Please allow applet to load.



You have chosen the realm of the Rattlesnake,
You did not choose very wisely.
Read the story and be on your way.
Move quickly or you will be bitten
by the Black Rattlesnake.



THE SNAKES
One day, some Cherokee children were playing out side,
when a rattlesnake crawled out of the grass.
They screamed and their mother ran outside.
With out thinking she took a stick and killed it.
Her husband was hunting in the mountains.
As he was returning home that night,
he heard a strange wailing sound.
Looking around, he found himself in the midst of
agathering of rattlesnakes, whose mouths was open and crying.
"What is the matter?" the man asked the snakes.
The rattlesnakes responded, "Your wife killed our chief,
the Yellow RattleSnake today.
We are preparing to send the Black RattleSnake to take revenge."

The husband immediately accepted their claim
and took responsibility for the crime.
The Rattlesnakes said "If you speak the truth,
you must be ready to make satisfaction".
The price they demanded was the life of his wife
for the sacrifice of their chief.
Not knowing what else may occur, the man consented.
The rattlesnakes told the man that the Black Rattle Snake
would fallow him home and coil up out side his door.
He was to ask his wife to bring him a fresh
drink of water from the spring.
That was all.

His wife had supper waiting for him when he returned home.
"Please bring me some water," he asked her.
She brought him a gourd from the jar, but he refused it.
"No." he said," I would like some fresh water from the spring.
"His wife took a bowl and stepped outside to get him the water.
The man heard her cry.He went outside to find
the Black Rattle Snack had bitten her and she was already dying.
He stayed with her until she had died.

The Black Rattle Snake then crawled out of the grass,
"My tribe is now satisfied, "he told the husband.
He then taught the man a prayer song.
The Black Rattle Snake told him,
"When you meet any of us here after,
sing this song and we will not hurt you.
If by accident one of us should bite you,
sing this song over the person and he will recover.
"And the Cherokee have kept this song to this day.



THE LAW
We have a strict liability law for any killing.
The death created and inbalance which required revenge to restore harmoney.
The clan of the perpetrator of the homicide was to admit and accept
responsibility for the wrongful killing.
Following this system, the husband sacrificed his
wife's life to restore harmoney.
He sis so because that was the law.
Blood called for blood.
In following the law, harmony was restored
between the rattlesnakes and humens.
To reward the man, the snake gave the humans a song to protect
them and remind the snakes of their duty to the humans, as well.

The Creation of imbalance was tied to the Cherokee religion.
It was believed that the murderd "soul" or ghost would be
forced to wander the earth, unable to go to the next world.
This created the imbalance.
The acceptance of responsibility and the death of the killer or
one of his clansmen restored balance by freeing the innocent ghost,
allowing him to go to the next world.
That is why it didn't matter who paid the cost for the
delict of the wrongful killing.
Any death from the responsible clan would suffice to free the
innocent man's ghost from this world.
On this, settlers took their chances by moving onto Cherokee territory,
because they might be called to pay the cost for someone elses
action or the action of their Nation.
Cherokee saw it as their responsibility whether
or not the settlers saw it that way or not.




You Are Vistitor # Counter




This site was created and is maintained by TigerEyes.
All graphics was created by her or by WhiteTiger for this site and should not be taken
with out written permission from them. © 1999,2000,2001