Datasets:

PatrickHaller

/

pile-10M-words

like 1

next time he came, as they were sitting together in the dark of the asi, she slyly dipped her hand into the cinders and ashes of the fireplace and rubbed it over his face, say- ing. "Your face is cold; you must have suffered from the wind,'' and pretending to be very sorry for him, but he did not know that she had ashes on her hand. After a while he left her and went away again. The next night when the Moon came up in the sky his face was cov- ered with spots, and then his sister knew he was the one who had been BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGV NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. X.ll TAGWADlHi' mooney] THE MOOM AND THE THUNDERS 257 coming to see her. He was so much ashamed to have her know it thai li«' kept usfar away as he could at the other end of the skj all the night. Ever since he tries to keep a long way behind the Sun. and when he doc- sometimes have to conic near her in the west he makes himself as thin as a ribbon so thai he can hardly be seen. Some old people saj that the moon is a hall which was thrown up against the sky in a game a lone- time ago. They say that two towns were playing against each other, hut one of them had tin' best runners and had almost won the came, when the leader of tl ther side picked up the hall with his hand- a thine- that is not allowed in the game and tried to throw it to the goal, hut it struck

against the solid sky vault and was fastened there, to remind players never to cheat. When the moon look- -mall and pale it is because somi has handled the hall unfairly, and for this reason they formerly played only at the time of a full moon. When the sun or moon i- eclipsed it is because a great frog up in the sky is trying to swallow it. Everybody knows this, even the Creek- and the other tribes, and in the olden times, eighty or a hun- dred year- ago, before the great medicine men were all dead, when ever they -aw the sun grow dark the people would come together and tire guns and heat the drum, ami in a little while tin- would frighten off the greal frog ami the sun would he all right again. The commonmoving along the ridge, and after talking over the matter decided to go on the mor- row and try to learn the cause. In the morning they started out and went until they came to the ridge, where, after searching some time. they found two strange creatures about so large (making a circle with outstretched arms), with round bodies covered with tine fur or downy feathers, from which small heads stuck out like the heads of terrapins. As tlic breeze played upon these feathers showers of sparks flew out. The hunters carried the strange creatures back to the camp, intend- ing to take them home to the settlements on their return. They kept them several days and noticed that every night they would grow bright and shine like great stars, although by day they were (inly balls of gray fur.

except when the wind stirred and made the sparks fly out. They kept very quiet, and no one thought of their trying to escape, when, on the seventh night, they suddenly rose from the ground like balls of fire and were soon above the tops of the trees. Higher and higher they went, while the wondering hunters watched, until at last they were only two bright points of light in the dark sky, and then the hunters knew that they were stars. • 10. ORIGIN OF THE PLEIADES AND THE PINE Long ago, when the world was new, there were seven boys who used to spend all their time down by the townhouse playing the gatayu'sti game, rolling a .stone wheel along the ground and sliding a curved stick after it to strike it. Their mothers scolded, but itthat their feet were off the earth, and that with every round they rose higher and higher in the air. They ran to get their children, but it was too late, for they were already above the roof of the townhouse — all but one, whose mother managed to pull him down with the gatayu'sti pole, but he struck the ground with such force that he sank into it and the earth closed over him. The other six circled higher and higher until they went up to the ORIGIN OF STRAWBEEE] ES 2 >9 sky, where we see them now as the Pleiades, which the Cherokee stiil call A.ni'tsutsa (The Boys). The people grieved long after them, but the mother whose boy had gone into the ground came every morning and every evening to cry over the spot until

the earth was damp with her tears. At hist a little green shoot sprouted up and gre^ day by day until it became the tall tree that we call now the pine, and the pine is of the same nature as the stars and holds in itself the same bright light. n. THE MILKY WAY Some people in the south hail a corn mill, in which they pounded thi' corn into meal, and several mornings when they came to till it they noticed that some of the meal had been stolen d urine- the night. They examined the ground anil found the tracks of a doe'. s ( > the next night the\ watched, and when the doe- came from the north and began to eat the meal out of the howl they sprang out and whipped him. lieran off howling to his home in the north, with the meal dropping from his mouth as lie ran, and leaving behind a white trail where now weseethe Milky Way. which the Cherokee call to this day (ii li'-utsun'stanufi'j i. ■• Where the doe- ran." 12. ORIGIN OF STRAWBERRIES When the first man was created and a mate was given to him. they lived together very happily for a time, hut then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her husband and started oh" toward Nund&gun'ja, the Sun land, in the east. The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until I'ne' lanun'hi, the great Apportioner (the Sun), took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife. lb' said he was not. and I'ne'

lanun'hi then asked him if he would like to have her hack again, to which lie eagerly answered yes. So I'ne' lanun'hi caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries to spring up alone- the path in front of the woman, but she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these also she refused to notice. Other fruits, one, two, and three, and then some trees covered with beautiful red service berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her. hut she still went on until suddenly she saw in front a patch of large ripe strawberries, the first ever known. She stooped to gather a few to eat. and as she picked them -he chanced to turn her face to the west, and at once the memory ofher husband came hack to her and she found herself unable to go on. She sat down, hut the longer she waited the stronger became her desire for her husband, and at last she gathered a hunch of the finest berries and started back alone- the path to give them to him. He met her kindly and they went home together. 260 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.19 13. THE GREAT YELLOW-JACKET: ORIGIN OF FISH AND FROGS A long time ago the people of the old town of Kanu'ga la'yi (" Brier place," or Briertown), on Nantahala river, in the present Macon county. North Carolina, were much annoyed by a great insect called U'la'gu.', as large as a house, which used to come from some secret hiding place, and darting swiftly through the air, would snap up chil- dren from their

play and carry them away. It was unlike any other insect ever known, and the people tried many times to track it to its home, but it was too swift to be followed. They killed a squirrel and tied a white string to it, so that its course could be followed with the eye. as bee hunters follow the flight of a lice to its tree. The U'la'gu' came and carried off the squirrel with the string hanging to it, but darted away so swiftly through the air that it was out of sight in a moment. They killed a turkey and put a longer white string to it, and the U'la'gvi' came and took the turkey, but was gone again before they could see in what direction it flew. They took a deer ham and tied awhite string to it. and again the U'la'gu' swooped down and bore it off so swiftly that it could not be followed. At last they killed a yearling deer and tied a very long white string to it. The U'la'gu' came again and seized the deer, but this time the load was so heavy that it had to fly slowly and so low down that the string could be plainly seen. The hunters got together for the pursuit. They followed it along a ridge to the east until they came near where Franklin now is, when, on looking across the valley to the other side, they saw the nest of the U'la'gu' in a large cave in the rocks. On this they raised a great shout and made their way rapidly down the mountain and across to the cave.

The nest had the entrance below with tiers of cells built up one above another to the roof of the cave. The great U'la'gu' was there, with thousands of smaller ones, that we now call yellow-jackets. The hunters built tires around the hole, so that the smoke filled the cave and smothered the great insect and multitudes of the smaller ones, but others which were outside the cave were not killed, and these escaped and increased until now the yellow- jackets, which before were unknown, are all over the world. The people called the cave Tsgagun'yi. " Where the yellow-jacket was." and the place from which they first saw the nest they called Atahi'ta. " Where they shouted," and these are their names today. They say also that all the fish and frogs came from a great monster fish andman did not believe it. and the dog said, "If you want a sign that I speak the truth, look at the hack of my neck." lie looked and saw that the dog's neck had the skin worn oil' so that the hones stuck out. Then lie believed the dog, and began to build a raft. Soon the rain came and he took his family, with plenty of provisions, and they all got upon it. It rained for a long time, and the water rose until the mountains were covered and all the people in the world were drow ned. Then the rain stopped and the waters went down again, until at last it was safe to come oil the raft. Now there was no one alive hut the man ami his family, but one day they heard

a sound of dancing and shouting on the other side of the ridge. The man climbed to the top and looked over; everything was still, hut all along the valley he saw great piles of hones of the people who had been drowned, and then he knew that the ghosts had been dancing. Quadruped Myths 15. the fourfooted tribes In Cherokee mythology, as in that of Indian tribes generally, there is no essential difference between men and animals. In the primal genesis period they seem to he completely undifferentiated, and we find all creatures alike living and working together in harmony and mutual helpfulness until man. by his aggressiveness and disregard for the rights of the others, provokes their hostility, when insects, birds, fishes, reptiles, and fourfooted beasts join forces against him (see story. ••( )rigin of Disease and Medicine""). Henceforth theircurtailed by violent means. If it is killed before the expi- ration of the allotted time the death is only temporary and the body is immediately resurrected in its proper shape from the blood (Imps, and the animal continues its existence until the end of the predestined period, when the body is finally dissolved and the liberated spirit goes to join its kindred shades in tin 1 Darkening land. This idea appears in the story of the bear man and in the belief concerning the Little Deer. Death is thus but a temporary accident and the killing a mere minor crime. By some priests it is held that there are seven succes- sive reanimations before the final end. Certain supernatural personages, Kana'ti and Tsul'kalii' (see the myths), have dominion over the animals, and are therefore regarded as the distinctive gods

of the hunter. Kana'ti at one time kept the game animals, as well as the pestiferous insects, shut up in a cave under ground, from which they were released by his undutiful sons. The primeval animals — the actors in the animal myths and the pred- ecessors of the existing species — are believed to have been much larger, stronger, and cleverer than their successors of the present day. In these myths we find the Indian explanation of certain pecu- liarities of form, color, or habit, and the various animals are always consistently represented as acting in accordance with their well-known characteristics. First and most prominent in the animal myths is the Rabbit ( Tsisfat), who figures always as a trickster and deceiver, generally malicious, but often beaten at his own game by those whom he had intended to victimize. Theconnection of the rabbit with the dawn god and the relation of the Indian myths to the stories current among the southern negroes are discussed in another place. Ball players while in train- ing are forbidden to eat the flesh of the rabbit, because this animal so easily becomes confused in running. On the other hand, their spies seek opportunity to strew along the path which must be taken by their rivals a soup made of rabbit hamstrings, with the purpose of rendering them timorous in action. In a ball game between the birds and the fourfooted animals (see story) the Bat, which took sides with the birds, is said to have won the victory for his party by his superior dodging abilities. For this rea- son the wings or sometimes the stuffed skin of the bat are tied

to the implements used in the game to insure success for the players. Accord- ing to the same myth the Flying Squirrel ( Tewa) also aided in securing the victory, and hence both these animals are still invoked by the ball player. The meat of the common gray squirrel (stil&'U) is forbidden to rheumatic patients, on account of the squirrel's habit of assuming a cramped position when eating. The stripes upon the back of the THE FOURFOOTED TRIBES 263 ground squirrel (kiyu' ga) are the mark of scratches made by the angry animals at a memorable council in which be took ii upon himself to say a good word for the archenemy, Man (see " ( )rigin of 1 disease and Medicine"). The peculiarities of the mink (sufigi) ai - e accounted for by another storj . The buffalo, the largestgame animal of America, was hunted in the southern Alleghenj region until almost the close of the last century, the particular species being probably that known in th<' West as the wood or mountain buffalo. The name in use among the principal gulf tribes was practically tin- same, and can not be analyzed, viz, Cherokee, //I'ntst'i'; Hichitee, ya'nasi; Creek, ySna'sa; Choctaw, yaiiask. Although the flesh <>t' the buffalo was eaten, its skin dressed for blankets and bed coverings, its lone- hair woven into belts, and its horns carved into spoons, it is yet strangely absent from Cherokee folklore. So far as is known it is mentioned in hut a single one of the sacred formula-, in which a person under treatment for rheumatism is forbidden to eat the meat, touch the >kin. or use a spoon made from the

horn of the buffalo, upon the ground of an occult connection between the habitual cramped attitude of a rheumatic and the natural "hump" of that animal. The elk is known, probably by report, under the name of a <<■<' ,'ijir,i. "great deer", but there is no myth or folklore in connection with it. The deer. awl', which is still common in the mountains, was the principal dependence of the Cherokee hunter, and is consequently prominent in myth, folklore, and ceremonial. One of the seven gentes of the tribe i- named from it (Ani'-Kawf, "Deer People'*). According to a myth given elsewhere, the deer won hi- horn- in a suc- cessful race with the rabbit. Rheumatism is usually ascribed to the work of revengeful deer ghosts, which the hunter has neglected to placate, while on the other hand the aid of the deertime henceforth. As seen at rare intervals —perhaps once in a lonu' lifetime — the Little Deer is pure white and about the size of a .small doy, has branching antlers, and is always in company with a large herd of deer. Even though shot by the master hunter, he comes to life again, being immortal, but the fortunate huntsman who can thus make prize of his antlers has in them an unfailing talisman that brings him success in the chase forever after. The smallest portion of one of those horns of the Little Deer, when properly consecrated, attracts the deer to the hunter, and when exposed from the wrapping dazes them so that they forget to run and thus become an easy prey. Like the Ulunsu'tl stone (see number 50), it is a dangerous prize when not treated

with proper respect, and is — or was — kept always in a secret place away from the house to guard against sacrilegious handling. Somewhat similar talismanic power attached to the down from the young antler of the deer when properly consecrated. So firm was the belief that it had influence over •"anything about a deer" that eighty and a hundred years ago even white traders used to bargain with the Indians for such charms in order to increase their store of deerskins by drawing the trade to themselves. The faith in the exist- ence of the miraculous Little Deer is almost as strong and universal to-day among the older Cherokee as is the belief in a future life. The bears (i/i'iiii'i) are transformed Cherokee of the old clan of the Ani'-Tsa'guhi (see story. "Origin of the Bear"). Theiraccount of its leanness. It is believed that new-born cubs are hairless, like mice. The wolf ()/',/' ya) is revered as the hunter and watchdog of Kana'ti. and the largest yens in the tribe bears the name of Ani'-wa' ya, "Wolf THE FOURFOOTED TRIBES 265 people." The ordinary ( Iherokee w ill never kill one if he can possibly avoid it, but will let the animal go by unharmed, believing that the kindred of a slain wolf will surely revenge his death, and that the weapon with which the deed is done will be rendered worthless for further shooting until cleaned and exorcised by a medicine man. ( ler tain persons, however, having knowledge of the proper atonement rites, may kill wolves with impunity, and are hired for this purpose t>\ others who have suffered from raids upon their fish

traps or their stock. Like the eagle killer (see "'The BirdTi'ibes"), the professional wolf killer, after killing one of these animals, addresses to it a prayer in which he seeks to turn aside the vengeance of the tribe by laying the burden of blame upon the people of some other settlement. lie then unscrews the barrel of his gun and inserts into it seven small sour- wood rods heated over the fire, and allows it to remain thus overnight in the running stream; in the morning the rods are taken out and the barrel is thoroughly dried and cleaned. The dog (gili'), although as much a part of Indian life among the Cherokee as in other tribes, hardly appears in folklore. One myth makes him responsible for the milky way: another represents him as driving the wolf from the comfortablehouse lire and taking the place for himself. He figures also in connection with the deluge. There is no tradition of the introduction of the horse (sd'gwdli, iromasd 1 'gwdlihu' ', "a pack or burden") or of the cow (wa''ka, from the Spanish, vaca). The hog is called sikiod, this being originally the name of the opossum, which somewhat resembles it in expression, and which is now distin guished as sikwd utse'tsti, "grinning sikwa." In the same wa\ the -hce p. another introduced animal, is called a "•/' unddt 'net," woolly deer"; the goat, dwi' alianu'l&M, "bearded deer," and the mule, " sd'gwd'li digu'landhi'ta, "long-eared horse." The cat, also obtained from the whites, is called wesd, an attempt at the English "pussy." When it purrs by the fireside, the children say it is counting in Cherokee, " ta'ladvl ', in'iu'iji.

ta'ladu', nurHgt" "sixteen, four, sixteen, four." The elephant, which a few of the Cherokee have seen in show-, is called by them Je&ma'md u'tdnu, "great butterfly," from the supposed resem- blance of its long trunk and flapping ears to the proboscis and wines <>1 that insect. The anatomical peculiarities of the opossum, of both sexes, are the subject of much curious speculation among the Indians, many of whom believe that its young are produced without an) help from the male. It occurs in one or two of the minor myths. The fox (tsu''ld) is mentioned in one of the formulas, but doc- no appear in the tribal folklore. The black fox is known by a differenf name {in&'U). The odor of the skunk (dUd') is believed to keep off contagious diseases, and the scent bag is therefore taken outto the little formula which is familiar to nearly every mother in the tribe, when the loosened milk tooth is pulled out or drops out of itself, the child runs with it around the house, repeating four times, " Dd'yi, sl'nitu' (Beaver, put a new tooth into my jaw)'* after which he throws the tooth upon the roof of the house. In a characteristic song formula to prevent frostbite the traveler, before starting out on a cold winter morning, rubs his feet in the ashes of the tire and sings a song of four verses, by means of which, accord- ing to the Indian idea, he acquires in turn the cold-defying powers of the wolf, fleer, fox, and opossum, four animals whose feet, it is held, are never frostbitten. After each verse he imitates the cry and the action of

