Chapter 3: Where the Sun Rests
John Denman sat on the ground, huddled together with his fellow
travelers. It had been a long journey, and they had covered a great
distance. Not everyone that had begun this trip had finished it. And
more would pass on before the Cherokee found true rest.
The
sun was beginning to go down and was casting a beautiful sunset across
the prairie. They had moved further west, and as they crossed the land
it became flatter than the mountains of their home. There was a beauty
to the plains. Its flat land allowed you to see far, and gave you a
sense of humility in the universe.
A young boy
spoke up, “One day we are going to walk so far we will see where the
sun rests!”
The boy was
angry. He was just coming into his manhood, and was old enough to hate.
But he was too young to resign himself to this misery. Suddenly,
Denman’s grandfather spoke up. He had become weak on the trail, but his
resilience proved that he would make it to the new land.
“A group of
young men did that once, you know. I will tell you this story of the
Journey to the Sunrise, and we will see if you think our burden is so
heavy still,” he said.
Denman's
grandfather began, “A long time ago there was a group of seven
young men, like yourself, who decided that they would travel to where
the sun rests. They gathered together their bows, and extra corn and
extra moccasins, and set off across the land. And as they traveled
first they met tribes that they knew. Then they came to tribes that
they had heard their fathers speak about. And finally, they came to
tribes that they had never even heard of. They met tribes who ate
roots, and tribes who ate acorns and had huge stacks of acorns outside
their homes! They met a tribe where a man was dying from sickness. And
the tribe told them that when a man dies, his wife must be buried along
with him. These young men met very many tribes a long the way.
Finally one
day, after much walking, they came to the end of the world. And they
discovered that the sky was an arch made of solid stone that hung above
the earth. This stone arch would swing back and forth over the
world. When the arch swung up, it left a doorway to the unknown and the
sun would come out of hiding through this doorway. Then, as it swung
shut
again, the door was lost. Then the sun would travel along the sky
stone, climbing along its arch. They discovered that the sun had human
form. But it was much too hot for them to come close, and too bright to
really
see. One day they waited until the sun came out, and the door was open.
One of the men tried to walk through the door, but as he did the
door closed and the stone arch crushed him. This scared the other men,
so they turned around to return home. They were old men by the time
they came home.”
The young
boy sat watching the sunset. Denman sat and wondered about the story.
“Will we have to walk that far? Why did the men even leave their homes
if they did not have to?” he thought to himself.
“Men have
always walked, my child. And along the way, they have learned many
things and met many tribes they knew and did not know. We are not going
to where the sun rests. We are going to our new home. We did not leave
our land for adventure or to find the sunrise. We left because we had
to. And we will survive, and be a tribe again in another land,”
Denman’s grandfather spoke to the young boy, but he was staring at
Denman. “Not much longer now…” he said as he closed his eyes.
Image Information: This is an Oklahoma sunset taken from a man's iflickr site.
I know it's a bit modern, but I loved the picture anyway. I really
enjoy the sunsets in Oklahoma, and I think it can be beatiful country.
Not everyone appreciates the flat land, but I couldn't help but reveal
my own love for it.
Author’s Note: This story is similar to the original story, “The
Journey to the Sunrise.” They original story did describe the
burial scene in more detail. I did not feel like this was necessary for
the retelling. This is not a typical origin story like the other two.
However, it is discussing the discovery of how the world works, in this
myth at least. I felt like it was fitting as a third tale because it
was about a long journey, and Denman’s journey is coming to an end.
Though the story is about discovering the ways of the universe, it is
also about discovering the nature of their people. The story does not
have to emphasize the way the young men meet so many tribes along the
way. This is part of the beauty of Cherokee myths, and it is the part I
wanted to emphasize in my frame tale. You do not tell a story just to
relate history or to entertain. Denman’s grandfather is teaching this
young man a lesson about life, and relating it to his complaint. It is
a beautiful tool in the development of a people. And though I am not
Cherokee, and cannot claim to understand the purpose of their myths, I
would like to believe that somewhere a time ago a young man heard a
story like this. Not just to hear a story, but to learn something about
life.
Original Text:
Story: The Journey to the Sunrise
Author: Mooney, James
Site: Myths
of the Cherokee (1897-98)
Adaleniha
Owasa Iyusdi
