverbs 6:16\u201319)
\nSeven Pillars of the House of Wisdom (Proverbs 9:1)
\nThe woman with seven sons in 2 Maccabees.<\/p>\n

SEVEN in the New Testament<\/b><\/p>\n

Seven loaves multiplied into seven basketfuls of surplus (Matthew 15:32\u201337)
\nPeter asked Jesus if he should forgive those who sinned against him up to 7 times; Jesus responded by saying to forgive them \u2018seventy times seven times\u2019, remembering so the curse of Cain and the song of Lamech in Genesis 4.
\nSeven demons were driven out of Mary Magdelene. (Luke 8:2).
\nThe seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross.
\nSeven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (Acts 6:3)
\nIn the Book of Revelation, seven is a central figure of quantities: Seven Spirits of God, Seven Churches (to which the book is addressed);
\nSeven of the following appear in Revelation: golden lampstands(1:12), stars(1:16), torches of fire(4:5) Seven Seals(5:1), angels and their trumpets(8:2), last plagues(15:1), golden bowls(15:7), thunders(10:3), horns and eyes(5:6), diadems(12:3) and kings(17:10). See Category:Seven in the Book of Revelation.<\/p>\n

Other sevens in Christian knowledge and practice include:<\/p>\n

The Seven Corporal Acts of Mercy and Seven Spiritual Acts of Mercy of Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions
\nThe Seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride
\nSeven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
\nThe Seven Joys of the Virgin Mary, of Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions
\nThe Seven Sacraments in the Catholic faith (though some traditions assign a different number)
\nThe Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, of Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions
\nThere are seven suicides mentioned in the Bible (OT and NT).[15]
\nThe seven terraces of Mount Purgatory (one per deadly sin)
\nThe Seven Virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience, and humility
\nIn the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is 77th in a direct line
\nThe number of heads of the three beasts (7 \u00d7 10 \u00d7 7 + 7 \u00d7 10 \u00d7 10 + 7 \u00d7 10 = 1260) of the Book of Revelation, and the seven seals<\/p>\n

http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/7_%28number%29#Religion_and_mythology<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, thanks to the wonder of the internet and [more specifically] Marty Leeds it\u2019s possible to gain some insight into the esoteric meaning of the Sacred Numbers<\/i> 3 and 7.<\/p>\n

\"trimesters-gematria\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"english-gematria\"<\/a><\/p>\n