The Great Bear Story
A legend from the Cherokee people about Autumn
rewriten in my own words.
by Janeal Mulany
Even though my great grandmother was full Cherokee, I have never learned the stories or the legends of the People. She had moved from her reservation when she married my great grandfather, and as far as I know she never really talked about her Cherokee heritage. I’m interested in my entire heritage, and wanted to check out the story and the song of the bear. I will still have to shorten the story for my article I found it is very interesting so please look it up on you own so you can read the entire story it’s well worth the time.
There were four brothers who were known to be the best hunters throughout the tribe. For once they started tracking their quarry they never stopped until the prey was caught. When the cold nights had returned, one day an urgent message arrived at the village of the four hunters. A great bear larger and more powerful than any others had appeared, the people whose hunting grounds the monster bear had invaded were afraid. No longer were their children allowed to play in the woods, and they had all started staying in the long houses with warriors guarding the entrances at night.
Even with extra security in the morning they would find more huge tracks within the midst of the village and each night it was apparent the bear was getting bolder.
The next morning after gathering supplies, their small dog and their spears the four hunters headed to the village, which was close by, as the hunters reached the woods they noticed how quiet the woods were. There was no signs of deer, or rabbits, even the birds did not sing their songs in the trees. While on the path the hunters spotted a great pine tree with scars from the great bear; as he had reared up on his hind legs, and clawed for his prey leaving deep scratches. The tallest of the four brothers tried to touch the highest of scratch marks with the tip of his spear, but it still fell short, “it is as the village people feared, this bear we hunt is ‘Nyah-gwaheh’, a monster bear.” Said the first brother.
“But it is said, that the Nyah-gwaheh has great magic?” Said the second brother.
“Yes, but it is also said the magic will do it no good if we find its tracks” The brother said shaking his head.
“That is so, the old people have told the creatures can only chase the hunter that have not yet found its trail. When we find Nyah-gwaheh tracks and start to hunt it, it has no choice but to run from us.” The third brother put in.
As they started back on their way the forth brother hunter, whom was the fattest and laziest asked. “Brothers, did we bring along enough food to eat? It may take a long time to catch the monster bear, and I’m getting hungry.” The other three brothers ignored him.
Before long they had reached the village, and it was a sad sight in deed. No fire burned in the center of the village and the doors to the long houses were closed with warriors standing guard. No game hung from the racks and the people looked hungry. The elder sachem of the people came to talk to the tallest brother.
“Uncle we are here to rid you of the monster.” The hunter said.
The fattest and laziest brother spoke up. “Uncle is there some food to eat and a place for us to rest before we have to head out to find the great bear? I’m hungry and tired.
The first hunter just shook his head and smiled at the elder. “My brother is a jokester, for we head out now to pick up the monster bear’s trail.”
“I’m not sure you can pick the trail,” the elder sachem said. “Our warriors have tried to follow the tracks that are amidst our village in the morning, but all to soon they disappear.”
The second hunter said. “With all do respect, uncle you warriors do not have a dog such as ours”, he knelt down and pointed to the black circles above the small dog’s eyes and continued, “Four-eyes can see any tracks even if they are many days old.”
“May the Creator’s protection be with you,” said the elder sachem.
“Do not worry Uncle, once we start our hunt we do not stop until we have caught our prey.” The third hunter said.
“That is why I think we should eat first,” said the forth brother.
Once again his brothers ignored him, and they nodded to the elder as they took their leave of the village. They continued to follow the little dog, he kept lifting his head, to look around with all four eyes, but the bear’s trail was not easy to find.
Soon the laziest and fattest hunter started to whine, “I think we should rest, we’ve been walking a long time, brothers.”
His brothers paid him no mind, though they could not see a trail yet. They could still feel Nyah-gwaheh’s presence and did not want to fall too far behind him, or they would be the ones who would be hunted by the bear.
After his brothers ignored him the laziest brother took out his pemmican pouch, at least he could eat while they walked. He opened the pouch to shake out the food he had prepared so carefully by pounding meat and berries together with maple sugar into strips to dry in the sun. But instead of pemmican, pale slimy worms fell out into his hands. Nyah-gwaheh’s magic had changed his food into worms.