pretended that he could swim in the water and eat fish just as the Otter did. and when the others told him to prove it he lixed up a plan so that the Otter himself was deceived. Soon afterward they met again and the Otter said, "I eat ducks some- times." Said the Rabbit, "Well, I eat ducks too." The Otter chal- lenged him to try it; so they went up along the river until they saw several ducks in the water and managed to get near without being seen. The Rabbit told the Otter to go first. The Otter never hesi- tated, but dived from the bank and swam under water until he reached the ducks, when he pulled one down without being noticed by the others, and came back in the same way. While the Otter hadbeen under the water the Rabbit had peeled THE BABBIT GOES DUCK 111 NTING 267 sonic bark from a sapling and made himself a noose. " Now ." he said, "Just watch me:"' and he dived in and swam a little way under the water until he was nearly choking and had to come up to the top to breathe. He went under again and came up again a little nearer to the ducks. He look another breath and dived under, and this time he came up among the ducks and threw the noose over the head of one and caught it. The duck struggled hard and finally spread its wings and flew up from the water with the Rabbit hanging on to the noose. It flew on and on until at last the Rabbil could not hold

on any longer, bul had i>- let go and drop. As it happened, he fell into a tall, hollow sycamore stump without any hole at the bottom to gel oul from, and there lie stayed until he was so hungry that lie had to eat his own fui-. as the rabbil does ever since when he is starving. After several days, when he was very weak with hunger, he heard children playing outside around the trees. lie began to sing: Cm a door and l""k at me; I'm the prettiest thing you ever did aee. The children ran home and told their father, who came and began to cut a hole in the tree. As lie chopped away tin' Rabbit inside kepi singing, "Cut it larger, so you can see me better; I'm so pretty." They made the hole larger,other animals. It was -aid that he had the finest coat of all. but no one knew just what it was like. because it was a lone- time since anyone had seen him. They did not even know exactly where he lived — only the general direction; but they knew he would come to the council when the word gol out. Now the Rabbil wanted the verdict for himself, so when it began to look as if it might go to the Otter he studied up apian to cheat him out of it. He asked a few sly questions until he learned what trail the Otterwould take to gel to the council place. Then, without saying any- thing, he went on ahead and after four days' travel he met the Otter and knew him at -e by hi-

beautiful coal of -oft dark-brown* fur. The Otter wa- glad to see him and asked him where he was eroingr. 268 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.ij •■ ( )." said the Rabbit, " the animals sent me to bring you to the council; because you live so far away they were afraid you mightn't know the road.'" The Otter thanked him. and they went on together. They traveled all day toward the council ground, and at night the Rabbit selected the camping place, because the Otter wasa stranger in that part of the country, and cut down bushes for beds and fixed everything in good shape. The next morning they started on again. In the afternoon the Rabbit began to pick up wood and bark as they went along and to load it on his hack. When the Otterthe water! " cried the Rabbit, and the Otter ran and jumped into the river, and he has lived in the water ever since. The Rabbit took the Otter's coat and put it on, leaving his own instead, and went on to the council. All the animals were there, even- one looking out for the Otter. At last they saw him in the distance, and they said one to the other, "The Otter is coming!" and sent one of the small animals to show him the best seat. They were all glad to see him and went up in turn to welcome him. but the Otter kept his head down, with one paw over his face. They wondered that he was so bashful, until the Rear came up and pulled the paw away, and there was the Rabbit with

his split nose. He sprang up and started to run, when the Bear struck at him and pulled his tail off, but the Rabbit was too quick for them and got away. moonky] HOW THE WILDCAT CAUGHT THE GOBBLES 269 18. WHY THE POSSUM'S TAIL IS BARE The Possum used to have a long, bushy tail, and was so proud of it that he combed it oul every morning and sang about it ai the dance. until tlic Rabbit, who had had no tail since the Bear pulled it out. became very jealous and made up his mind to play the Possum a i rick. There was to be a great council and a dance at which all the animals were to he present. It was the Rabbit's business to send out the news. so a- he was passingwent to the Possum's house ami said he had conic to gei him ready for the dance. So the Possum stretched himself out and shut his eyes while the Cricket combed out his tail and wrapped a red string around it to keep it smooth until night. Hut all this time, as he wound the string around, he was clipping oil' the hair close to the roots, and the Possum never knew it. When it was night the Possum went to the townhouse where the dance was to he and found the best seat ready for him. just as the Rab- liit had promised. When his turn came in the dance he loosened the string from his tail and stepped into the middle of the floor. The drummers began to drum and the Possum began to sine-. "See

friends and told them he wanted their help. He said he knew he could not outrun the Rabbit, but he wanted to stop the Rabbit's boasting. He explained his plan to his friends and they agreed to help him. moonei HOW THE TEBRAPIH BEAT THE BABBIT '-'71 When the day came all the animals were there to see the race. The K;il>l)it was with them. but the Terrapin was gone ahead toward the first ridge, as they had arranged, and thej could hardly see him on account of the lone- grass. The word was given and the Rabbil started nil' with long jumps up the mountain, expecting I" win t he race before the Ter- rapin could gel down the other side. But lie fore lie got u|i the moun- tain he saw the Terrapin go over the ridgeahead of him. He ran on. and when he reached the top he looked all around. Imt could not see the Terrapin on account of the lone- o-rass. He kept on down the moun tain and began to climb the second ridge, hut when he looked up again there was the Terrapin just going over the top. Now he was surprised and made his longest jumps to catch up, but when he o-"t to the top there was the Terrapin away in trout going over the third ridge. The Rabbil was getting tired now and nearly out of breath, hut he kept on down the mountain and up the other ridge until he got to the top just in time to see the Terrapin cross the fourth ridge and thus win the race. The Rabbit could not make

