Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

Iskagua--"Iakagua or Clear Sky, formerly Nenetooyah or the Bloody-Fellow." The name appears thus in a document of 1791 as that of a Cherokee chief frequently mentioned about that period under the name of "the Bloody Fellow." In one treaty it is given as "Eskaqua or Bloody Fellow." Both forms and etymologies are doubtful, neither form seeming to have any reference either to "sky" (galûñ'lahi) or "blood" (gi'ga). The first may be intended for Ik-e'gwa, "Great-day." See page 69. Istanare--see U`stana'li. I`sû'nigû--an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, South Carolina. Hopewell, the country seat of General Pickens, where the famous treaty was made, was near it on the east side of the river. The word cannot be translated, but has no connection with the tribal name, Seneca. Itaba--see I'tawa'. Itagû'nahi--the Cherokee name of John Ax. I'tawa'--The name of one or more Cherokee settlements. One, which existed until the Removal in 1838, was upon Etowah river, about the present Hightower, in Forsyth county Georgia. Another may have been on Hightower creek of Hiwassee river in Towns county, Georgia. The name, commonly written Etowah and corrupted to Hightower, cannot be translated and seems not to be of Cherokee origin. A town called Itaba, Ytaua or Ytava in the De Soto chronicles existed in 1540 among the Creeks, apparently on Alabama river. Itsa'ti--commonly spelled Echota, Chota, Chote, Choquata (misprint), etc; a name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country: the meaning is lost. The most important settlement of this name, frequently distinguished as Great Echota, was on the south side of Little Tennessee river a short distance below Citico creek in Monroe county, Tennessee. It was the ancient capital and sacred "peace town" of the Nation. Little Echota was on Sautee (i. e., Itsâ'ti) creek, a head stream of the Chattahoochee, west of Clarkesville, Georgia. New Echota, the capital of the Nation for some years before the Removal, was established at a spot originally known as Gansa'gi (q. v.) at the junction of the Oostanaula and Conasauga rivers, in Gordon county, Georgia. It was sometimes called Newtown. The old Macedonia mission on Soco creek, of the North Carolina reservation, is also known as Itsâ'ti to the Cherokee, as was also the great Nacoochee mound. See Nagu`tsi'. Itse'yi--"New green place" or "Place of fresh green," from itse'hi, "green or unripe vegetation," and yi, the locative; applied more particularly to a tract of ground made green by fresh-springing vegetation, after having been cleared of timber or burned over. A name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country, variously written Echia, Echoee, Etchowee, and sometimes also falsely rendered "Brasstown," from a confusion of Itse'yi with ûñtsaiyi', "brass." One settlement of this name was upon Brasstown creek of Tugaloo river, in Oconee county, South Carolina; another was on Little Tennessee river near the present Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina, and probably about the junction of Cartoogaja (Gatug-itse'yi) creek; a third, known to the whites as Brasstown, was on upper Brasstown creek of Hiwassee river, in Towns county, Georgia. In Cherokee as in most other Indian languages no clear distinction is made between green and blue (sa`ka'nige'i). i'ya--pumpkin. iya'-iyu'sti--"like a pumpkin," from iya and iyu'sti, like. iya'-tawi'skage--"of pumpkin smoothness," from i'ya, pumpkin, and tawi'skage, smooth. Jackson--see Tsek'sini'. Jessan--see Tsesa'ni. Jesse Reid--see Tse'si-Ska'tsi. Joanna bald--see Diyâ'hali'yi. Joara, Juada--see Ani'-Suwa'li. John--see Tsa'ni. John Ax--see Itagû'nahi. Jolly, John--see Ahu'lude'gi. Junaluska--see Tsunu'lahûñ'ski. Jutaculla--see Tsul`kalû'. kâ'gû'--crow; the name is an onomatope. Kâgûñ'yi--"Crow place," from kâ'gû', crow and yi, locative. See number 63. ka'i--grease, oil. Kala'asûñ'yi--"Where he fell off," from tsila'askû', "I am falling off," and yi, locative. A cliff near Cold Spring knob, in Swain county, North Carolina. Kâ'lahû'--"All-bones," from kâ'lû, bone. A former chief of the East Cherokee, also known in the tribe as Sawanu'gi (Shawano), and to the whites as Sawnook or Flying-squirrel. Kâ'lanû--"The Raven"; the name was used as a war title in