Cherokee Courtship Traditions

Cherokee Courtship.   Cherokee courtship and engagement includes several beautiful customs. It all begins with their version of a Debutante Ball.  

The Crane Dance

For up to three days, the unmarried women of the Cherokee tribes decorated their colorful traditional clothing with feathers. Dressed in the manner of cranes, they proceeded to perform a slow and elegant dance for the single men from surrounding clans. The Crane Dance gave the unmarried Cherokee men an opportunity to select a bride from among the young women. When a young man chose a young woman to court, he sent a female representative to speak with the girl's mother.  

Cherokee Courtship

After his maternal aunt (or another female relative) acquired consent from the girl's mother, the young man began preparing his gifts for her family. Traditionally, a Cherokee suitor brought an offering of venison to the girl. He was expected to track, kill, and prepare the meat of the deer and leave it outside her door. If she left the meat outside, he knew she showed no interest. On the other hand, if she cooked the meat and offered it to him as a meal, she accepted his courtship. During their courtship, Cherokee youths met in the evenings near the center of the lodge. Nearby, the adults kept watch over their encounters. Courtship presented a way for the young people to get to know each other better. Once the young man decided to move forward with marriage, he tracked and killed another deer. This time, he offered the meat to his beloved's parents as a sign of his ability to provide and care for their daughter. If her parents invited him to stay and partake of the meal with the family, their marriage was approved.  

The Medicine Man's Blessing

Cherokee courtship culminated with a blessing from a medicine man. He held the power to pronounce them suitable or unsuitable. In their presence, the shaman performed a tobacco ceremony.  The Cherokee are a deeply spiritual community. They believe in the power of both good and evil spirits. The tobacco ceremony served to seek the blessing of the good spirits and to identify and counteract any evil spirits or witchery. The medicine man then performed tests for other afflictions. Finally, he chanted and offered prayers for guidance. If he pronounced the two suitable for marriage to each other, the young man's friends took him immediately to enjoy a ceremonial meal. They punctuated their feasting with jokes and hilarious instructions about married life. Of course, innuendos and warnings ensued. The young woman also enjoyed a feast with her friends and family. Her family served her favorite foods, and the unmarried ladies served her hand and foot throughout the evening. Decidedly more reverently, the older women offered a different sort of instruction regarding her wifely duties. Sometimes, the Cherokee omitted an actual wedding ceremony. In these cases, the man would leave his clan and move into his wife's household. As simply as that, they were married. Other times, an elaborate and beautiful ceremony ensued. I'll write about these more elaborate ceremonies in another post next week.