Cherokee Legends & Myths
Cherokee stories and legends taught the lessons and practices necessary to maintain natural balance, harmony, and health. Cherokee songs, dances, stories, artwork, tools, and even buildings expressed the moral values of their culture. The Cherokee homeland and its mountains, caves, and rivers also carried symbolic meanings and purposes. Stories were how traditions and important things were passed down from generation to generation. Their stories and myths were sacred. Not just anyone could tell them and not just anyone could hear them. Under old Cherokee law, the tales and stories could only be related to fellow Cherokee or Native people. And even then, one had to be invited by the myth keeper or storyteller to hear the stories. They must first go to the Medicine man who would perform a scratching ceremony on them. He would scratch their arms from shoulder to wrist with sharp snake-tooth combs. Next, a red healing powder was blown over the scratch marks and finally, they were able to hear the stories of the myth keeper inside his earthen hut. The stories would often last all night and into the next day. When the sun appeared in the East, they would go to the water and dip themselves seven times while a priest recited prayers on the river banks.
There is much involved with being a myth keeper. These special natives must be actors, mimes, singers and dancers to correctly relay these traditional tales. There are two types of stories kept by the Cherokee. The sacred stories and the animal stories. The sacred stories are very serious and tell about why the Cherokee came to have certain healing powers, songs and beliefs. The animal stories tell why certain animals look or act the way they do. In these stories, the animals are very large and can talk. In the beginning, the Cherokee could communicate with the animals - they spoke the same language. However, mankind abused that privilege by becoming greedy and taking too much, so the ability to speak with the animals was lost.
A few of the Cherokee stories are shared below. You can follow the link at the bottom to read many more traditional tales.
There is much involved with being a myth keeper. These special natives must be actors, mimes, singers and dancers to correctly relay these traditional tales. There are two types of stories kept by the Cherokee. The sacred stories and the animal stories. The sacred stories are very serious and tell about why the Cherokee came to have certain healing powers, songs and beliefs. The animal stories tell why certain animals look or act the way they do. In these stories, the animals are very large and can talk. In the beginning, the Cherokee could communicate with the animals - they spoke the same language. However, mankind abused that privilege by becoming greedy and taking too much, so the ability to speak with the animals was lost.
A few of the Cherokee stories are shared below. You can follow the link at the bottom to read many more traditional tales.
The Coming of Corn
Long ago, when the world was new, an old woman lived with her grandson in the shadow of the big mountain. They lived happily together until the boy was seven years old. Then his Grandmother gave him his first bow and arrow. He went out to hunt for game and brought back a small bird.
"Ah," said the Grandmother, "You are going to be a great hunter. We must have a feast." She went out to the small storehouse behind their cabin. She came back with dried corn in her basket and made a fine-tasting soup with the small bird and the corn.
From that point on the boy hunted. Each day he brought back something and each day the Grandmother took some corn from the storage house to make soup. One day, though, the boy peeked into the storehouse. It was empty! But that evening, when he returned with game to cook, she went out again and brought back a basket filled with dry corn.
"This is strange," the boy said to himself. "I must find out what is happening."
The next day, when he brought back his game, he waited until his Grandmother had gone out for her basket of corn and followed her. He watched her go into the storehouse with the empty basket. He looked through a crack between the logs and saw a very strange thing. The storehouse was empty, but his grandmother was leaning over the basket. She rubbed her hand along the side of her body, and dried corn poured out to fill the basket. Now the boy grew afraid. Perhaps she was a witch! He crept back to the house to wait. When his Grandmother returned, though, she saw the look on his face.
"Grandson," she said, "you followed me to the shed and saw what I did there."
"Yes, Grandmother," the boy answered.
The old woman shook her head sadly. "Grandson," she said, "then I must get ready to leave you. Now that you know my secret I can no longer live with you as I did before. Before the sun rises tomorrow I shall be dead. You must do as I tell you, and you will be able to feed yourself and the people when I have gone."