the tribe and appears in the old documents as Corani (Lower dialect, Kâ'ranû) Colanneh, Colona, etc. It is the Cherokee name for General Samuel Houston or for any person named Houston. Kâ'lanû Ahyeli'ski--the Raven Mocker. See number 120. Kâ'lanûñ'yi--"Raven place," from kâ'lanû, raven, and yi, the locative. The proper name of Big-cove settlement upon the East Cherokee reservation, Swain county, North Carolina, sometimes also called Raventown. kalâs'-gûnahi'ta--"long-hams" (gûnahi'ta), "long"); a variety of bear. See number 15. Kâl-detsi'yûñyi--"Where the bones are," from kâ'lû, bone, and detsi'yûñyi, "where (yi) they (de--plural prefix) are lying." A spot near the junction of East Buffalo creek with Cheowa river, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122. kama'ma--butterfly. kama'ma u'tanû--elephant; literally "great butterfly," from the resemblance of the trunk and ears to the butterfly's proboscis and wings. See number 15. kanahe'na--a sour corn gruel, much in use among the Cherokee and other southern tribes; the tamfuli or "Tom Fuller" of the Creeks. kanane'ski--spider; also, from a fancied resemblance in appearance, a watch or clock; kanane'ski amaye'hi, the water spider. Kana'sta, Kanastûñ'yi--a traditional Cherokee settlement formerly on the headwaters of the French Broad river near the present Brevard, in Transylvania county, North Carolina. The meaning of the name is lost. A settlement called Cannostee or Cannastion is mentioned as existing on Hiwassee river in 1776. See number 82 and notes. kanâ'talu'hi--hominy cooked with walnut kernels. Kana'ti-- "Lucky Hunter"; a masculine name, sometimes abbreviated Kanat'. The word can not be analyzed, but is used as a third person habitual verbal form to mean "he is lucky, or successful, in hunting"; the opposite is u`kwa'legû, "unlucky, or unsuccessful, in hunting." See number 3. kanegwâ'ti--the water-moccasin snake. Kanu'ga--also written Canuga; a Lower Cherokee settlement, apparently on the waters of Keowee river in South Carolina, destroyed in 1761; also a traditional settlement on Pigeon river, probably near the present Waynesville, in Haywood county, North Carolina. See number 81 and notes. The name signifies "a scratcher," a sort of bone-toothed comb with which ball-players are scratched upon their naked skin preliminary to applying the conjured medicine; de'tsinuga'skû, "I am scratching it." kanugû'`la (abbreviated nugû'`la)--"scratcher," a generic term for the blackberry, raspberry, and other brier bushes. Cf. Kanu'ga. Kanu'gû`lâyi, or Kanu'gû`lûñ'yi--"Brier place," from kanu'gû'`lâ, brier (cf. Kanu'ga); a Cherokee settlement formerly on Nantahala river, about the mouth of Briertown creek, in Macon county, North Carolina. kanûñ'nawû'--pipe. Kâsdu'yi--"Ashes place," from kâsdu, ashes, and yi, the locative. A modern Cherokee name for the town of Asheville, in Buncombe county, North Carolina. The ancient name for the same site is Unta'kiyasti'yi, q.v. Katâl'sta--an East Cherokee woman potter, the daughter of the chief Yânagûñ'ski. The name conveys the idea of lending, from tsiyâtâl'sta, "I lend it"; agatâl'sta, "it is lent to him." Kawân'-urâ'sûnyi (abbreviated Kawân'-urâ'sûñ in the Lower dialect)--"Where the duck fell" from kawâ'na, duck, urâ'sa (ulâ'sa), "it fell," and yi, locative. A point on Conneross creek (from Kawân'-urâ'sûñ), near Seneca, in Oconee county, South Carolina. See number 123. Kawi'yi (abbreviated Kawi')--a former important Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Cowee, about the mouth of Cowee creek of Little Tennessee river, some 10 miles below Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina. The name may possibly be a contraction of Ani'-Kawi'yi, "Place of the Deer clan." Keeowhee--see Keowee. Kenesaw--see Gansâ'gi. Keowee--the name of two or more former Cherokee settlements. One, sometimes distinguished as "Old Keowee," the principal of the Lower Cherokee towns, was on the river of the same name, near the present Fort George, in Oconee county, South Carolina. Another, distinguished as New Keowee, was on the headwaters of Twelve-mile creek, in Pickens county, South Carolina. According to Wafford the correct form is Kuwâhi'yi, abbreviated Kuwâhi', "Mulberry-grove place"; says Wafford, "The whites murdered the name, as they always do." Cf. Kuwâ'hi. Ke'si-ka'gamû--a