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Compare And Contrast The Myths Of The Cherokee

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Myths of the Cherokee, by James Mooney, is packed with wonderful Cherokee folklore tales. There are numerous fantastic legends dating back to the early Cherokee days, ranging from creation myths to wonder stories and beyond. Whilst each story is distinct and intriguing in its own right, the spotlight will be attracted to two in particular: “The First Fire” and “The Deluge”. "The First Fire" presents the tale of Kănăne′sk Amai′yh, a little water spider who accomplished what no other larger animal could. The water spider was able to restore fire to the animal community after the flame went out on a frigid night, which no other creature was able to do (Mooney 239). "The First Fire" offers two incredible morals: one being that we should never underestimate the power of animals, and the other is that we should always give our peers an opportunity to succeed no matter how big or small, old or young they are. The story teaches that when we work together as a community, we can achieve great successes, which is a powerful message! …show more content…

True enough, a great flood struck, destroying his whole community (besides him and his family who stayed on a raft). This story tells us that we should constantly pay attention to the warning signals that nature offers us when calamity is on the road. And when catastrophic disasters strike, nature shows no compassion. For example, it is said that “It rained for a long time, and the water rose until the mountains were covered and all the people in the world were drowned” (Mooney 261). Another interpretation of this folktale might be one akin to the Biblical Great Flood. The man represented in "The Deluge" built a raft to preserve life, similar to how Noah built his ark to save living beings, which is a highly significant

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In the article called “Harvey, Irma, Jose … And Noah” David Brooks of the New York Times explains how throughout history people from all different nations have looked for ways to explain the phenomenon of flooding and hurricanes and have written stories about them. It speaks mainly of the story of Noah and how Noah followed God blindly without once trying to save any of his fellow man from His wrath. I find myself agreeing with Brooks and the Rabbis and scholars he references. Noah may have been a righteous man, but he was wrong for not questioning God when told that He was going to wipe out all of humanity except for Noah’s family.

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