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hi everyone

hope you are doing well, and I hope the wars are not exhausting you and your family too much

I am compiling some excerpts from a book written in 1900 called Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney right now for use in a searchable index of Cherokee culture...some sample text appears below.

if you would like to become the owner of your very own deluxe library of Cherokee culture please don't hesitate to speak up about it. you may be surprised to learn how many free resources already exist out there for people like you. no joke.

now here is a story about panthers. perhaps some will find it an inspiring source for Halloween garb ideas.

as I understand it the detsanun’li referenced in this story describes a piece of land that has been made ready for ceremonial purposes

bye, have a beautiful day, thanks for reading. -Suzy

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Dover Books
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
p. 324

The Underground Panthers

A hunter was in the woods one day in winter when suddenly he saw a panther coming toward him and at once prepared to defend himself. The panther continued to approach, and the hunter was just about the shoot when the animal spoke, and at once it seemed to the man as if there was no difference between them, and they were both of the same nature. The panther asked him where he was going, and the man said that he was looking for a deer. “Well,” said the panther, “we are getting ready for a Green-corn dance, and there are seven of us out after a buck, so we might as well hunt together.”

The hunter agreed and they went on together. They started up one deer and another, but the panther made no sign, and said only “Those are too small; we want something better.” So the hunter did not shoot, and they went on. They started up another deer, a larger one, and the panther sprang upon it and tore its throat, and finally killed it after a hard struggle. The hunter got out his knife to skin it, but the panther said the skin was too much torn to be used and they must try again. They started up another large deer, and this the panther killed without trouble, and then, wrapping his tail around it, threw it across his back. “Now, come to our townhouse,” he said to the hunter.

The panther led the way, carrying the captured deer upon his back, up a little stream branch until they came to the head spring, when it seemed as if a door opened in the side of the hill and they went in. Now the hunter found himself in front of a large townhouse, with the finest detsanun’li he had ever seen, and the trees around were green, and the air was warm, as in summer. There was a great company there getting ready for the dance, and they were all panthers, but somehow it all seemed natural to the hunter. After a while the others who had been out came in with the deer they had taken, and the dance began.

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