The Cherokee Myth: The White Wolf

In Cherokee legends, it is said there is an eternal battle between two wolves. One has its pale fur matted in scarlet red, and its muzzle is glistening with blood. The pupils of the beast are floating clouds among the blue of its irises. Snow beneath the wolf’s paws crumble away, and its hind leg leaves behind a path of blood as it drags behind the wolf. On the outskirts of the snow bank, the other wolf is circling. This wolf has fur as dark as the nightly abyss and starry eyes reflecting the moon’s light. Its eyes lock onto the wounded wolf, and the dark wolf bounds through the woods. This legend is not one of gods set in mythology, but instead it is a parable set within the soul of every man and woman to walk the Earth. The White Wolf stands

The White Wolf is the embodiment of all that is good. Feelings of joy, acts of kindness, and celebration of family all fall into the White Wolf’s domain. For every act of kindness, the White Wolf is fed. Its strength grows within the soul. Its capacity is limitless and is only controlled by the Master’s generosity. However, the Black Wolf has this same limitless capacity for terror, harm, evil, and anger. For every act of animosity and hate, the Black Wolf feasts. The Black Wolf’s hunger is never satiated, and it too is controlled by the Master’s feeding hand. Both wolves continue to

Words can not describe the gravitas of free will and the difference between actions dictated by nature and the choice of committing acts of kindness or hatred. Every action initiates a chain of events. The White Wolf, once fed, continues to grow in strength and can combat the Black Wolf; the Black Wolf, once fed, can battle the White Wolf easily. One can find the reflection of themselves within this battle as he or she is the Master, the one who controls it. This leads to the acknowledgement that a person controls his or her own actions. Wolves are but beasts inside a human’s soul with only the guide of the person’s character and actions. Respecting one’s self as a human, a being with control over his or her own destiny, is the key to self-respect. Self-respect also includes the human race as a collective. In the scope of the universe, humans are as tightly knit as possible. The actions of one person can reverberate across the world and impact every human being. In order to achieve self-respect, a person must also achieve the respect of every other human being. Every other human being has within them the same two wolves. Each decision may tip the scales in the life of another, so a person’s life carries worth, even if one does not