KĂNA′STA, THE LOST SETTLEMENT

KĂNA′STA, THE LOST SETTLEMENT

Long ago, while people still lived in the old town of Kăna′sta, on the French
Broad, two strangers, who looked in no way different from other Cherokee,
came into the settlement one day and made their way into the chief’s house.
After the first greetings were over the chief asked them from what town they had
come, thinking them from one of the western settlements, but they said, “We are
of your people and our town is close at hand, but you have never seen it. Here
you have wars and sickness, with enemies on every side, and after a while a
stronger enemy will come to take your country from you. We are always happy,
and we have come to invite you to live with us in our town over there,” and they
pointed toward Tsuwaʻtel′da (Pilot knob). “We do not live forever, and do not
always find game when we go for it, for the game belongs to Tsulʻkălû′, who
lives in Tsunegûñ′yĭ, but we have peace always and need not think of danger.
We go now, but if your people will live with us let them fast seven days, and we
shall come then to take them.” Then they went away toward the west.
The chief called his people together into the townhouse and they held a council
over the matter and decided at last to go with the strangers. They got all their
property ready for moving, and then went again into the townhouse and began
their fast. They fasted six days, and on the morning of the seventh, before yet the
sun was high, they saw a great company coming along the trail from the west,
led the two men who had stopped with the chief. They seemed just like
Cherokee from another settlement, and after a friendly meeting they took up a
part of the goods to be carried, and the two parties started back together for
Tsuwaʻtel′da. There was one man from another town visiting at Kăna′sta, and he
went along with the rest.When they came to the mountain, the two guides led the way into a cave, which
opened out like a great door in the side of the rock. Inside they found an open
country and a town, with houses ranged in two long rows from east to west. The
mountain people lived in the houses on the south side, and they had made ready
the other houses for the new comers, but even after all the people of Kăna′sta,
with their children and belongings, had moved in, there were still a large number
of houses waiting ready for the next who might come. The mountain people told
them that there was another town, of a different people, above them in the same
mountain, and still farther above, at the very top, lived the Ani′-Hyûñtĭkwălâ′skĭ
(the Thunders).
Now all the people of Kăna′sta were settled in their new homes, but the man who
had only been visiting with them wanted to go back to his own friends. Some of
the mountain people wanted to prevent this, but the chief said, “No; let him go if
he will, and when he tells his friends they may want to come, too. There is
plenty of room for all.” Then he said to the man, “Go back and tell your friends
that if they want to come and live with us and be always happy, there is a place
here ready and waiting for them. Others of us live in Datsu′nalâsgûñ′yĭ and in
the high mountains all around, and if they would rather go to any of them it is all
the same. We see you wherever you go and are with you in all your dances, but
you can not see us unless you fast. If you want to see us, fast four days, and we
will come and talk with you; and then if you want to live with us, fast again
seven days, and we will come and take you.” Then the chief led the man through
the cave to the outside of the mountain and left him there, but when the man
looked back he saw no cave, but only the solid rock.
The people of the lost settlement were never seen again, and they are still living
in Tsuwaʻtel′da. Strange things happen there, so that the Cherokee know the
mountain is haunted and do not like to go near it. Only a few years ago a party of
hunters camped there, and as they sat around their fire at supper time they talked
of the story and made rough jokes about the people of old Kăna′sta. That night
they were aroused from sleep a noise as of stones thrown at them from among
the trees, but when they searched they could find nobody, and were so frightened
that they gathered up their guns and pouches and left the place.

 

Source:
Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney