The Wahnenauhi Manuscript: Historical Sketches of the Cherokees, Pt. 2
Part two of a document created c. 1890 by a member of the Cherokee Nation.
Historical Sketches of the Cherokees, Together With Some of Their Customs, Traditions, and Superstitions
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
By Wah-ne-nau-hi, a Cherokee Indian
From Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 296, 1966, courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
The Cherokees believed in one God, whom they called "Oo-na-hlah-nau-hi," meaning "Maker of all Things," and "Cah-luh-luh-ti-a-hi," or, "The One who lives above." They acknowledged Him as their Friend, and believed that He made every thing, and possessed unlimited Power.
They also believed in an Evil Spirit, called in their language, "Skee-nah"; to his malicious influence they attributed all trouble, calamity and sickness.
They believed in Familiar Spirits, Witch-craft and Conjurers. Witches were supposed to be able to do much harm, both to persons and to property, they received their power from the familiar spirits, who were emissaries of the Evil one. The more easily to affect their plans, witches were thought, sometimes to assume the form of birds or beasts.
Conjurors were doctors who, besides curing deseases, were thought to have power to counteract the evil doings of Witches, and even to destroy the witches themselves, without ever going near, or, seeing them.
If a person was suddenly taken with a new or uncommon desease, a Conjuror was immediately summoned by the friends of the afflicted one. He first examined the patient, looking intently at him, and asking questions about him.
He then made tea of some kind of roots, giving the sick one to drink, and bathing his face and limbs with it. He then had recourse to incantations, blowing his breath on the patient, making manipulations over his body and all the time muttering or speaking in a low tone as if conversing with some one.
In cases of severe pain, the Conjuror procured bark from a particular kind of tree, and burned it to coals, then after warming his hands over the fire, would press them tightly to the pain, then rub them briskly over the fire, after performing this operation several times, quite often the patient recovered.
If this treatment proved unsuccessful then some one suspected of being a witch was accused as the cause of the trouble.
Various methods, at different tunes, were resorted to, to find out and punish the offender, one way was, to make a picture representing the accused and shoot it. if the person died soon after, that fact was proof conclusive of his guilt.
Many medicinal plants and roots were known and used by the people in common deseases. The bark of the Birch Tree was considered a specific for Cancer and malignant ulcers. A leaden-colored, oval-shaped stone, thought, to bo solidified lightning, as it was dug from near the roots of a lightning-struck tree, was a cure for Rheumatism.
I think the Cherokees were not more superstitious than some Civilized Nations.
A few birds and some wild animals were said to be messengers of evil tidings.
There is a Legend of a large serpent, called the "Ground snake," being the color of the ground was said to betoken death to the one who saw it; if it appeared to several persons a National Calamity was apprehended.
A buzzard feather placed over the door prevented the witches from entering their cabins.
The Cherokees had many Traditions. Some are interesting, some appear simply foolish, but hold some hidden meaning; others sound strangely familiar, and are so like the Bible stories that Christian mothers tell their little children, as to make one say, "Where, or, how did they obtain them? Such is the one about the Boy who was swallowed by a fish.
The Cherokee Story is, that the boy was sent on an errand by his father, and not wishing to go, he ran away to the river. After playing in the sand for a short tune, some boys of his acquaintance came by in a canoe, who invited him to join them. Glad of the opportunity to get away, he went with them, but had no sooner got in than the canoe began to tip and rock most unaccountably, the boys became very much frightened, and in the confusion the bad boy fell into the water and was immediately swallowed by a large fish. After lying there for some time he became very hungry, and on looking around he saw the fish's liver hanging over his head. Thinking it was dried meat, he tried to cut off a piece with a mussle shell that he had been playing with and which he still held in his hand the operation sickened the fish and it vomited the boy.
The story of how the world was made is this, — Observe that in telling of the Creation, the plural number "They" is used for the Creator.
It is said, They took a turtle and covered its back with mud. This grew larger and continued to increase until it became quite a large island.
They then made a man and a woman, and led them around the edge of the island. On arriving at the starting place, They planted some corn and then told the man and the woman to go around in the way they had been led, this they did; returning, they found the corn up and growing nicely.
They were then told to continue the circuit; each trip consumed more time, at last the corn was ripe and ready for use. Then fire was wanted.
The animals were called together, and the question asked, "Who will go and bring fire?" The 'possum first came forward and offered to go; he was sent, but returned with out it; he had tried to carry it with his tail, but had that member so scorched and burned that he made a failure. They then sent the buzzard, he, too, failed, returning with his head and neck badly burned. A little spider then said, "I will go and get fire," upon which the beasts and birds raised an uproar, ridiculing the spider, but not one was willing to undertake the hazardous journey, and the spider was allowed to go. She made a little bowl of mud and placing it on her back started, spinning a thread as she traced her way over the water. On arriving at the fire, she carefully placed some coals in her cup and returned crossing safely on the bridge which she had spun.
