and well recognized a
part of Indian life as is our own railroad traffic today. The very
existence of a trade jargon or a sign language is proof of intertribal
relations over wide areas. Their political alliances also were often
far-reaching, for Pontiac welded into a warlike confederacy all the
trilies from the Atlantic border to the head of the Mississippi, while
the emissaries of the Shawano prophet carried the story of his rev-
elations throughout the whole region from the Florida coast to the
Saskatchewan.
In view of these facts it is as useless to attempt to trace the origin
of every myth as to claim a Cherokee authorship for them all. From
\\ hat we know of the character of the Shawano, their tendency toward
the ceremonial and the mystic, and their close relations with the
Cherokee, it maywriter as so remarkably
resembling the great Hebrew lawgiver is in fact that great teacher
himself, Wasi being the Cherokee approximate for Moses, and the
good missionary who first recorded the story was simply listening to
a chapter taken by his convert from the Cherokee testament. The
whole primitive pantheon of the Cherokee is still preserved in their
sacred formulas.
As compared with those from some other tribes the Cherokee myths
are clean. For picturesque imagination and wealth of detail they
rank high, and some of the wonder Stories may challenge those of
Europe and India. The numerous parallels furnished will serve to
indicate their relation to the general Indian system. Unless otherwise
noted, every myth here given has been obtained directly from the
Indians, and in nearly every case has been verified from several
sources.
"I know not how the truth may