Post by Okwes on Sept 24, 2007 8:21:31 GMT -5
False Warriors Of Chilhowee - Cherokee
Some warriors of Chilhowee town, on Little Tennessee, organized a war party,
as they said, to go against the Shawano. They started off north along the
great war trail, but when they came to Pigeon river they changed their
course, and instead of going on toward the Shawano country they went up the
river and came in at the back of Cowee, one of the Middle settlements of
their own tribe. Here they concealed themselves near the path until a party
of three or four unsuspecting townspeople came by, when they rushed out and
killed them, took their scalps and a gun belonging to a man named
Gubskali'ski, and then hurriedly made their way home by the same roundabout
route to Chilhowee, where they showed the fresh scalps and the gun, and told
how they had met the Shawano in the north and defeated them without losing a
man.
According to custom, preparations were made at once for a great scalp dance
to celebrate the victory over the Shawano. The dance was held in the
townhouse and all the people of the settlement were there and looked on,
while the women danced with the scalps and the gun, and the returned
warriors boasted of their deeds. As it happened, among those looking on was
a visitor from Cowee, a gunstocker, who took particular notice of the gun
and knew it at once as one he had repaired at home for Gubskali'ski. He said
nothing, but wondered much how it had come into possession of the Shawano.
The scalp dance ended, and according to custom a second dance was appointed
to be held seven days later, to give the other warriors also a chance to
boast of their own war deeds. The gunstocker, whose name was Gulsadihi',
returned home to Cowee, and there heard for the first time how a Shawano war
party had surprised some of the town people, killed several, and taken their
scalps and a gun. He understood it all then, and told the chief that the
mischief had been done, not by a hostile tribe, but by the false men of
Chilhowee. It seemed too much to believe, and the chief said it could not be
possible, until the gunstocker declared that he had recognized the gun as
one he had himself repaired for the man who had been killed. At last they
were convinced that his story was true, and all Cowee was eager for revenge.
It was decided to send ten of their bravest warriors, under the leadership
of the gunstocker, to the next dance at Chilhowee, there to take their own
method of reprisal. Volunteers offered at once for the service. They set out
at the proper time and arrived at Chilhowee on the night the dance was to
begin. As they crossed the stream below the town they met a woman coming for
water and took their first revenge by killing her. Men, women, and children
were gathered in the townhouse, but the Cowee men concealed themselves
outside and waited. In this dance it was customary for each warrior in turn
to tell the story of some deed against the enemy, putting his words into a
song which he first whispered to the drummer, who then sang with him,
drumming all the while. Usually it is serious business, but occasionally,
for a joke, a man will act the clown or sing of some extravagant performance
that is so clearly impossible that all the people laugh. One man after
another stepped into the ring and sang of what he had done against the
enemies of his tribe. At last one of the late war party rose front his seat,
and after a whisper to the drummer began to sing of how they had gone to
Cowee and taken scalps and the gun, which he carried as he danced. The chief
and the people, who knew nothing of the treacherous act, laughed, heartily
at what they thought was a great joke.
But now the gunstocker, who had been waiting Outside with the Cowee men,
stripped off his breechcloth and rushed naked into the townhouse. Bending
down to the drummer--who was one of the traitors, but failed to recognize
Gulsadihi'--he gave him the words, and then straightening up he began to
sing, "Hi! Ask who has done this!" while he danced around the circle, making
insulting gestures toward every one there. The song was quick and the
drummer beat very fast. He made one round and bent down again to the
drummer, then straightened up and sang, "Yu! I have killed a pregnant woman
at the ford and thrown her body into the river!" Several men started with
surprise, but the chief said, "He is only joking; go on with the dance," and
the drummer beat rapidly.
Another round and he bent down again to the drummer and then began to sing,
"We thought our enemies were from the north, but we have followed them and
they are here!" Now the drummer knew at last what it all meant and he
drummed very slowly, and the people grew uneasy. Then, without waiting on
the drummer, Gulsadihi' sang, "Cowee will have a ball play with you!"--and
everyone knew this was a challenge to battle--and then fiercely: "But if you
want to fight now my men are ready to die here!"
With that he waved his hand and left the townhouse. The dancers looked at
each other uneasily and some of them rose to go. The chief, who could not
understand it, urged them to go on with the dance, but it was of no avail.
They left the townhouse, and as they went out they met the Cowee men
standing with their guns ready and their hatchets in their belts. Neither
party said anything, because they were still on friendly ground, but
everyone knew that trouble was ahead.
The Cowee men returned home and organized a strong party of warriors from
their own and all the neighboring Middle settlements to go and take
vengeance on Chilhowee and on Kuwa'hi, just below, which had also been
concerned in the raid. They went down the Tennessee and crossed over the
mountains, but when they came on the other side they found that their
enemies had abandoned their homes and fled for refuge to the remoter
settlements or to the hostile Shawano in the north.
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney. From the Nineteenth Annual Report of
the Bureau of American Ethnology 1897-98, Part I. [1900] and is now in the
public domain.