another jump. Imt fell over on the ground, crying ml, mi. mi, mi. as the Rabbit does ever since when he is too tired to run any more. The race was given to the Terrapin and all the ani- mal- wondered how he could win against the Rabbit, hut he kept still and never told. It was easy enough, however, because all the Terra pin's friends looked just alike, and he had simply posted one near the toji of each ridge to wait until the Rabbit came in sight and then climb over and hide in the long grass. When the Rabbit came on he could not find the Terrapin and so thought the Terrapin was ahead, and if he had met one of the other terrapins he would have thought it the same one because they looked.soto scar • the thief. That night the Rabbit came, as he had been coming every night, to drink enough to last him all next day. He saw the queer black thing by the well and said. "Who's there?" but the tar wolf said nothing. He came nearer, but the wolf never moved, so he grew braver and said, "Get out of my way or I'll strike you." Still the wolf never moved and the Rabbit came up and struck it with his paw, but the gum held his foot and it stuck fast. Now he was angry and said, "Let mo go or I'll kick you." Still the wolf said nothing. Then the Rabbit struck again with his hind foot, so hard that it was caught in the gum and he could not move, and there he

stuck until the animals came for water in the morning. When they found who the thief was they had great sport over him for a while and then got ready to kill him, but as soon as he was unfastened from the tar wolf he managed to get away. — Wafford, SECOND VEKSION "Once upon a time there was such a severe drought that all streams of water and all lakes were dried up. In this emergency the beasts assembled together to devise means to procure water. It was pro- posed by one to dig a well. All agreed to do so except the hare. She refused because it would soil her tiny paws. The rest, however, dug their well and were fortunate enough to find water. The hare begin- ning to sutler and thirst, and having no right tothe well, was thrown upon her wits to procure water. She determined, as the easiest way. to steal from the public well. The rest of the animals, surprised to find that the hare was so well supplied with water, asked her where she got it. She replied that she arose betimes in the morning and gathered the dewdrops. However the wolf and the fox suspected her of theft and hit on the following plan to detect her: They made a wolf of tar and placed it near the well. On the fol- lowing night the hare came as usual after her supply of water. On seeing the tar wolf she demanded who was there. Receiving no answer she repeated the demand, threatening to kick the wolf if he did not reply. She receiving no reply kicked the wolf, and

said he brought an important order from the council that everybody must get married without delay. So the chief called the people together and told them the message from the council. Every animal took a mate at once, and the Rabbit got a wife. The Possum traveled so slowly that he got there after all the animals had mated, leaving him still without a wife. The Rabbit pretended to feel sorry for him and said. "Never mind. I'll carry the message to the people in the next settlement, and you hurry on as fast as you can, and this time you will get your wife." So he went on to the next town, and the Possum followed close after him. But when the Rabbit got to the townhouse he sent out the word that, as there had been peace solong that everybody was getting lazy the council had ordered that there must be war at once and they must begin right in the townhouse. So they all began fighting, but the Rabbit made four great leaps and got away just as the Possum came in. Everybody jumped on the Possum, who had not thought of bring- ing his weapons on a wedding trip, and so could not defend himself. They had nearly beaten the life out of him when he fell over and pre- tended to be dead until lie saw a good chance to jump up and get away. The Possum never got a wife, but he remembers the lesson, and ever since he shuts his eyes and pretends to be dead when the hunter has him in a close corner. 23. THE RABBIT DINES THE BEAR The

field I dance about — Ha'nialfl! 111! Ha'nia 111! HI! "Now," said the Rabbit, "when I sing 'on the edge of the field,' I dance that way" — and he danced over in that direction — "and when I sing 7;/ .'///.'" you must all stamp your feet hard." The Wolves thought it fine. He began another round singing the same song, and danced a little nearer to the field, while the Wolves all stamped their feet, lie sang louder and louder and danced nearer and nearer to the field until at the fourth song, when the Wolves were stamping as hard as they could and thinking only of the song, he made one jump and was off through the long grass. They were after him at once, but he ran for a hollow stump and climbed up onthe inside. When the the Wolves got there one of them put his head inside to look up, but the Rabbit spit into his eye, so that he had to pull his head out again. The others were afraid to try, and they went away, with the Rabbit still in the stump. 25. FLINT VISITS THE RABBIT In the old days Tawi'skala (Flint) lived up in the mountains, and all the animals hated him because he had helped to kill so many of them. They used to get together to talk over means to put him out of the way, but everybody was afraid to venture near his house until the Rabbit, who was the boldest leader among them, offered to go after Flint and try to kill him. They told him where to find him, and the Rabbit set

and pretty soon he was sound asleep. The Rabbit spoke to him once or twice to make sure, but there was no answer. Then he came over to Flint and with one good blow of the mallet he drove the sharp -take into his body and ran with all his might for his own hole; but before he reached it there was a loud explosion, and pieces of flint flew all about. That is why we find flint in so many places now. One piece struck the Rabbit from behind and cut him just as he dived into his hole. He sat listening until everything seemed quiet again. Then he put his head out to look around, but just at that moment another piece fell and struck him on the lip and split it. as we -tillsee it. 26. HOW THE DEER GOT HIS HORNS In the beginning the Deer had no horns, but his head was smooth just like a doe'-. He was a great runner and the Rabbit was a great jumper, and the animals were all curious to know which could go farther in the same time. They talked about it a good deal, and at last arranged a match between the two. and made a nice large pair of antlers for a prize to the winner. They were to start together from one side of a thicket and go through it, then turn and come back, and tin- one who came out first was to get the horns. On the day fixed all the animals were there, with the antlers put down on the ground at the edge of the thicket

