Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
1810. See page 86.
1911 words | Chapter 277
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
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