Cherokee mythology

The water spider is said to have first brought fire to the inhabitants of the earth in the basket on her back.^[1]

This article concerns itself with the Spiritual beliefs of the Cherokee, Native Americans indigenous to the Appalachias, and today are enrolled in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Some of these myths go by different names in different tribes, however, the actual myth remains the same.

Creation beliefs

The Cherokee creation belief describes the earth as a great floating island surrounded by seawater. It hangs from the sky by cords attached at the four cardinal points. The story tells that the first earth came to be when Dâyuni'sï (Beaver's Grandchild), the little Water beetle came from Gälûñ'lätï, the sky realm, to see what was below the water. He scurried over the surface of the water, but found no solid place to rest. He dived to the bottom of the water and brought up some soft mud. This mud expanded in every direction and became the earth, according to the account recorded in 1900 by the Bureau of American Ethnology.

The other animals in Gälûñ'lätï were eager to come down to the new earth, and first birds were sent to see if the mud was dry. Buzzard was sent ahead to make preparations for the others, but the earth was still soft. When he grew tired, his wings dipped very low and brushed the soft mud, gouging mountains and valleys in the smooth surface, and the animals were forced to wait again. When it was finally dry they all came down. It was dark, so they took the sun and set it in a track to run east to west, at first setting it too low and the red crawfish was scorched. They elevated the sun several times in order to reduce its heat.

The story also tells how plants and animals acquired certain characteristics, and is related one of their medicine rituals. They all were told to stay awake for seven nights, but only a few animals such as owl and panther succeeded and they were given the power to see and prey upon the others at night. Only a few trees succeeded as well, cedar, pine, spruce and laurel, so the rest were forced to shed their leaves in the winter.

The first people were a brother and sister. Once the brother hit his sister with a fish and told her to multiply. Following this, she gave birth to a child every seven days and soon there were too many people, so women were then forced to have just one child every year.^[2]

The Story of Corn and Medicine

The Story of Corn and Medicine begins with the creation of the earth and animals. Earth was created out of mud that grew into an island. Animals began exploring the earth, and it was the Buzzard that created valleys and mountains in Cherokee land through the flapping of his wings. After some time, the earth became habitable for the animals, once the earth had dried from being mud and the sun was raised up for light.^[3]

According to the Cherokee medicine ceremony, the animals and plants had to stay awake for seven nights. Only the owl, panther, and unnamed others were able to fulfill the requirements of the ceremony, so these animals were given the gift of night vision, which allowed them to hunt easily at night. Similarly, the only trees able to remain awake for the seven days were the cedar, pine, spruce, holly, and laurel. These trees were given the gift of staying green year-round. ^[4]

Humans began to hunt animals and quickly grow in numbers. The population grew so rapidly that a rule was established that women can only have one child per year. Two early humans were Kanáti and Selu. Their names meant “The Lucky Hunter” and “Corn,” respectively. Kanáti would hunt and bring an animal home for Selu to prepare. Kanáti and Selu had a child, and their child befriended another boy who had been created out of the blood of the slaughtered animals. The family treated this boy like one of their own, except the called him “The Wild Boy” Kanáti consistently brought animals home when he went hunting, and one day, the boys decided to secretly follow him. They discovered that Kanáti would move a rock concealing a cave, and an animal would come out of the cave only to be killed by Kanáti. The boys secretly returned to the rock by themselves and opened the entrance to the cave. However, the boys didn’t realize that the open cave was allowing many different animals to escape. Kanáti saw the animals and realized what must have happened. He journeyed to the cave and sent the boys home so he could try to catch some of the escaped animals for eating. This explains why people must hunt for food now.

The boys returned to Selu, who went to get food from the storehouse. She instructed the boys to wait behind while she was gone, but they disobeyed and followed her. They discovered Selu’s secret, which is that she would rub her stomach to fill baskets with corn, and she would rub her sides to fill baskets with beans. Selu, knowing her secret was out, made the boys one last meal. She and Kanáti then explained to the boys that the two of them would die because their secrets had been discovered. Along with Kanáti and Selu dying, the easy life the boys had become accustomed to would also die. However, if the boys dragged Selu’s body seven times in a circle, and then seven times over the soil in the circle, a crop of corn would appear in the morning if the boys stayed up all night to watch. The boys did not fulfill the instructions completely, which explains why corn can only grow in certain places around earth. Today, corn is still grown, but it does not come overnight.

During the early times, the plants, animals, and people all lived together as friends, but the population growth of humans caused animals to lose room to roam. Humans also would kill the animals for meat or trample them for being in the way. To counteract this, the animals decided to punish the humans by fighting them and bringing diseases.

