Myths of the Cherokee / Extract from the Nineteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology

CONTENTS

•      Page
• I—Introduction      11
• II—Historical sketch of the Cherokee      14
  • The traditionary period      14
  • The period of Spanish exploration—1540–?      23
  • The Colonial and Revolutionary period—1654–1784      29
  • Relations with the United States      61
    • From the first treaty to the Removal—1785–1838      61
    • The Removal—1838–1839      130
    • The Arkansas band—1817–1838      135
    • The Texas band—1817–1900      143
    • The Cherokee Nation of the West—1840–1900      146
    • The East Cherokee—1838–1900      157
• III—Notes to the historical sketch      182
• IV—Stories and story-tellers      229
• V—The myths      239
  • Cosmogonic myths      239
    • 1. How the world was made      239
    • 2. The first fire      240
    • 3. Kana′tĭ and Selu: Origin of corn and game      242
    • 4. Origin of disease and medicine      250
    • 5. The Daughter of the Sun: Origin of death      252
    • 6. How they brought back the Tobacco      254
    • 7. The journey to the sunrise      255
    • 8. The Moon and the Thunders      256
    • 9. What the Stars are like      257
    • 10. Origin of the Pleiades and the Pine      258
    • 11. The milky way      259
    • 12. Origin of strawberries      259
    • 13. The Great Yellow-jacket: Origin of fish and frogs      260
    • 14. The Deluge      261
  • Quadruped myths      261
    • 15. The four-footed tribes      261
    • 16. The Rabbit goes duck hunting      266
    • 17. How the Rabbit stole the Otter’s coat      267
    • 18. Why the Possum’s tail is bare      269
    • 19. How the Wildcat caught the turkeys      269
    • 20. How the Terrapin beat the Rabbit      270
    • 21. The Rabbit and the tar wolf      271
    • 22. The Rabbit and the Possum after a wife      273
    • 23. The Rabbit dines the Bear      273
    • 24. The Rabbit escapes from the wolves      274
    • 25. Flint visits the Rabbit      274
    • 26. How the Deer got his horns      275
    • 27. Why the Deer’s teeth are blunt      276
    • 28. What became of the Rabbit      277
    • 29. Why the Mink smells      277
    • 30. Why the Mole lives under ground      277
    • 31. The Terrapin’s escape from the wolves      278
    • 32. Origin of the Groundhog dance: The Groundhog’s head      279
    • 33. The migration of the animals      280
    • 34. The Wolf’s revenge: The Wolf and the Dog      280
  • Bird myths      280
    • 35. The bird tribes      280
    • 36. The ball game of the birds and animals      286
    • 37. How the Turkey got his beard      287
    • 38. Why the Turkey gobbles      288
    • 39. How the Kingfisher got his bill      288
    • 40. How the Partridge got his whistle      289
    • 41. How the Redbird got his color      289
    • 42. The Pheasant beating corn: The Pheasant dance      290
    • 43. The race between the Crane and the Humming-bird      290
    • 44. The Owl gets married      291
    • 45. The Huhu gets married      292
    • 46. Why the Buzzard’s head is bare      293
    • 47. The Eagle’s revenge      293
    • 48. The Hunter and the Buzzard      294
  • Snake, fish, and insect myths      294
    • 49. The snake tribe      294
    • 50. The Uktena and the Ulûñsû′tĭ      297
    • 51. Âgan-Uni′tsi’s search for the Uktena      298
    • 52. The Red Man and the Uktena      300
    • 53. The Hunter and the Uksu′hĭ      301
    • 54. The Ustû′tlĭ      302
    • 55. The Uwʻtsûñ′ta      303
    • 56. The Snake Boy      304
    • 57. The Snake Man      304
    • 58. The Rattlesnake’s vengeance      305
    • 59. The smaller reptiles, fishes, and insects      306
    • 60. Why the Bullfrog’s head is striped      310
    • 61. The Bullfrog lover      310
    • 62. The Katydid’s warning      311
  • Wonder stories      311
    • 63. Ûñtsaiyĭ′, the Gambler      311
    • 64. The nest of the Tlă′nuwa      315
    • 65. The Hunter and the Tlă′nuwa      316
    • 66. Uʻtlûñ′ta, the Spear-finger      316
    • 67. Nûñ′yunu′wĭ, the stone man      319
    • 68. The Hunter in the Dăkwă′      320
    • 69. Atagâ′hĭ, the enchanted lake      321
    • 70. The Bride from the south      322
    • 71. The Ice Man      322
    • 72. The Hunter and Selu      323
    • 73. The underground panthers      324
    • 74. The Tsundige′wĭ      325
    • 75. Origin of the Bear: The Bear songs      325
    • 76. The Bear Man      327
    • 77. The Great Leech of Tlanusi′yĭ      329
    • 78. The Nûñnĕ′hĭ and other spirit folk      330
    • 79. The removed townhouses      335
    • 80. The spirit defenders of Nĭkwăsĭ′      336
    • 81. Tsulʻkălû′ the slant-eyed giant      337
    • 82. Kana′sta, the lost settlement      341
    • 83. Tsuwe′năhĭ, a legend of Pilot knob      343
    • 84. The man who married the Thunder’s sister      345
    • 85. The haunted whirlpool      347
    • 86. Yahula      347
    • 87. The water cannibals      349
  • Historical traditions      350
    • 88. First contact with whites      350
    • 89. The Iroquois war      351
    • 90. Hiadeoni, the Seneca      356
    • 91. The two Mohawks      357
    • 92. Escape of the Seneca boys      359
    • 93. The unseen helpers      359
    • 94. Hatciñondoñ’s escape from the Cherokee      362
    • 95. Hemp-carrier      364
    • 96. The Seneca peacemakers      365
    • 97. Origin of the Yontoñwisas dance      365
    • 98. Gaʼna’s adventures among the Cherokee.      367
    • 99. The Shawano wars      370
    • 100. The raid on Tĭkwali′tsĭ      374
    • 101. The last Shawano invasion      374
    • 102. The false warriors of Chilhowee      375
    • 103. Cowee town      377
    • 104. The eastern tribes      378
    • 105. The southern and western tribes      382
    • 106. The giants from the west      391
    • 107. The lost Cherokee      391
    • 108. The massacre of the Ani′-Kuta′nĭ      392
    • 109. The war medicine      393
    • 110. Incidents of personal heroism      394
    • 111. The mounds and the constant fire: The old sacred things      395
  • Miscellaneous myths and legends      397
    • 112. The ignorant housekeeper      397
    • 113. The man in the stump      397
    • 114. Two lazy hunters      397
    • 115. The two old men      399
    • 116. The star feathers      399
    • 117. The Mother Bear’s song      400
    • 118. Baby song, to please the children.      401
    • 119. When babies are born: The Wren and the Cricket      401
    • 120. The Raven Mocker      401
    • 121. Herbert’s spring      403
    • 122. Local legends of North Carolina.      404
    • 123. Local legends of South Carolina      411
    • 124. Local legends of Tennessee      412
    • 125. Local legends of Georgia      415
    • 126. Plant lore      420
• VI—Notes and parallels      428
• VII—Glossary      506

ILLUSTRATIONS