woman's name, a Cherokee corruption of Cassie Cockram; ka'gamû is also the Cherokee corruption for "cucumber." Ketoowah--see Kitu'hwa. Kittuwa--see Kitu'hwa. Kitu'hwa--An important ancient Cherokee settlement formerly upon Tuckasegee river, and extending from above the junction of Oconaluftee down nearly to the present Bryson City, in Swain county, North Carolina. The name, which appears also as Kettooah, Kittoa, Kittowa, etc., has lost its meaning. The people of this and the subordinate settlements on the waters of the Tuckasegee were known as Ani'-Kitu'hwagi and the name was frequently extended to include the whole tribe. For this reason it was adopted in later times as the name of the Cherokee secret organization, commonly known to the whites as the Ketoowah society, pledged to the defense of Cherokee autonomy. See also historical notes 1 and 47. kiyu`ga--ground-squirrel; te'wa, flying squirrel; salâ'li, gray squirrel. Klausuna--see Tlanusi'yi. Knoxville--see Kuwandâ'tâ`lûñ'yi. kû!--an introductory exclamation, to fix attention, about equivalent to "Now!" kukû'--"cymling"; also the "jigger weed," or "pleurisy root" (Asclepias tuberosa). Coco creek of Hiwassee river, and Coker postoffice, in Monroe county Tennessee, derive their name from this word. Kûlsetsi'yi (abbreviated Kûlse'tsi)--"Honey-locust place," from kûlse'tsi, honey-locust (Gleditschia) and yi locative; as the same word, kûlse'tsi, is also used for "sugar," the local name has commonly been rendered Sugartown by the traders. The name of several former settlement places in the old Cherokee country. One was upon Keowee river, near the present Fall creek, in Oconee county, South Carolina; another was on Sugartown or Cullasagee (Kûlse'tsi) creek, near the present Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina; a third was on Sugartown creek, near the present Morganton, in Fannin county, Georgia. Kunnesee--see Tsi'yu-gûnsi'ni. Kûnstûtsi'yi--"Sassafras place," from kûnstû'tsi, sassafras, and yi, locative. A gap in the Great Smoky range, about the head of Noland creek, on the line between North Carolina and Sevier county, Tennessee. kûnu'nu (abbreviated kûnun')--the bullfrog; the name is probably an onomatope; the common green frog is walâ'si and there are also names for several other varieties of frogs and toads. Kusa'--Coosa creek, an upper tributary of Nottely river, near Blairsville, Union county, Georgia. The change of accent from Ku'sa (Creek, see Ani'-Ku'sa) makes it locative. See page 383. Ku'sa-nûñnâ'hi--"Creek trail," from Ku'sa, Creek Indian, and nûñnâ'hi, path, trail; cf. Suwâ'li-nûñnâ'hi. A former important Cherokee settlement, including also a number of Creeks and Shawano, where the trail from the Ohio region to the Creek country crossed Tennessee river, at the present Guntersville, in Marshall county, Alabama. It was known to the traders as Creek-path, and later as Gunter's landing, from a Cherokee mixed-blood named Gunter. Ku'saweti'yi (abbreviated Ku'saweti')--"Old Creek place," from Ku'sa, a Creek Indian (plural Ani'-Ku'sa), uwe'ti, old, and yi, locative. Coosawatee, an important Cherokee settlement formerly on the lower part of Coosawatee river, in Gordon county, Georgia. In one document the name appears, by error, Tensawattee. See page 382. Kuwâ'hi--"Mulberry place," from ku'wa, mulberry tree, and hi, locative; Clingman's dome, about the head of Deep creek, on the Great Smoky range, between Swain county, North Carolina, and Sevier county, Tennessee. See also Keowee. Kuwandâ'ta`lûñ'yi (abbreviated Kuwandâ'ta`lûñ)--"Mulberry grove," from ku'wa, mulberry; the Cherokee name for the present site of Knoxville, in Knox county, Tennessee. Kwa'li, Kwalûñ'yi--Qualla or Quallatown, the former agency for the East Cherokee and now a postoffice station, just outside the reservation, on a branch of Soco creek, in Jackson county, North Carolina. It is the Cherokee form for "Polly," and the station was so called from an old woman of that name who formerly lived near by; Kwa'li, "Polly," Kwalûñ'yi, "Polly's place." The reservation is locally known as the Qualla boundary. kwandaya'hû--see da'liksta'. lâ'lû--the jar-fly (Cicada auletes). See number 59. Little Carpenter, Little Cornplanter--see Ata'-gûl`kalû. Lloyd--see Da'si`giya'gi. Long-hair--a Cherokee chief living with his band in Ohio in