Kana’ti and Selu

The First Man and Woman

Cherokee Mythology

After Unetlanvhi created the world, the primordial beings, Kana’ti and Selu, became the first humans to inhabit Earth. The couple worked in harmony to balance nature and provide nourishment for the development of the Cherokee people.

While similar to the story of Adam and Eve in Christianity, Cherokee mythology doesn’t explain how these beings came into existence. Together, the couple provides explanations of the origins of hunting, agriculture, and traditional gender roles for the tribe.

Traditional Gender Roles in Cherokee Society

Cherokee tribal gender roles were built on the foundation that men and women were equal, while fulfilling different responsibilities in society. The foundation that provides harmony in society is cooperation through mutual respect. Men took on roles as hunters, warriors, and protectors of the village. In contrast, women protected seeds, managed agriculture, provided political advice, and maintained stable food sources for the tribe.

Men and women were considered equals; their responsibilities were vastly different. Despite this, the division of gender roles created a community of unity and cooperation that allowed the tribe to thrive. The pair, Kana’ti and Selu were the epitome of traditional gender roles in Cherokee folklore.

Kana’ti, The Lucky Hunter

Kana’ti, the Lucky Hunter and the First Man, earned his nickname by securing game every time he embarked on a hunt. His perceived luck is actually the culmination of shrewd wisdom.

Long ago, he herded game into a magical cave, which he sealed off with a boulder. Each time he goes to hunt, he allows one animal to leave the cave. This process ensures that resources are respected and harvested only in times of need.

His character is a lesson passed down through generations of the Cherokee. A skilled hunter does not kill indiscriminately. Instead, they must hone their skills to acquire the right amount of game to feed the population. Anything more would contribute to waste and deplete finite natural resources.

Selu, The Corn Mother

Selu, the Corn Mother and the First Woman, plays a significant role in modern agriculture. While game is important for providing protein for the tribe, agriculture ensures a stable food source when hunting is unsuccessful. It also allows for a variety of nutrients to support the tribe’s health. Initially, crops are not grown but magically created by Selu. Corn (maize) is summoned by rubbing her belly, while beans (tuya) are produced by rubbing her armpits.

Selu performs this magic in solitude, bringing a basket into an empty room before filling it with food. An act that will later lead to her demise. Together, the couple represents the harmony of man and woman in a community and the balance of nature.

The Twin Boys of Kana’ti and Selu

Selu first had a son with Kana’ti. One day, the boy heard another child beckoning him from a river. Selu’s suspicions grew as her son kept visiting the river. The mysterious boy beckoning her son turns out to be a child that spawned from the blood of the game that washed into the river.

The second son becomes known as the twin of the first, but his uncouth demeanor and rambunctious nature earn him the nickname “Wild Boy”. The first son’s name is never revealed; however, stories generally refer to him as “Good Boy”. As their stories progress, the twins become known as The Thunder Boys.

Lessons of Curiosity: How Wild Game Came to Be

Kana’ti forbids the twins from following him on his hunts, citing danger to the children. Wild Boy, curious in nature, defies his father’s orders and follows him one day. After discovering the secret cave where Kana’ti guards his game, Wild Boy decides to open the cave. Upon doing so, birds stream out, deer prance free, and all the other forms of wild game flee from the cave.

Afraid of the consequences of their actions, the boys hurry back to beat their father home, in an effort to throw off his suspicions. Arriving just before Kana’ti, their father queries why the pair is out of breath. They lie and tell him they were racing each other.

This lesson is spread throughout the Cherokee to teach the importance of considering the consequences of your actions and refraining from acting carelessly. Due to Wild Boy’s poor decisions, Cherokee hunters must now work for their game, instead of enjoying a plentiful supply. Nature must be respected and harvested only for people’s needs.

The Demise of the Witch Selu

Selu sternly instructs the boys not to follow or watch her while she gathers corn and beans for the household. As long as they follow this rule, there will be bountiful food for the family.