Some warriors of Chilhowee town, on Little Tennessee, organized a war party,
as they said, to go against the Shawano. They started off north along the
great war trail, but when they came to Pigeon river they changed their
course, and instead of going on toward the Shawano country they went up the
river and came in at the back of Cowee, one of the Middle settlements of
their own tribe. Here they concealed themselves near the path until a party
of three or four unsuspecting townspeople came by, when they rushed out and
killed them, took their scalps and a gun belonging to a man named
Gubskali'ski, and then hurriedly made their way home by the same roundabout
route to Chilhowee, where they showed the fresh scalps and the gun, and told
how they had met the Shawano in the north and defeated them without losing a
man.
According to custom, preparations were made at once for a great scalp dance
to celebrate the victory over the Shawano. The dance was held in the
townhouse and all the people of the settlement were there and looked on,
while the women danced with the scalps and the gun, and the returned
warriors boasted of their deeds. As it happened, among those looking on was
a visitor from Cowee, a gunstocker, who took particular notice of the gun
and knew it at once as one he had repaired at home for Gubskali'ski. He said
nothing, but wondered much how it had come into possession of the Shawano.
The scalp dance ended, and according to custom a second dance was appointed
to be held seven days later, to give the other warriors also a chance to
boast of their own war deeds. The gunstocker, whose name was Gulsadihi',
returned home to Cowee, and there heard for the first time how a Shawano war
party had surprised some of the town people, killed several, and taken their
scalps and a gun. He understood it all then, and told the chief that the
mischief had been done, not by a hostile tribe, but by the false men of
Chilhowee. It seemed too much to believe, and the chief said it could not be
possible, until the gunstocker declared that he had recognized the gun as
one he had himself repaired for the man who had been killed. At last they
were convinced that his story was true, and all Cowee was eager for revenge.
It was decided to send ten of their bravest warriors, under the leadership
of the gunstocker, to the next dance at Chilhowee, there to take their own
method of reprisal. Volunteers offered at once for the service. They set out
at the proper time and arrived at Chilhowee on the night the dance was to
begin. As they crossed the stream below the town they met a woman coming for
water and took their first revenge by killing her. Men, women, and children
were gathered in the townhouse, but the Cowee men concealed themselves
outside and waited. In this dance it was customary for each warrior in turn
to tell the story of some deed against the enemy, putting his words into a
song which he first whispered to the drummer, who then sang with him,
drumming all the while. Usually it is serious business, but occasionally,
for a joke, a man will act the clown or sing of some extravagant performance
that is so clearly impossible that all the people laugh. One man after
another stepped into the ring and sang of what he had done against the
enemies of his tribe. At last one of the late war party rose front his seat,
and after a whisper to the drummer began to sing of how they had gone to
Cowee and taken scalps and the gun, which he carried as he danced. The chief
and the people, who knew nothing of the treacherous act, laughed, heartily
at what they thought was a great joke.
But now the gunstocker, who had been waiting Outside with the Cowee men,
stripped off his breechcloth and rushed naked into the townhouse. Bending
down to the drummer--who was one of the traitors, but failed to recognize
Gulsadihi'--he gave him the words, and then straightening up he began to
sing, "Hi! Ask who has done this!" while he danced around the circle, making
insulting gestures toward every one there. The song was quick and the
drummer beat very fast. He made one round and bent down again to the
drummer, then straightened up and sang, "Yu! I have killed a pregnant woman
at the ford and thrown her body into the river!" Several men started with
surprise, but the chief said, "He is only joking; go on with the dance," and
the drummer beat rapidly.
Another round and he bent down again to the drummer and then began to sing,
"We thought our enemies were from the north, but we have followed them and
they are here!" Now the drummer knew at last what it all meant and he
drummed very slowly, and the people grew uneasy. Then, without waiting on
the drummer, Gulsadihi' sang, "Cowee will have a ball play with you!"--and
everyone knew this was a challenge to battle--and then fiercely: "But if you
want to fight now my men are ready to die here!"
With that he waved his hand and left the townhouse. The dancers looked at
each other uneasily and some of them rose to go. The chief, who could not
understand it, urged them to go on with the dance, but it was of no avail.
They left the townhouse, and as they went out they met the Cowee men
standing with their guns ready and their hatchets in their belts. Neither
party said anything, because they were still on friendly ground, but
everyone knew that trouble was ahead.
The Cowee men returned home and organized a strong party of warriors from
their own and all the neighboring Middle settlements to go and take
vengeance on Chilhowee and on Kuwa'hi, just below, which had also been
concerned in the raid. They went down the Tennessee and crossed over the
mountains, but when they came on the other side they found that their
enemies had abandoned their homes and fled for refuge to the remoter
settlements or to the hostile Shawano in the north.
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney. From the Nineteenth Annual Report of
the Bureau of American Ethnology 1897-98, Part I. [1900] and is now in the
public domain.