Myths of the Cherokee

Noted anthropologist James Mooney (1861?1921) spent much of his life studying American Indians. In North Carolina, he lived for several years with the Cherokee, studying their language, culture, and mythology. His research resulted in this comprehensive volume, comprising 126 Cherokee myths, including sacred stories, animal myths, local legends, wonder stories, historical traditions, and miscellaneous myths and legends.Among the myths included are these:How the World Was Made; Origin of Strawberries; Why the Deer's Teeth Are Blunt; How the Turkey Got His Beard; The Rattlesnake's Vengeance; The Ice Man; The First Fire; Why the Possum's Tail Is Bare; The Bride from the South; The Water Cannibals; The Haunted Whirlpool; The War Medicine, and many more.In addition to his clear retelling of the myths themselves, the author provides extensive background information on Cherokee history, notes on the myths, parallels between Cherokee and other myths, and further important information. Anyone interested in mythology or Native American legend and lore will welcome this treasury of authentic tales presented in the context of Cherokee history, life, and culture.

I IntroductionII Historical sketch of the Cherokee The traditionary period The period of Spanish exploration-1540-? The Colonial and Revolutionary period-1654-1784 Relations with the United States From the first treaty to the Removal-1785-1838 The Removal-1838-1839 The Arkansas band-1817-1838 The Texas band-1817-1900 The Cherokee Nation of the West-1840-1900 The East Cherokee-1838-1900III Notes to the historical sketchIV Stories and story-tellersV The myths Cosmogonic myths 1. How the world was made 2. The first fire 3. Kana'ti and Selu: Origin of corn and game 4. Origin of disease and medicine 5. The Daughter of the Sun: Origin of death 6. How they brought back the Tobacco 7. The journey to the sunrise 8. The Moon an the Thunders 9. What the Stars are like 10. Origin of the Pleiades and the Pine 11. The milky way 12. Origin of strawberries 13. The Great Yellow-jacket: Origin of fish and frogs 14. The Deluge Quadruped myths 15. The four-footed tribes 16. The Rabbit goes duck hunting 17. How the Rabbit stole the Otter's coat 18. Why the Possum's tail is bare 19. How the Wildcat caught the turkeys 20. How the Terrapin beat the Rabbit 21. The Rabbit and the tar wolf 22. The Rabbit and the Possum after a wife 23. The Rabbit dines the Bear 24. The Rabbit escapes from the wolves 25. Flint visits the Rabbit 26. How the Deer got his horns 27. Why the Deer's teeth are blunt 28. What became of the Rabbit 29. Why the Mink smells 30. Why the Mole lives under ground 31. The Terrapin's escape from 'the wolves 32. Origin of the Groundhog dance: The Groundhog's head 33. The migration of the animals 34. The Wolf's revenge: The Wolf and the Dog Bird myths 35. The bird tribes 36. The ball game of the birds and animals 37. How the Turkey got his beard 38. Why the Turkey gobbles 39. How the Kingfisher got his bill 40. How the Partridge got his whistle 41. How the Redbird got his color 42. The Pheasant beating corn: The Pheasant dance 43. The race between the Crane and the Humming-bird 44. The Owl gets married 45. The Huhu gets married 46. Why the Buzzard's head is bare 47. The Eagle's revenge 48. The Hunter an the Buzzard "Snake, fish, and insect myths" 49. The snake tribe 50. The Uktena and the Ulûñsû¿ti 51. Âgan-Uni¿tsi's search for the Uktena 52. The Red Man and the Uktena 53. The Hunter and the Uksu¿hi 54. The Ustû¿tli 55. The Uw'tsûñ¿ta 56. The Snake Boy 57. The Snake Man 58. The Rattlesnake's vengeance 59. "The smaller reptiles, fishes, and insects" 60. Why the Bullfrog's head is striped 61. The Bullfrog lover 62. The Katydid's warning Wonder stories 63. "Ûñtsaiyi¿, the Gambler" 64. The nest of the Tlänuwa 65. The Hunter and the Tlänuwa 66. "U'tlûñ¿ta, the Spear-finger" 67. "Nûñ¿yunu¿wi, the stone man" 68. The Hunter in the Dakwä 69. "Atagâ¿hi, the enchanted lake" 70. The Bride from the south 71. The Ice Man 72. The Hunter and Selu 73. The underground panthers 74. The Tsundige¿wi 75. Origin of the Bear: The Bear songs 76. The Bear Man 77. The Great Leech of Tlanusi¿yi 78. The Nûñne¿hi and other spirit folk 79. The removed townhouses 80. The spirit defenders of Nikwasi¿ 81. "Tsul'kaû¿, the slant-eyed giant" 82. "Kanästa, the lost settlement" 83. "Tsuwe¿nahi, a legend of Pilot knob" 84. The man who married the Thunder's sister 85. The haunted whirlpool 86. Yahula 87. The water cannibals Historical traditions 88. First contact with whites 89. The Iroquois wars 90. "Hiadeoni, the Seneca" 91. The two Mohawks 92. Escape of the Seneca boys 93. The unseen helpers 94. Hatciñondoñ's escape from the Cherokee 95. Hemp-carrier 96. The Seneca peacemakers 97. Origin of the Yontoñwisas dance 98. Ga'na's adventures among the Cherokee 99. The Shawano wars 100. The raid on Tikwali¿tsi 101. The last Shawano invasion 102. The false warriors of Chilhowee 103. Cowee town 104. The eastern tribes 105. The southern and western tribes 106. The giants from the west 107. The lost Cherokee 108. The massacre of the Ani¿-Kutäni 109. The war medicine 110. Incidents of personal heroism 111. The mounds and the constant fire: The old sacred things Miscellaneous myths and legends 112. The ignorant housekeeper 113. The man in the stump 114. Two lazy hunters 115. The two old men 116. The star feathers 117. The Mother Bear's song 118. "Baby song, to please the children" 119. When babies are born: The Wren and the Cricket 120. The Raven Mocker 121. Herbert's spring 122. Local legends of North Carolina 123. Local legends of South Carolina 124. Local legends of Tennessee 125. Local legends of Georgia 126. Plant loreVI Notes and parallelsVII Glossary