Cherokee Mythology
The Cherokee Mythology Book: The Uktena, the Spirits, and the Sacred Stories
The Uktena, the Spirits, and the Sacred Stories
The sacred stories of the Cherokee: how the world was made on the back of a water beetle, the horned serpent Uktena and its blazing crystal, the Little People who live inside the mountains, and the medicine that holds it all together. Recorded from the elders before it could be lost.
$14.99
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Inside this book
What you will read
- 11 chapters, primary sources
- Instant PDF download
- Original ink illustrations
- Inline citations to the recorded oral tradition
- Designed for print quality
See all chapters +
- 01The People of the Mountains
- 02How the World Was Made
- 03The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
- 04The First Fire and the Animals Who Brought It
- 05Why the Animals and People No Longer Speak
- 06The Uktena and the Ulunsuti Crystal
- 07The Little People and the Nunnehi
- 08Spearfinger, the Raven Mocker, and the Dangers
- 09The Origin of Disease and Medicine
- 10Kanati and Selu: The Hunter and the Corn Mother
- 11The Sacred Formulas and the Keepers of the Stories
About this book
About this Cherokee mythology guide
The sacred stories of the Cherokee: a world made on a water beetle's back, the horned serpent Uktena, and the medicine that holds it all together.
The Cherokee remember a time when the earth was soft mud floating on water, and a water beetle dove down and brought up the first land, and a great buzzard's wings beat the mountains and valleys into the south. From that beginning comes a whole living world: the horned serpent Uktena with a blazing crystal in its brow, the Little People who help and hide, Spearfinger and the Raven Mocker who hunt in the dark, and Kanati and Selu, the first hunter and the corn mother.
This book gathers those sacred stories with respect. Eleven chapters cover the making of the world, the sun and the stars, the first fire, the Uktena and the Ulunsuti crystal, the Little People and the immortals, the monsters, the origin of disease and medicine, and Kanati and Selu. The last chapter honors the elders and the keepers who saved these stories. Every chapter cites its sources.
Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.
What you will discover inside
- How the world was made on the back of a water beetle and hung from the sky
- The Uktena, the horned serpent, and the blazing Ulunsuti crystal on its brow
- The Little People and the Nunnehi, the immortals who live in the hills
- Spearfinger and the Raven Mocker, the terrors of the old stories
- Kanati the hunter and Selu the corn mother, and the price of plenty
- How James Mooney recorded these stories from the elders before they were lost
Cherokee mythology book at a glance
| Tradition | Cherokee mythology |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 11 chapters |
| Length | 150 pages |
| Sources | Drawn from the primary sources, cited inline |
| Reading level | Beginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch |
| Format | Print-quality PDF |
| Delivery | PDF within 24 hours |
Formats and editions
| Edition | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Instant PDF | Print-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours. | $7.99 |
| Paperback | A paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon. | Coming soon |
About the author
Guillaume Henry
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis
Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.
More about the authorKeep exploring Cherokee mythology
Prefer to read before you buy? These free, fully sourced guides cover the same gods, myths and sources you will meet in the book.
Read the complete Cherokee mythology guideQuestions about the Cherokee mythology book
When will I receive my PDF?
Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.
Is this book respectful of the Cherokee, a living people?
Yes. The Cherokee Nation is very much alive, and the book treats these stories as the living heritage they are. It draws on accounts the Cherokee themselves gave to be recorded, avoids depicting sacred ceremonies or objects sensationally, and keeps to the stories rather than intruding on closed religious practice.
Is this book based on primary sources?
Yes. It draws above all on James Mooney’s Myths of the Cherokee and The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees, recorded directly from Cherokee elders in the 1880s and 1890s, alongside the wider Cherokee oral tradition, with references to the standard editions.
How long is the book?
Eleven chapters, around 150 pages depending on the final layout. Designed to be read in evenings or in one long sitting.
Is this book for beginners or specialists?
Beginners welcome. The book explains every name, place, and concept from scratch. Specialists will find the source citations useful for further reading.
Will there be a paperback on Amazon?
The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.
What formats is this book available in?
Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.
What is the return policy?
The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.
Can I order from outside the United States?
Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.
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