| Legends And Stories |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Legends and Stories Archives |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Scroll Down For Archives |
| UPCH Story Teller Sharon Little Dove |
| October |
| The Star Feathers - A Cherokee Legend |
A long time ago a warrior of roving disposition went down into the white settlements toward the east, where for
the first time he saw a peacock.
The beautiful long feathers surprised and delighted him, and by trading some valuable Indian possession of his
own he managed to buy a few of them, which he took with him to the mountains and hid, until he was ready to
use them, in an old beaver lodge under the river bank. To get into the beaver lodge he had to dive under the
water.
Then he set to work secretly and made himself a headdress, with the long peacock feathers in the front and
trailing out behind and the shorter ones at the sides. At the next dance he wore the new headdress, and
asserted that he had been up to the sky and that these were star feathers. He made a long speech also, which
he pretended was a message he had received from the star spirits to deliver to the people.
Everyone wondered at the beautiful feathers, so different from any they had ever seen before. They made no
doubt that he had been up to the sky and talked with spirits. He became a great prophet, and used to keep
himself hidden all day in the beaver hole, and whenever there was a night gathering for a dance or a council he
would suddenly appear among them wearing his feather headdress and give the people a new message from
the sky. Then he would leave them again, pretending that he went up to heaven.
He grew famous, and powerful among all the medicine men, until at last it happened that another Cherokee
went down among the white settlements and saw there another peacock, and knew at once that the prophet
was a fraud. On his return he quietly told some of his friends, and they decided to investigate.
When the next night dance came around the prophet was on hand as usual with a new message fresh from the
stars. The people listened reverently, and promised to do all that he commanded. Then he left them, saying
that he must return at once to the sky, but as he went out from the circle the spies followed him in the darkness,
and saw him go down to the river and dive under the water. They waited, but he, did not come up again, and
they went back and told the people.
The next morning a party went to the spot and discovered the beaver lodge under the bank. One man dived
and came up inside, and there he found the prophet sitting with the peacock feathers by his side.
the first time he saw a peacock.
The beautiful long feathers surprised and delighted him, and by trading some valuable Indian possession of his
own he managed to buy a few of them, which he took with him to the mountains and hid, until he was ready to
use them, in an old beaver lodge under the river bank. To get into the beaver lodge he had to dive under the
water.
Then he set to work secretly and made himself a headdress, with the long peacock feathers in the front and
trailing out behind and the shorter ones at the sides. At the next dance he wore the new headdress, and
asserted that he had been up to the sky and that these were star feathers. He made a long speech also, which
he pretended was a message he had received from the star spirits to deliver to the people.
Everyone wondered at the beautiful feathers, so different from any they had ever seen before. They made no
doubt that he had been up to the sky and talked with spirits. He became a great prophet, and used to keep
himself hidden all day in the beaver hole, and whenever there was a night gathering for a dance or a council he
would suddenly appear among them wearing his feather headdress and give the people a new message from
the sky. Then he would leave them again, pretending that he went up to heaven.
He grew famous, and powerful among all the medicine men, until at last it happened that another Cherokee
went down among the white settlements and saw there another peacock, and knew at once that the prophet
was a fraud. On his return he quietly told some of his friends, and they decided to investigate.
When the next night dance came around the prophet was on hand as usual with a new message fresh from the
stars. The people listened reverently, and promised to do all that he commanded. Then he left them, saying
that he must return at once to the sky, but as he went out from the circle the spies followed him in the darkness,
and saw him go down to the river and dive under the water. They waited, but he, did not come up again, and
they went back and told the people.
The next morning a party went to the spot and discovered the beaver lodge under the bank. One man dived
and came up inside, and there he found the prophet sitting with the peacock feathers by his side.