The hunter shouted to his brothers, “Let’s hurry up and catch that big bear! He did away with my food, I’m angry now.”
The Nyah-gwaheh had circled around and was now a pale giant shadow lurking through the woods tracking the hunters, with eyes that flashed red and huge sharp teeth he would soon be the hunter, if they did not pick up his trail, quickly.
As though sensing his presence the little dog lifted its head and yelped.
“Eh-heh!” The first hunter yelled.
“Four-Eyes has found the trail.” Shouted the second hunter.
“We got Nyah-gwaheh on the run now.” Cried the third hunter.
“Big Bear, we catch you now!” the laziest and fattest hunter snarled through clenched teeth.
For the first time the great bear felt fear in his heart and he began to run. As he left the cover of the pines trees all four hunters spotted him for the first time his gigantic white shape seemed to glisten in sunshine as he cumbersome body stretched out his stride to run faster then the deer of the forest. The hunters quickly followed him with the sound of their loud hunting cries. The bear lead them through swamps and thickets trying to lose the hunters, but they ran swiftly too with the little dog leading their way, The trail was easy to follow with the bear in a hurry he was shoving everything aside no long was his path and tracks hidden. On and on they ran, over hills and through valleys, they ran up the slope of a mountain as they followed the trail higher and higher the bear climbed with them close enough behind to catch a glimpse of him here and there.
The fattest and laziest hunter was getting tired so he decided to pretend to fall and twist his ankle.
“You must carry, brothers, for I can not go on otherwise.” He called to them.
So two of his brothers took turns carrying them while the other carried his spear. They ran more slowly, but the bear was tiring also so they didn’t fall far behind with their extra load. As day turned into night, they were still able to see the glistening white giant bear ahead them, and they had reach the top of the mountain now the ground below them was pitch black as they ran across the smooth surface. The little dog had closed in enough that he was leaping up to nip at the bear’s legs and tail as he ran.
“Brothers, I think my leg is better now you can put me down.” The laziest one said.
“The brothers anxious to be rid of their heavy load, put him down, and since he was well rested unlike the other three, he grabbed his spear and ran ahead of them. He leveled his spear and thrust it into the heart of the bear, and Nyah-gwaheh fell dead. By the time the other brothers had arrived he had a fire built and was cutting up the skinned white bear.
"Would you like to join me in this feast, brothers for I am hungry and can wait no longer to eat.” The fourth hunter said as he speared pieces of meat to roast over the fire.
As the meat of the great bear cooked the fat sizzled and dripped from their fire, they ate until even the fattest and laziest one was satisfied.
They leaned back in contentment, and the first hunter looked down at his feet and exclaimed. “You need to look below us, brothers!”
The other three looked down to see what their brother had seen, below them were thousands of sparkling lights shining brilliantly in the darkness, which they realized were not only under them, but also all around them.
“We aren’t on the mountain, we’re in the sky!” The third brother stated.
The great bear’s magic had let the bear climb up into the sky to escape the four hunters, but due to their determination to not give up they had also been allowed into the heavenly sky. Just then the little dog yipped twice.
Look, at the great bear!” The second hunter exclaimed.
Where they had piled the bones of their feast, now stood the great bear once again. As they watched, the bear turned to run the small dog took off without even thinking. Once again the four brothers grabbed their spears and took off after the great bear the chase once more was on.
So over the years, the generations of our people have told this story. For each autumn the hunters chase the great bear across the skies and kill it. As they cut up the meat to feast the blood falls from the skies covering the leaves of the maple trees it changes their color to scarlet, while the fat drippings through the fire colors the grass yellow and white.
If you look closely at the skies when the seasons change, you can read their story. The great bear is the square shape of the bowl of the Big Dipper, the hunters and their dog make up the handle. When autumn arrives the constellation turns upside down and that is when the laziest hunter kills the bear and his blood drains upon the earth changing the colors of the leaves and grease changes the color of the grass. When it’s spring the bear rises again to be chased once more.
This story tells the people how autumn came to be.
I would also like to think the Cherokee people for the wonderful legends, making this article posible.
Also my thinks to National Geographic for the original picture of the polar bears.
http://www.ibiblio.org/storytelling/cherokee.html
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/polar-bears-threatened/