The old woman looked very weary and the boy started to move toward her, but she motioned him away. "You cannot help now, Grandson. Simply do as I tell you. When I have died, clear away a patch of ground on the south side of our lodge, that place where the sun shines longest and brightest. The earth there must be made completely bare. Drag my body over that ground seven times and then bury me in that earth. Keep the ground clear. If you do as I say, you shall see me again and you will be able to feed the people." Then the old woman grew silent and closed her eyes. Before the morning came, she was dead.
Her grandson did as he was told. He cleared away the space at the south side of the cabin. It was hard work, for there were trees and tangled vines, but at last the earth was bare. He dragged his Grandmother's body, and wherever a drop of her blood fell a small plant grew up. He kept the ground clear around the small plants, and as they grew taller it seemed he could hear his Grandmother's voice whispering in the leaves. Time passed and the plants grew very tall, as tall as a person, and the long tassels at the top of each plant reminded the boy of his grandmother's long hair. At last, ears of corn formed on each plant and his Grandmother's promise had come true. Now, though she had gone from the Earth as she had once been, she would be with the people forever as the corn plant, to feed them.
-- "The Coming of Corn," a Cherokee story as told by Joseph Bruchac
"Ah," said the Grandmother, "You are going to be a great hunter. We must have a feast." She went out to the small storehouse behind their cabin. She came back with dried corn in her basket and made a fine-tasting soup with the small bird and the corn.
From that point on the boy hunted. Each day he brought back something and each day the Grandmother took some corn from the storage house to make soup. One day, though, the boy peeked into the storehouse. It was empty! But that evening, when he returned with game to cook, she went out again and brought back a basket filled with dry corn.
"This is strange," the boy said to himself. "I must find out what is happening."
The next day, when he brought back his game, he waited until his Grandmother had gone out for her basket of corn and followed her. He watched her go into the storehouse with the empty basket. He looked through a crack between the logs and saw a very strange thing. The storehouse was empty, but his grandmother was leaning over the basket. She rubbed her hand along the side of her body, and dried corn poured out to fill the basket. Now the boy grew afraid. Perhaps she was a witch! He crept back to the house to wait. When his Grandmother returned, though, she saw the look on his face.
"Grandson," she said, "you followed me to the shed and saw what I did there."
"Yes, Grandmother," the boy answered.
The old woman shook her head sadly. "Grandson," she said, "then I must get ready to leave you. Now that you know my secret I can no longer live with you as I did before. Before the sun rises tomorrow I shall be dead. You must do as I tell you, and you will be able to feed yourself and the people when I have gone."
The old woman looked very weary and the boy started to move toward her, but she motioned him away. "You cannot help now, Grandson. Simply do as I tell you. When I have died, clear away a patch of ground on the south side of our lodge, that place where the sun shines longest and brightest. The earth there must be made completely bare. Drag my body over that ground seven times and then bury me in that earth. Keep the ground clear. If you do as I say, you shall see me again and you will be able to feed the people." Then the old woman grew silent and closed her eyes. Before the morning came, she was dead.
Her grandson did as he was told. He cleared away the space at the south side of the cabin. It was hard work, for there were trees and tangled vines, but at last the earth was bare. He dragged his Grandmother's body, and wherever a drop of her blood fell a small plant grew up. He kept the ground clear around the small plants, and as they grew taller it seemed he could hear his Grandmother's voice whispering in the leaves. Time passed and the plants grew very tall, as tall as a person, and the long tassels at the top of each plant reminded the boy of his grandmother's long hair. At last, ears of corn formed on each plant and his Grandmother's promise had come true. Now, though she had gone from the Earth as she had once been, she would be with the people forever as the corn plant, to feed them.
-- "The Coming of Corn," a Cherokee story as told by Joseph Bruchac
Story of the Cherokee Rose
When the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey. The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength. The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell.