Oosiyo Nikaata,
(Hello Everyone)

Welcome to my storybook world.
You can view the stories I have published for my Mythology and Folklore Class by clicking on the story links above or browsing them as you read this introduction. The theme I have chosen, for my stories, is Cherokee Myths and Legends. I've taken 7 of the stories, which have been told for centuries among the Cherokee Indians, and retold them in my own words. I chose to frame the stories around a young Cherokee boy and his family. Since our Elders are so special to us, I thought it fitting to have his grandparents relate the legends to him and use some Cherokee words. Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up with Cherokee as their first language. I've provided a pronunciation key at the bottom of the page for your convenience.

In my quest to learn more about my Cherokee heritage I've begun to research the oral legends which are so inherent in the culture. I've learned so much over the semester by reading these ancient oral myths. I decided to make my first story the Creation myth. Each Native American nation has a story relating to how they came to be on Mother Earth. Most Native American tribes have a reverence for animals and plants which the Euro-Americans have never quite understood. As you'll see, it's believed the animals live much like the tribe working together as a community and with God to help form the world as we know it today.

When you read Indian stories many times animals are portrayed as speaking, either to another animal or to a person. Story #2 is the legend of fire. Have you ever been curious how fire was given to the world? The Cherokee have a dance called the Stompdance. The people dance in a winding circle around the fire and a song leader sings a prayer or a song to the Creator in praise and thanksgiving. The smoke from the sacred fire ascends to the heavens carrying the words of the song to God.

If you could choose a color from the rainbow, what color would you choose to be? I like comical stories too, for my third story I chose the legend of the Blue Coyote. Blue, you ask? Wouldn't that be great? If I could choose to match the sky and fly high like the bluebird, higher than high, would I? Read the story of the envious Coyote and ask yourself what color you would choose and why!

As I've progressed through these wonderful myths and legends this semester, one theme repeats itself many times, animals are sacred beings just like humans. Ever heard the story of the Birds and the Bees? How about the Wren and the Cricket? This is the legend about how the animals announce the birth of a child to the community. I think I liked this one better than the version I heard in school.

At first the stories may seem strange the way they are told but when you translate from a Native language to English you, often times, lose part of the spiritual aspect. I've heard many stories about leprechauns but I never knew the Cherokee had their own "Little People Story" . If you enjoy stories about the supernatural you may like this one. I've read several others which, also, refer to supernatural beings and now I don't think I'll ever view angels the same way again.

I wondered if the different nations had stories that were similar. Did tribes far away know about each other? I knew there were people who specialized in trading with other tribes and brought stories and news back to their own nation, but I wasn't sure how much they knew of each other. After reading the story about "The Ice Man", I realized that Native Americans must have some pretty awesome tales about each other. One important observation I made was even though a holy man may not belong to your tribe or clan that doesn't mean you doubt his powers. People of power are revered and respected by all Native Nations. No matter which of the 4 directions people traveled they always brought back wonderful messages to their own nation.

Being the star gazer that I am, my last story was very interesting. I read the original version in "Myths of the Cherokee" by James Mooney. I love this brief little myth. It had very personal meaning for me and it was fun to weave a story around the legend of the Milky Way. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them and explaining the myths and legends in my own words. These are just a few of the hundreds of Native American tales that have been repeated in the oral history of the nations.
I invite you to browse my webpages and learn with me the amazing stories of the Jalaki (Cherokee) people.
Vickie Allen
vickie@ou.edu

Cherokee Language pronunciation:

vowels: a (sounds like "ah"), e (sounds like long "a"), i (sounds like long "e"), o (sounds like long "o"),
u (sounds like long "oo"), v (sounds like "uh")

consonants: all are pronounced the same as in English) except for - k (sounds like "g"),
kh (sounds like "k"), t (sounds like "d"), th (sounds like "t")