Her son, Wild Boy, curious in his mischievous ways, spies on his mother to discover how she acquires the crops. After witnessing the act, he labels her a witch and convinces his brother, Good Boy, to slay her.

Upon her death, Selu, free of anger, instructs the children with specific orders to cultivate agriculture from her remains. First, they must make a clearing in front of the home. Next, she instructs them to drag her body around the clearing seven times, spilling her blood in a circle. Finally, they must hold an all-night vigil to guard the clearing.

Following her wisdom would enable the community to cultivate crops. Unfortunately, the boys did not follow these instructions, making farming a laborious process.

The story warns of the consequences of ignorance and suspicion in Cherokee folklore. Jumping to conclusions can lead to consequences for the whole community. It also emphasizes the significance of a woman’s role in providing agricultural labor and protecting seeds throughout the seasons.

Maternal sacrifice is the final lesson from this story. Despite being murdered by her own sons, she bestows upon them the knowledge to maintain an abundant harvest.

A Father’s Lesson: Seeking Ani’-Wa’ya (the Wolf People)

Kana’ti is enraged by his children’s betrayal. He sets out to teach them a lesson, seeking the help of Ani’-Wa’ya, the Wolf People. He instructs them to “play a game of ball” with the twins for seven days. This is a euphemism for the Wolf People engaging in combat to punish the twins.

Wild Boy, as it stands, possesses powerful divination magic. Together, the twins craft weapons out of water reeds and fend off the Wolf People. Recognizing that the task is futile, Kana’ti leaves home and embarks on a final journey.

Knowing the boys are following close behind, he creates magical obstacles to teach them a further lesson.

Kana’ti’s Mastery of Animals

During his travels, Kana’ti directs panthers to stalk and ambush the children. As the panthers stalk their prey, ready to strike from a bush, Wild Boy’s perception sees through their stealth. He quickly dispatches them with his magical bow and arrows.

Next, he sets bears, the strongest and most feared animals, to teach the boys a lesson. As the bears charge at the boys, they stand their ground and, using teamwork, dispatch the threat.

Ûñtsaiyĭ′, the Gambler, the Brass-Man

Kana’ti deliberately leads the twins to the home of Ûñtsaiyĭ′, a renowned gambler, in an effort to strip the boys of their magical abilities and possessions. Ûñtsaiyĭ′, challenges the boys to a game of gatayû’stĭ, a game involving rolling a stone disc with a curved stick.

Ûñtsaiyĭ′, also known as the Brass-man, due to his shiny metallic skin, is confident he can best the boys at the game. The terms of the game were absolute, forcing the loser to forfeit their life. Ûñtsaiyĭ′, a powerful sorcerer, created rigged tools that would guarantee the outcome in his favor. Confident of his victory, he awaited the arrival of the twins.

On their way, a friendly spirit of a snipe stops to warn the boys of Ûñtsaiyĭ ′’s trickery. Arriving prepared, the boys cleverly swap their magical tools with the rigged ones from Ûñtsaiyĭ′. After besting him at his own rigged game, Ûñtsaiyĭ′ refuses to forfeit his life. While he attempts to flee, the Wild Boy fires his arrows at the Brass-man, although they merely bounce off his metal skin.

Chasing Ûñtsaiyĭ′ to a ridge during the encounter, Wild Boy identifies a weakness in the Brass-man, firing an arrow that pierces the joint of his little finger. This wound causes the life force to escape from Ûñtsaiyĭ′, who proceeds to tumble down the ridge, causing his body to shatter.

Kana’ti’s Journey to Where the Sun Sets

After realizing his sons cannot be defeated, Kana’ti decides to leave the world for good, allowing the boys to find their own path. He continues his journey West at an accelerated pace, leaving the boys more distant with each passing day.

Kana’ti travels over the Western mountains and is never seen again. Despite his departure from the mortal world, his lessons endure throughout Cherokee folklore, continuing to guide the people. Thus ending the mortal journey of Kana’ti and Selu