Week 10 Reading A Notes Myths of the Cherokee

Myths of the Cherokee Notes

Story source: Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900).
Image info: https://sharedveracity.net/2015/04/18/the-groaning-of-creation-in-romans-819-23/ 

How the World Was Made Notes 

• earth is an island floating in the sea
• suspended by 4 ropes at each of the cardinal points
• when the earth and all of the people die the cords will break and all will be water again
• the water beetle (Dayuni'si, Beaver's Grandchild) offered to go see if it could learn what was below when all was water again
• found no firm place to rest 
• the beetle swam down and brought back some soft mud that grew and spread in every direction until it became an island
• no one knows who fastedned the island to the sky 
• the other animals were anxious to go to the island
• Galun'lati, heaven beyond the arch
• birds went and looked if the island was dry with no avail
• the Great Buzzard was sent and told to go and make ready for the other animals
• when the buzzard reached Cherokee country he was tired and began to flap his wings which hit the groud
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• where they struck there was a valley, and where they rose a mountain
• other animals were afraid that the whole earth was going to look like this and called him back 
• this is why Cherokee country is full of mountains 
• they got the sun in a track to cross the island everyday from east to west
• Tsiska'gili, the Red Crawfish, his shell was burnt bright red and his meat was spoiled so the Cherokee would not eat him 
• because it was so hot the animals raised the sun 7 handsbreadths high and just under the sky arch 
• the conjuteres call the highest place Gulkwa'gine Di'galun'latiyun, the seventh height 
• in the underworld everything is the same except the season are opposite
• because the waters are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the outer air
• no one knows who made the animals and plants they were told to watch and keep awake for 7 nights 
• they all tried, but night by night more fell alseep until the owl and the panther and a few others were still awake
• they were given the ability to see in the dark and make prey out of the animals who slept at night
• the evergreens are green year round because they too stayed awake: cedar, pine, spruce, holly and the laurel 
• these trees are also the greatest for medicine 
• at first there was only a brother and a sister until he struck her with a fish and told her to multiply, and so it was
• every 7 days there was another child until the danger that the world could not keep them
• then it was made that a woman should only have one child in a year and it has been so ever since 
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