Shelf entry · Cherokee

Mooney, Myths of the Cherokee (1900), 'The First Fire'

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traditionCherokee

cited by 3 connections

public domain yes

passages digitized: 2

Digitized passages

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fire-3 fire-6

In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was cold, until the Thunders (Ani’-Hyûñ’tikwalâ’ski), who lived up in Galûñ’lati, sent their lightning and put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an island.
The animals knew it was there, because they could see the smoke coming out at the top, but they could not get to it on account of the water, so they held a council to decide what to do.
This was a long time ago.
Every animal that could fly or swim was anxious to go after the fire.
The Raven offered, and because he was so large and strong they thought he could surely do the work, so he was sent first.
He flew high and far across the water and alighted on the sycamore tree, but while he was wondering what to do next, the heat had scorched all his feathers black, and he was frightened and came back without the fire.
The little Screech-owl (Wa’huhu’) volunteered to go, and reached the place safely, but while he was looking down into the hollow tree a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes.
He managed to fly home as best he could, but it was a long time before he could see well, and his eyes are red to this day.

‘The First Fire’, Myths of the Cherokee · James Mooney, 1900

fire-1

Now they held another council, for still there was no fire, and the world was cold, but birds, snakes, and four-footed animals, all had some excuse for not going, because they were all afraid to venture near the burning sycamore, until at last Kanane’ski Amai’yehi (the Water Spider) said she would go.
This is not the water spider that looks like a mosquito, but the other one, with black downy hair and red stripes on her body.
She can run on top of the water or dive to the bottom, so there would be no trouble to get over to the island, but the question was, How could she bring back the fire?
“I’ll manage that,” said the Water Spider; so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a tusti bowl, which she fastened on her back.
Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass to where the fire was still burning.
She put one little coal of fire into her bowl, and came back with it, and ever since we have had fire, and the Water Spider still keeps her tusti bowl.

‘The First Fire’, Myths of the Cherokee · James Mooney, 1900 (the Water Spider)

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Connections resting on this work

fire · fire-1

Fire is never taken by force; it crosses the forbidden gap concealed in a tiny carried container · a hollow stalk, a woven thimble-bowl · after strength has failed. The theft is a smuggling, and the container is humble on purpose. Bonus inversion: the Greek thief hides the ember FROM the thunder-god; the Cherokee ember was SENT by the Thunders · the same fire, the same thunder, opposite directions.

After every strong animal fails, the small Water Spider spins thread from her own body, weaves 'a tusti bowl, which she fastened on her back,' crosses the water, and puts 'one little coal of fire into her bowl' · the whole of fire carried in the smallest possible vessel.

set against Hesiod, Works and Days ll. 50-52…

fire · fire-3

The fire raid permanently brands the body of the animal who dared it: black feathers, red eyes, a burned-short bill. Animal anatomy is read as scar tissue from the one theft. The sharpest edge: the same bird · Raven · is the scorched FAILURE in the Cherokee telling and the mastermind THIEF in the Tlingit telling, as if one dossier were split between two files, the failure kept in one tradition and the success in the other.

The Raven is sent first for the fire 'because he was so large and strong,' but 'the heat had scorched all his feathers black'; the Screech-owl's eyes are burned red, the owls ringed white with ash, the black racer and blacksnake charred black · every failed raider wears the burn forever.

set against Swanton, Tlingit Myths and Texts,…

fire · fire-6

In both, water is fire's declared enemy and a hollow tree is fire's ark: fire survives the water-siege only because a tree holds it. The Māori text runs the siege in reverse (rain sent to save the thief nearly annihilates fire itself, and the tree is the refuge OF fire), the Cherokee runs it forward (water blockades fire until a water-walking spider breaks the siege) · but the triangle fire/water/hollow-tree is identical, and in both the tree is where people still go to get fire back.

Fire's home is 'the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an island'; the animals 'could not get to it on account of the water' · the world's only fire besieged on all sides by its opposite element, alive inside a tree.

set against Grey, Polynesian Mythology, pp.…

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