to mark the starting point. While everybody was admiring the horns the Rabbit said: " I don't know this part of the country; I want to take a look through 27<) MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.19 the bushes where I am to run." They thought that all right, so the Rabbit went into the thicket, but he was gone so long that at last the animals suspected he must he up to one of his tricks. They sent a messenger to look for him, and away in the middle of the thicket he found the Rabbit gnawing down the hushes and pulling them away until he had a road cleared nearly to the other side. The messenger turned around quietly and came back and told the other animals. When the Rabbit came out at last they accused him of cheating,but he denied it until they went into the thicket and found the cleared road. They agreed that such a trickster had no right to enter the race at all, so they gave the horns to the Deer, who was admitted to be the best runner, and he has worn them ever since. They told the Rabbit that as he was so fond of cutting down bushes he might do that for a living hereafter, and so he does to this day. 27. WHY THE DEER'S TEETH ARE BLUNT The Rabbit felt sore because the Deer had won the horns (see the last story), and resolved to get even. One day soon after the race he stretched a large grapevine across the trail and gnawed it nearly in two in the middle. Then he went back a piece,

took a good run. and jumped up at the vine. He kept on running and jumping up at the vine until the Deer came along and asked him what he was doing? "Don't you see?" says the Rabbit. "I'm so strong that I can bite through that grapevine at one jump." The Deer could hardly believe this, and wanted to see it done. So the Rabbit ran back, made a tremendous spring, and bit through the vim 1 where he had gnawed it before. The Deer, when he saw that, said. " Well, I can do it if you can." So the Rabbit stretched a larger grapevine across the trail, but without gnawing it in the middle. The Deer ran back as he had seen the Rabbit do, made a spring, and struck the grapevine right in the center,when the Rabbit looked hack the Deer had eonjured the stream so that it was a large river. The Rabbil was never able to get hack again and is still on the other side. The rabbit that we know is only a little thing that came afterwards. 29. WHY THE MINK SMELLS The Mink was such a great thief that at last the animals held a coun- cil about the matter. It was decided to burn him. so they caught the Mink, built a great tire, and threw him into it. As the blaze went up and they smelt the roasted flesh, they began to think he was punished enough and would probably do better in the future, so they took him out of the tire. But the Mink was already burned black and is black ever since, and

Mole burrowed his way underground to where the girl was in bed asleep and took out her heart. He came hack by the same way and gave the heart to the man, who could not see it even when it was put into his hand. ''There," said the Mole, "swallow it, and she will be drawn to come to you and can not keep away." The man swallowed the heart, and when the girl woke up she somehow thought at once of him, and felt a strange desire to be with him, as though she must go to him at once. She wondered and could not understand it. because she had always disliked him before, but at last the feeling grew so strong that she was compelled to go herself to the man and tell him she lovedhim and wanted to be his wife. And so they were married, but all the magicians who had known them both were surprised and wondered how it had come about. When they found that it was the work of the Mole, whom they had always before thought too insignificant for their notice, they were very jealous and threatened to kill him, so that he hid himself under the ground and has never since dared to come up to the surface. 31. THE TERRAPIN'S ESCAPE FROM THE WOLVES The Possum and the Terrapin went out together to hunt persim- mons, and found a tree full of ripe fruit. The Possum climbed it and was throwing down the persimmons to the Terrapin when a wolf came up and began to snap at the persimmons as they fell, before the Ter- rapin could

reach them. The Possum waited his chance, and at last managed to throw down a large one (some say a bone which he carried with him), so that it lodged in the wolfs throat as he jumped up at it and choked him to death. " I'll take his ears for hominy spoons," -aid the Terrapin, and cut off the wolf's ears and started home with them, leaving the Possum still eating persimmons up in the tree. After a while he came to a house and was invited to have some kanahdna gruel from the jar that is set always outside the door. He sat down beside the jar and dipped up the gruel with one of the wolf's ears for a spoon. The people noticed and wondered. When he was satisfied he went on, but soon cameto another house and was asked to have some more kanahe'na. He dipped it up again with the wolf's ear and went on when he had enough. Soon the news went around that the Terrapin had killed the Wolf and was using his ears for spoons. All the Wolves got together and followed the Terrapin's trail until they came up with him and made him prisoner. Then they held a council to decide what to do with him, and agreed to boil him in a clay pot. They brought in a pot, but the Terrapin only laughed at it and said that if they put him into that thing he would kick it all to pieces. They said they would burn him in the fire, but the Terrapin laughed again and said he would put it out. Then

song. //</' ' u-iij, ', In' . and all the wolves danced out in front, until he gave the signal, Yu! and began with ///';/, i,/u'„;\ when they turned and danced back in line. •'That's tine," said the Groundhog, and went over to the next tree and started thesecond song. The wolves danced out and then turned at the signal and danced hack again. "''Unit's very tine,"' said the Groundhog, and went over to another tree and started the third song. The wolves danced their lust and the Groundhog encouraged them, but at each song he took another tree, and each tree was a little nearer to his hole under a stump. At the seventh song he said. "Now, this is the last dance, and when I say Yu.' you will all turn and come after me, andthe one who gets me may have me." So he began the seventh song and kept it up until the wolves were away out in front. Then he gave the signal, Yu! and made a jump for his hole. The wolves turned and were after him. but he reached the hole first and dived in. Just as he got inside, the fore- most wolf caught him by the tail and gave it such a pull that it broke nil. and the Groundhog's tail ha- been short ever since. ******* The unpleasant smell of the Groundhog's head was given it U\ the other animals to punish an insulting remark made by him in council. The story is a vulgar one. without wit enough to make it worth recording. 280 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ahn.19 33. THE MIGRATION OF THE ANIMALS In the old

