James Mooney's Myths and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees

There is nothing else quite like this book. The author lived with the Eastern Cherokee (in the 1800s) and documented their stories, history, myths and medicine, (And much more). Source material from this time period like this is rare. A must read for those interested in this material!

This incredible volume collects together the works of the early anthropologist James Mooney who did work amongst the Eastern Cherokee Nation (those who remained in Appalachia) at the turn of the century. The introduction is done by a biographer of Mooney's and gives a nice overview of both Mooney and the Cherokee Nation, as well as notes on Mooney's sources. It then goes straight into the first book "Myths of the Cherokee", which starts with a history of the Cherokee Nation. It goes from the earliest days, through de Soto, the Indian wars, Tecumseh, the Trail of Tears, the Civil War and ultimately up to about 1900. It then goes on to explore Cherokee mythology and storytellers. This book is truely monumental in its scope and covers origin myths, animal stories, Kanati and Selu, the Nunnehi and Yunwi'Tsundi (little people), Tlanuwa (thunderbirds), Uktena (horned water snake), interactions with other Nations and numerous other myths, as well as local legends from various parts of the Southeast (North Carolina, Tenesse, Georgia, etc). There is also a section of herbal lore as well. Mooney closes it out with a glossary of Cherokee terms (in the Latin alphabet rather than the Sequoya Syllabery) and abundant notes.We then go to the next book, Sacred Formulaes of the Cherokee, which covers a number of magical texts amongst the Cherokee Nation. This book does a wonderful job talking about such manuals, mentioning how they were obtaine, going into depth about the Cherokee worldview and beliefs on magic, concepts of disease, healing ceremonies, practices such as bleeding, rubbing and bathing, Shamanism, the use of wording, explanations of the formulae and so forth. It then goes on to give an amazingly varied collection of Cherokee formulae, first in the original Cherokee (again, in the Latin alphabet) and then translated into English. Everything from healing to killing witches to medicine for stick ball games and war. Both books include numerous photographs and illustrations of famous historical figures, Cherokee manuscripts and petroglyphs and a map of Cherokee lands. Again, this is a truely massive book and even today is considered one of the essential writings of Cherokee religion. Anyone with an interest in the subject, whether anthropologist, descendant of the Cherokee or just curious person interested in Native culture, should definately give this book a read. I highly recommend it.

A must have book if you are researching Cherokee history

This is the ideal book for anyone doing research into Cherokee. Spirituality, rituals, history and much more is covered in this text. The only down side is it was written many years ago and does not flow as modern books do, it in itself is a piece of history. Well worth your money, especially before buying any of the "new age" Cherokee books.

This is the seminal work on Cherokee culture and history. Anyone who wants to know about Cherokee culture should start with this book. James Mooney has preserved the myths, legends, and history of the Cherokees in a book that is of immense importance to future generations. Included in this book is a detailed history (up to about 1900) of the Cherokee tribe, medico-religious texts, and myths. This book is the basic source for Cherokee studies.