Like other creatures, the plants decided to meet, and they came to the conclusion that the animals’ actions had to be countered with.^[5] This explains why all kinds of plant life helps to cure many varieties of diseases. Medicine was created in order to counteract with the animals’ punishments.

The Thunder Beings

The Cherokee held that there is the Great Thunder and his sons, the two Thunder Boys, who live in the land of the west above the sky vault. The lightning and the rainbow are their beautiful dress. The priests pray to the thunder and he visited the people to bring the rains and blessings from the South. It was believed that the thunder beings who lived close to the Earth's surface, in the cliffs and mountains, and under water falls could and did harm the people at times. These other thunders are always plotting mischief.^[6]

Green Corn Ceremony

The thunder beings are viewed as the most powerful of the servants of the Apportioner (Creator Spirit), and are revered in the first dance of the Green Corn Ceremony held each year, as they are directly believed to have brought the rains for a successful corn crop.

Medicine and Disease

It is said that all plants, animals, beast and people lived in harmony with no separation between them. At that time the animals were bigger and stronger until the humans became more powerful. When the human population increased so did the weapons and the animals no longer felt safe. The animals decided to hold a meeting to discuss what should be done to protect themselves.

The Bears met first and decided that they would make their own weapons like the humans but this only led to further chaos. Next the Deer gathered to discuss their plan of action and they came to the conclusion that if a hunter was to kill a Deer they would develop a disease. The only way to avoid this disease was to ask the Deer’s spirit for forgiveness. Another requirement was that the people only kill when necessary. The council of Birds, Insects and small animals met next and they decided that humans were too cruel therefore they concocted many diseases to infect the them with.

The plants heard what the animals were planning and since they were always friendly with the humans they vowed that for every disease they would have cure. Every plant serves a purpose and the only way to find it is to discover it for yourself. ^[3] When the Medicine Man does not know what medicine to use the spirits of the plants tell him.^[7]

The Great Spirit

The Cherokee revered the Great Spirit, simply referred to as Unetlanvhi or "Creator", who presided over all things and created the Earth.^[8] Great Spirit is said to be omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. The Unetlanvhi was said to have made the earth to provide for her children. The Wahnenauhi Manuscript says that God is Unahlahnauhi, meaning "maker of all things" and Kalvlvtiahi, meaning "The one who lives above". In most myths the Great Spirit is not personified as having human characteristics or a physical human form.^[8]

Other Venerated Spirits

The Cherokee believed that every aspect and thing had a spirit presiding over it.

• Uktena: A horned serpent
• Tsul 'Kalu: Spirit of the Hunt, A slant eyed giant
• Oonawieh Unggi ("the oldest wind"): Spirit of the Wind
• Kana'ti ("The Lucky Hunter"): The Great Hunter
• Selu ("maize"): The Corn Woman
• Nûñnë'hï: The Spirit People
• Tlanuwa: A Giant Raptor

Signs, Visions, and Dreams

The Cherokee held that signs, visions, dreams, and powers were all gifts of the spirits, and that their world was intertwined with and presided over by the spirit world.

Spiritual beings can come in the form of animal or human and are consider an everyday part of life. A group of spiritual beings are spoken about as Little People and they can only be seen by man when they want to. It is said that when they choose who they present themselves themselves to and appear as any other Cherokee would, except they are small with very long hair.^[9] The Little People can be helpful but one should be cautious while interacting with them because they can be very deceptive. ^[10] It is not common to talk about an experience one has with the Little People instead you could relay an incident told to you about someone else's experience.^[4] It is said that if you bother the Little People too often you will become confused in your day to day life when you would normally not be. ^[9] Although they possess healing powers and helpful hints the Little People are not to be disturbed. ^[4]

Evil

Traditionally there is no universal evil spirit, corresponding to Satan, in Cherokee Theology. Properly an Asgina is any sort of spirit, but it is usually considered to be a malevolent one.^[11] Uya, sometimes called Uyaga is an evil earth spirit which is invariably opposed to the forces of right and light.^[12] There is also Nun'Yunu'Wi, an evil spirit monster who preys on humans, and Kalona Ayeliski (Raven Mocker). These spirits preyed on the souls of the dying and would torment their victims until they died. After which they would eat the heart of the victim. Kalona Ayeliski are invisible, except to a medicine man, and the only way to protect a potential victim was to have a medicine man which knew how to drive Kalona Ayeliski off, since they were scared of him.^[13]

References

• Jack Frederick Kilpatrick. The Wahnenauhi Manuscript: Historical Sketches of the Cherokee. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1966.
• Jack Frederick Kilpatrick, Anna Gritts Kilpatrick. Notebook of a Cherokee Shaman. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970.