times when the animals used to talk and hold councils, and the Grubworm and Woodchuck used to marry people, there was once a great famine of mast in the mountains, and all the animals and birds which lived upon it met together and sent the Pigeon out to the low country to see if any food could be found there. After a time she came back and reported that she had found a country where the mast was "up to our ankles" on the ground. So they got together and moved down into the low country in a great army. 34. THE WOLF'S REVENGE— THE WOLF AND THE DOG Kana'ti had wolves to hunt for him, because they are good hunters and never fail. He once sent out two wolves at once. One went to the cast and didnot return. The other went to the north, and when he returned at night and did not find his fellow he knew he must be in trouble and started after him. After traveling on some time he found his brother lying nearly dead beside a great greensnake (sdMkw&'yi) which had attacked him. The snake itself was too badly wounded to crawl away, and the angry wolf, who had magic powers, taking out several hairs from his own whiskers, shot them into the body of the snake and killed it. He then hurried back to Kana'ti, who sent the Terrapin after a great doctor who lived in the west to save the wounded wolf. The wolf went back to help his brother and by his magic powers he had him cured long before the doctor came from the west, because

chickadee), salsa! (the goose). The turtledove is called gid&'-diskanihl' (it cries for acorns), on account of the resemblance of its cry to the sound id' the word for acorn [guW). 'Idle meadow lark IS called tldhaisi' (star), on account of the appearance of its tail when spread out as it soars. The nuthatch (Sitta carolvnensis) is called tsuliefna (deaf), and is supposed to be without hearing, possibly on account of its fearless disregard for man's presence. Certain diseases are diagnosed by the doctors as due to birds, either revengeful bird ghosts, bird feathers about the house, or bird shadows falling upon the patient from overhead. The eagle (cwd'hUi) is the great sacred bird of the Cherokee, a- of nearly all our native tribes, ami figures prominently in their ceremo- nial ritual, especially in all things relating to war. The particular speciesprized was the golden or war eagle (Aquila chryscetus), called by the Cherokee the "pretty-feathered eagle." on account of its beau tiful tail feathers, white, tipped with black, which were in such great demand for decorative and ceremonial purposes that among the west ern tribes a single tail was often rated as equal in value to a horse. Among the Cherokee in the old times the killing of an eagle was an e\ cut which concerned the whole settlement, and could be undertaken only by the professional eagle killer, regularly chosen for the purpose on account of his knowledge of the prescribed forms and the prayers to be said afterwards in order to obtain pardon for the necessary sacrilege, and thus ward off vengeance from the tribe. It is told of one man upon the reservation that having deliberately

killed an eagle in defiance of the ordinances he was constantly haunted by dreams of tierce eagles swooping down upon him. until the nightmare was finally exorcised after a lone- course of priestly treatment. In 1890 there was but one eagle killer remaining among the East Cherokee. It does not appear that the eagle was ever captured alive as among the plains tribes. The eagle must be killed only in the winter or late fall after the crops were gathered and the snakes had retired to their dens. If killed in the summertime a frost would come to destroy the corn, while the songs of the Eagle dance, when tlie feathers were brought home, would so anger the snakes that they would become doubly dangerous. Consequently the Eagle songs were never sung until after the snakes had gone to sleepfor the winter. When the people of a town had decided upon an Eagle dance the 282 MYTHS OF THE CHKKoKKK [ETH. ANN. 19 eagle killer was called in. frequently from a distant settlement, to procure the feathers for the occasion. He was paid for his services from offerings made later at the dance, and as the few professionals guarded their secrets carefully from outsiders their business was a quite profitable one. After some preliminary preparation the eagle killer sets out alone for the mountains, taking with him his gun or bow and arrows. Having reached the mountains, he goes through a vigil of prayer and fasting, possibly lasting four days, after which he hunts until he succeeds in killing a deer. Then, placing the body in a con- 1 .r™i|Pr s IT! IP j Fig. 1 — Feather wand of Eagle dance (made by John

Ax). venient exposed situation upon one of the highest cliffs, he conceals himself near by and begins to sing in a low undertone the songs to call down the eagles from the sky. When the eagle alights upon the car- cass, which will be almost immediately if the singer understands his business, he shoots it, and then standing over the dead bird, he addresses to it a prayer in which he begs it not to seek vengeance upon his tribe, because it is not a Cherokee, but a Spaniard (Askwa'ni) that has done the deed. The selection of such a vicarious victim of revenge is evidence at once of the antiquity of the prayer in its present form and of the enduring impression which the cruelties of the early Spanish adventurers made upon the natives. MOONKYl THE EAGLE — THEand then return to the settlement, leaving the body of the dead eagle upon the ground, together with that of the slain deer, the latter being intended as a sacrifice to the eagle spirits. On reaching the settlement, the feathers, still wrapped in the deer- skin. arc 1 hung up in a small, round hut built for this special purpose near the edge of the dance ground (detsdnHfl'li) and known as the place "where the feathers are kept," or feather house. Some settle- ments had two such feather houses, one at each end of the dance ground. The Eagle dance was held on the night of the same day on which the feathers were brought in. all the, necessary arrangements having been made beforehand. In the meantime, as the feathers were supposed to be hungry after their journey, a

dish of venison and corn was set upon the ground below them and they were invited to eat. The body of a flaxbird or scarlet tanager {Piranga rubra) was also hung up with the feathers for the same purpose. The food thus given to the feathers was disposed of after the dance, a- described in another place. The eagle being regarded as a great ada'wehl, only the greatest war- riors and those versed in the sacred ordinances would dare to wear the feathers or to carry them in the dance. Should any person in the settle- ment dream of eagles or eagle feathers he must arrange for an Eagle dance, with the usual vigil and fasting, at the first opportunity; other- wise some one of his family will die. Should the insect parasites which infest the feathers of the birdwounds, the medicine is blown into the wound through a tube cut from a buzzard quill and some of the buzzard's down is afterwards laid over the spot. There is very little concerning hawks, excepting as regards the great mythic hawk, the Tla'nmvct'. The tl&'nuwti! usdi', or '"little tla'nuwa," is described as a bird about as large as a turkey and of a grayish blue color, which used to follow the flocks of wild pigeons. Hy- ing overhead and darting down occasionally upon a victim, which it struck and killed with its sharp breast and ate upon the wing, without alighting. It is probably the goshawk (Astur atricapUkis). The common swamp gallinule. locally known as mudhen or didapper (G-ailwadagaleata), is called diga'gwwil' (lame or crippled), on account of its habit of flying only for a very short distance at a

