The Journey to the Sunrise
A bunch of bored young men decide to go on a journey to discover where the Sun lives and what the Sun is like. They meet many different tribes along the way with customs different than theirs. A tribe of acorn eaters and a tribe that lived in the pines. They witness a woman being lowered into the grave with her dead husband. I wonder which tribe this was? I honestly have no clue and they don’t give names to any of the tribes.
They finally come to where the sky touches the ground and discover that the sky is actually made of rock and a hidden door is where the Sun comes in and out of.
One of the members tries to go in through the door but the rock comes down and crush him. The rest of his friends are like, “Nuh-uh,” and decide to go back home. It’s a pretty long journey because by the time they get back they’re old men.
I’m really curious what’s on the other side of that door. Space? A parallel universe? Another planet? Who knows?
The Moon and the Thunders
This is a compilation of origin stories of the moon, the sun, and thunder.
In this story, Sun and Moon are siblings. Sun is a woman and her brother is Moon. I always find it interesting how different cultures determine the genders of celestial bodies. Some equate feminine energy with the moon, mysterious and alluring, while others view it as the sun, radiant and nurturing.
Sun is courted by a stranger during the dark phases of the moon. She cannot see his face because it is so dark, so she cleverly puts ashes on his face to identify him. The next time the moon comes out she can see the ash on his face and he hides from her from shame.
Another origin story says that the moon is from a ball that was accidentally thrown up into the sky and stuck to the stone that the sky is made of.
This story also describes the different kinds of thunder. Thunder and his sons who live up in the sky, whose robes are made of rainbow, are benevolent and kind. However there are other thunders in waterfalls, in cliffs and mountains, and other secret places of nature. These thunders are mischievous and tricksters.
I think it’s interesting how there a multiple kinds of thunders. Now that I actually think about it, it does sound like thunder where a waterfall comes down, or in the echoes of a mountain.
How They Brought Back the Tobacco
It’s hard to imagine tobacco as having medicinal qualities and not being regarded as an addictive substance with how it's been advertised in our generation. Personally, I’m fine with tobacco as long as it’s not stuffed in a paper with a bunch of other things I don’t know about. The Cherokee appear to have held tobacco at high value for its medicinal and spiritual purposes.
In this story, the Geese (mean, mean animals) stole the only tobacco plant in the world and hoarded it for themselves. One old woman became very sick and frail without the tobacco medicine, so the animals auditioned to go get back the plant. The Geese killed every animal because they’re heartless creatures.
Geese are jerks
Image: Canadian Expat
Hummingbird offered and was at first laughed at because of his size. Once he demonstrated his incredible speed, however, there was no question about him going. He brought back some leaves and seeds just as the old woman fainted. Smoke was blown into her face and she was revived.
Bibliography
Book: Cherokee Myths
Author: James Mooney
Year: 1900
Read the stories here!
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