Good Vs. Evil In Cherokee Mythology

Mythology is more than just a set of stories; it is a look into a culture’s beliefs, ideas, and identity. Myths tell one the inherent, core traditions and beliefs within a society, and therefore allow one to begin to understand cultures that are unlike one’s own – a term coined ‘cultural relativism.’ These myths allow one to look at both conflicts and complements with a culture such as ‘good vs. evil’, ‘youth vs. adult’, and ‘knowledge vs. power’. The duel relationship between good and evil within Cherokee mythology displays both a conflicting nature when dealing with the basic forms of these two ideas along with a complementary nature due to the fact that one idea cannot exist without the other. One sees this conflicting yet complementary

nature throughout Cherokee culture in myths and beliefs such as the importance of the cardinal directions, Kanati and Selu, and The Little People. This conflicting yet complementary idea allows one to gain insight into the idea of community within the Cherokee culture, with emphasis on the idea of duyukta.
One should note that the terms of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ hold a slightly different meaning within these Cherokee myths than one would find in English. The term ‘evil’ is used to display the values of mischievousness, and rebellion or defiance. However, the term of ‘good’ holds the values of complacence and submissiveness, and is more trustful than its mischievous counterpart. Understanding the deeper meaning in these words is key in understanding the complementarity and conflict within the Cherokee myths, beliefs, and traditions that give insight into Cherokee culture.
At their basic forms and definitions, one inherently sees a conflicting nature in the values of good and evil; one can also view this nature within the Cherokee belief of the integral part of the cardinal directions within the culture and the myth of the Little People.
The cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) hold high importance within Cherokee culture. Each direction is a symbol for some other meaning or land, and a major difference, or conflict, within these directions is West vs. East. The East is seen as the “sun land” or the land where the Cherokee people live; the West, however, is see as the “darkening land” or “ghost land” – the place one goes to die. Just within their physical description, one sees a conflict in the ‘good’ East and the ‘evil’ West. This conflict is an integral part of Cherokee society as the cardinal directions are symbols for the sacred colors of red, blue, black, and white and ultimately are symbols for the four important spirits, or ‘thunders.’
The Cherokee myth of the Little People tells about a tribe of spirits who are both good and evil in their nature.

The Little People are good in the sense that they are “helpful and kind-hearted” and when they find Cherokee who are lost in the woods, they “[bring] them back to their homes. (Mooney 333)” However, they also contradict their helpful nature by embodying a more evil persona such as “[they] do not like to be disturbed at home, and they throw a spell over the stranger so that he is bewildered” and “sometimes, they come near a house at night … if anyone should go out to watch, he would die (Mooney 333).” Therefore, the Little People embody the contradiction of good and evil within Cherokee

mythology.
The values of good and evil may be inherently conflicting, but they also complement each other for without one, the other cannot exist. One sees this idea within the Cherokee myth of Kanati and Selu.
Kanati and Selu is a Cherokee myth about the origin of game and corn, and thus the world as one knows it.

Within the myth, one is introduced to two characters – the Wild Boy, and the Son. The Wild Boy is characterized as “always being wild and artful in his disposition, and was the leader of his brother in every mischief (Mooney 242).” Meanwhile, the Son is more subservient and trustful, even though he can be mischievous. This characterization is symbolism for the idea of good and evil, and ultimately shows how those two entities are complimentary. Although the two boys are contradictory in their characterization, they ultimately show the complimentary nature of good and evil because together, the two boys brought about the world as the Cherokee know it. Without the ‘evil’ Wild Boy and the ‘good’ Son, the origin of wild game and corn would be completely different.
The Cherokee Indians value the idea of community, for it is this that allows them to carry on their traditions and beliefs – especially the idea of balance. One can see the importance of this idea through looking at the contrasting yet complimentary nature of good and evil in Cherokee mythology such as Little People and Kanati and Selu. Within these two myths, one can see the conflict of good and evil (the Little People can be both helpful and harmful) and the complementing nature of these two ideas (the Wild Boy and the Son embody good and evil, but bring about the world as one knows

it).
Ultimately, this duel nature shows how one must have evil in order to have good, and that a community must have both. According to Duncan, “The Cherokee believe that stories … and other traditions help the individual and the culture stay in balance.” One sees this idea of balance in the moral code called duyukta which translates to “the right way” and means “placing [the] importance on the good of the whole more than the individual; having freedom but taking responsibility for yourself” (Duncan 23-24). In the end, one’s action reflects back on the community regardless if that action is good or bad. Therefore, when one see the conflicting and complementary nature of good and evil in Cherokee mythology, one is being exposed to the Cherokee idea of balance.