Another story is told of how sin came into the world. A man and woman brought up a large family of children in comfort and plenty, with very little trouble about providing food for them. Every morning the father went forth and very soon returned bringing with him a deer, or, turky or some other animal or fowl. At the same time the mother went out and soon returned with a large basket filled with ears of corn which she shelled and pounded in a mortar, thus making meal for bread.
When the children grew up, seeing with what apparent ease food was provided for them, they talked to each other about it, wondering that they never saw such things as their parents brought in.
At last one proposed to watch when their parents went out and follow them.
Accordingly next morning the plan was carried out. Those who followed the father, at a short distance from the cabin, saw him stop and turn over a large stone that appeared to be carelessly leaned against another.
On looking closely they saw an entrance to a large Cave and in it were many different kinds of animals and birds, such as their father had sometimes brought in for food. The man standing at the entrance called a deer, which was lying at some distance and back of some other animals, it rose immediately, as it heard the call, and came close up to him.
He picked it up, closed the mouth of the cave and returned, not once seeming to suspect what his sons had done.
When the old man was fairly out of sight, his sons, rejoicing how they had outwitted him, left their hiding place, and went to the cave, saying, they would show the old folks that they too could bring in some thing. They moved the stone away — though it was very heavy, and they were obliged to use all their united strength.
When the cave was opened, the animals, instead of waiting to be picked up, all made a rush for the entrance, and leaping past the frightened and bewildered boys, scattered in all directions and disappeared in the wilderness, while the guilty offenders could do nothing but gaze in stupified amazement as they saw them escape. There were animals of all kinds, large and small — Buffaloes, deer, elks, antelopes, raccoons and squirrels; even catamounts and panthers, wolves and foxes, and many others, all fleeing together; at the same time birds of every kind were seen emerging from the opening, all in the same wild confusion as the quadrupeds: — Turkeys, geese, swans, ducks, quails, eagles, hawks and owls.
Those who followed the mother, saw her enter a small cabin, which they had never seen before, and close the door.
The culprits found a small crack through which they could peer.
They saw the woman place a basket on the ground, and standing over it shook herself vigourously, jumping up and down when lo! and behold! large ears of corn began to fall into the basket, when it was well filled she took it up, and placing it on her head came out, fastened the door and prepared their breakfast as usual. When the meal was finished in silence, the man spoke to his children, telling them that he was aware of what they had done, that now he must die, and they would be obliged to provide for themselves, he made bows and arrows for them, then sent them to hunt for the animals that they had turned loose.
Then the mother told them that, as they had found out her secret, she could do nothing more for them, that she would die, and they must drag her body around over the ground, that where ever her body was dragged, corn would come up, of this they were to make their bread. She told them that they must always save some for seed and plant every year.
I have heard a story about the "Little People" or "Children." "Nuh-na-yie" is the Cherokee name for them. It was said that in old times they were very numerous; they were inoffensive, and would often help any persons whom they found in distress, especially children who were lost. If a child were found, the Nuh-na-yie would appoint several of their number to take care of it and supply it with food until it could be restored to its parents or friends. For this reason they [were] very much loved by the Indians who took great care not to offend them, but for all that something happened by which the Nuh-na-yie felt themselves very much insulted, and for which they determined to leave. The Indians were aware of their intention, and exerted all their arts of persuasion to induce them to remain, but without success, there was nothing for them to do but to see the last of them. There was an arm of the sea which the Little People were to cross.
The Indians assembled on the bank near the place of crossing, looking at them sadly as they passed: on they went into the water, the Indians watching all the time until on the opposite side they disappeared in what seemed to be the mouth of a large cave at the margin of the water, nothing more was ever heard of them. In appearance, the little people were described as being well formed, not more than two feet tall, with an abundance of long black hair almost trailing on the ground. It was said that they were very fond of music.
The drum seemed to be their favorite musical instrument, it was used on all occasions; when on a journey they marched to the sound of the drum.
It was often heard by the Indians, before the Nuh-na-yie went away, sometimes in the mountains, or, in lonely situations far from human habitations, sometimes in the night folks were awakened by the sound of a drum very near their cabins, then it was said that the Nuh-na-yie were about, and on going to their work in the early morning, as gathering in their corn or, clearing off land for a new field, sometimes they were greatly surprised by finding it all finished up, corn all gathered and put away, or, ground made ready for planting, trees and brush all taken off and put up around the sides, making a fence much better than they themselves would have done.
“Historical Sketches of the Cherokees, Together With Some of Their Customs, Traditions, and Superstitions.” Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 296, Anthropological Papers Numbers 75-80, 1966, pp. 175–214., https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ia/bulletin1961966smit#page/5/mode/1up.
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