time. In the Diga'gwani dance the performers sing the name of the bird and endeavor to imitate its halting movements. The dagtitfou, or white- fronted goose (Anser cdiifrons), appears in connection with the myth of the origin of tobacco. The feathers of the tskw&yi, the great white heron or American egret (BJeeodias egretta), are worn by ball players, and this bird probably the "swan" whose white wing was used as a peace emblem in ancient times. A rare bird said to have been seen occasionally upon the reservation BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. XV SAWANU'Gi, A CHEROKEE BALL-PLAYER mooney] THE BIRD TRIBES 285 many years ago was called by the curious name of nHfldd-dikani' ', "it looks at the sun," "sun-gazer." It is described as resembling a blue crane, and may possibly have been 1 1 » * -Floridus cerulea, or little blue heron. Another infrequent visitor, which sometimes passed over the mountain country in company with flocks of wild geese, was the git'wisguwi', so called from its cry. It is described as resembling a large snipe with yellow leys ;m< i feet unwebbed, and is thought to visit Indian Territory at intervals. It is chiefly notable from the fact that the celebrated chief John Ross derives his Indian name, Gu'wisguwi', from this bird, the name being perpetuated in Coowee- scoowee district of the Cherokee Nation in the West. Another chance visitant, concerning which there is much curious speculation among the older men of the East Cherokee, was called tsun'digwuntsu' gi or tsun'digwdn'tsM, ""forked." referring to the tail. It appeared but once, for a short season, about forty years ago, ami has not been seen since. It is said

properly in Texas and the adjacent region, but strays occasionally into the eastern states. On account of the red throat appendage of the turkey, somewhat resembling the goitrous growth known in the South as "kernels" (Cherokee, dideUsi), the feathers of this bird are not worn by ball players, neither is the neck allowed to be eaten by children or sick persons, under the fear that a growth of "kernels" would be the result. The meat of the rutted grouse, locally known as the pheasant [Sonasa umbettus), is tabued to a pregnant woman, because this bird hatches a large brood, but loses most of them before maturity. Under a stricter construction of the theory this meat is forbidden to a woman until she is past child bearing. The redbird, tatsu'hwd, is believed to have been originally the daughter of the Sun (seein confirmation of this belief, among which may 1 le instanced that of Tom Starr, a former noted outlaw of the Cherokee Nation of the West, who, on one occasion, was about to walk unwittingly into an ambush prepared for him along a narrow trail, when he heard the warning note of the tsikilili', and, turning abruptly, ran up the side of the ridge and succeeded in escaping with his life, although hotly pursued by his enemies. 36. THE BALL GAME OF THE BIRDS AND ANIMALS Once the animals challenged the birds to a great ballplay. and the birds accepted. The leaders made the arrangements and fixed the day. and when the time came both parties met at the place for the ball dance, the animals on a smooth grassy bottom near the river and the birds in the treetops

over by the ridge. The captain' of the animals was the Bear, who was so strong and heavy that he could pull down anyone who got in his way. All along the road to the ball ground he was tossing up great logs to show his strength and boasting of what he would do to the birds when the game began. The Terrapin, too — not the little one we have now, but the great original Terrapin — was with the animals. His shell was so hard that the heaviest blows could not hurt him, and he kept rising up on his hind legs and drop- ping heavily again to the ground, bragging that this was the way he would crush any bird that tried to take the ball from him. Then there was the Deer, who couldoutrun every other animal. Alto- gether it was a tine company. The birds had the Eagle for their captain, with the Hawk and the great Tla'nuwa, all swift and strong of flight, but still they were a little afraid of the animals. The dance was over and they were all pruning their feathers up in the trees and waiting for the captain to give the word when here came two little things hardly larger than field mice climbing up the tree in which sat perched the bird captain. At last they reached the top, and creeping along the limb to where the Eagle captain sat they asked to be allowed to join in the game. The captain looked at them, and seeing that they were four-footed, he asked why they did not go to the animals, where they belonged.

his fur for several minutes they man- aged to stretch the skin on each side between the fore and hind feet, until they had Tewa, the Flying Squirrel. To try him the bird captain threw up the ball, when the Flying Squirrel sprang off the limb after it, caught it in his teeth and carried it through the air to another tree nearly across the bottom. "When they were all ready the signal was given and thegame began, but almost at the first toss the Flying Squirrel caught the ball and carried it up a tree, from which he threw it to the birds, who kepi it in the air for some time until it dropped. The Bear rushed to gel it. but the Martin darted after it and threw it to the Bat, who was flying near theground, and by his dodging and doubling kept it out of the way of even the Deer, until he finally threw it in between the post- and won the game for the birds. The Bear and the Terrapin, who had boasted so of what they would do, never got a chance even to touch the ball. For saving the ball when it dropped, the birds afterwards gave the Martin a gourd in which to build hi- nest, and he still has it. 37. HOW THE TURKEY GOT HIS BEARD When the Terrapin won the race from the Rabbit (see the story) all the animals wondered and talked about it a great deal, because they had always thought the Terrapin slow, although they knew that he was a warrior and had many conjuring secrets beside. But the Turkey was not satisfied