Choctaw mythology facts for kids
Choctaw mythology is a big part of the culture of the Choctaw people. They are a Native American tribe who originally lived in a large area of the Southeastern United States. This included much of what is now Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. In the 1800s, people from Europe and America called the Choctaw one of the "Five Civilized Tribes." This was even though there was a lot of disagreement about moving them from their lands.
Today, there are three main Choctaw tribes officially recognized by the U.S. government. The biggest is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Next is the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. These are descendants of people who stayed in their homeland in the 1830s. The smallest is the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana. There's also the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians in Alabama. They are recognized by the state but not yet by the federal government. They also come from people who stayed in the Southeast.
The Choctaw and their ancestors have lived in the Mississippi area for hundreds of years. Thousands of years of myths and stories have created a rich history. The Choctaw people still share and write down their legends today.
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How the Choctaw Came to Be
The Choctaw people still tell a special story about how they came to this land. It also explains how the Nanih Waiya Mound, a large earth hill built by their ancestors, was formed.
The Journey of Chata and Chicksah
Long ago, two brothers, Chata and Chicksah, led their people from a land in the far west. This land was no longer good for them. The people traveled for a very long time. They were guided by a magical pole or staff. Each night, when they stopped to camp, the pole was placed in the ground. In the morning, the people would travel in the direction the pole leaned.
After traveling for an incredibly long time, they finally reached a place where the pole stood straight up. In this special spot, they buried the bones of their ancestors. They had carried these bones in buffalo sacks all the way from their first home in the west.
The Mound of Creation
A large earth mound grew from that great burial site. After the burial, the brothers realized the land could not support everyone. So, Chicksah took half of the people and went north. They eventually became the Chickasaw tribe.
Chata and the rest of the people stayed near the mound. This mound became known as Nanih Waiya, which means "The mound of all creation." These people became known as the Choctaw tribe.
Emerging from the Earth
Another Choctaw story tells that in the beginning, there was a great mound called Nanih Waiya. From this mound, the Creator made the first people. These people crawled through a long, dark cave into the daylight. They became the first Choctaw. They lived in this area for many years.
Then, a great flood covered the lands. The Choctaw people had to escape in canoes to an island. A dove guided them. They grew and became too many for the island. So, they traveled back to the coast of Turtle Island. When they arrived, the people already there were not friendly.
They then traveled for hundreds of years down the coast to the south. They even crossed what is now the Yucatan in canoes. They landed in a land of giants and fought for territory. They then rebuilt their sacred Nanih Waiya. They found a special home for their ancestors' bones, which they had carried with love for many years.
Spirits and Beings
The Choctaw people believed in many powerful beings. They had names for what some might call a Great Spirit or God, and also for an evil spirit. But they also believed in many other special beings around them.
The Sun and Fire
The Choctaw's Great Spirit was called by different names, like Hushtahli. Many believe Hushtahli came from Choctaw words for "sun" and "to complete an action." The Choctaw were thought to be sun worshipers. The sun was seen as a living being with great power. For example, Choctaw leaders would only hold important meetings on sunny days. If it was cloudy, they would wait for the sun to return. They believed the sun made sure all talks were honest.
Fire was also very important. It was seen as a strong symbol of the sun. People believed fire had its own intelligence and was always talking with the sun.
Animal Spirits
The Choctaw honored Sinti lapitta, a horned serpent. This serpent would visit young men who were unusually wise.
Little People and Other Creatures
The Choctaw believed in a little man, about two feet tall. He lived alone in the thick, dark woods. This little man was called Bohpoli or Kowi anukasha. Bohpoli means "The Thrower." Kowi anukasha means "The one who stays in the woods," or "Forest dweller." He was like the dwarfs or elves in European stories.
This little wood spirit was often playful but not mean. The Choctaw believed he would playfully throw sticks and stones at them. Any strange sounds in the woods were thought to be from Bohpoli. He especially liked hitting pine trees to make noise.
Most Choctaw people never saw Bohpoli. Only prophets and shamans (spiritual healers) could see him. Shamans said Bohpoli helped them make their medicines. Some stories said Bohpoli would "steal" children and take them into the woods. He would teach them about herbs and medicines. After returning the children, Bohpoli would leave them alone. They would grow up to become doctors for the tribe.
There was also Kashehotapalo, a mix of man and deer. He loved to scare hunters. He was known for his speed and quickness. If the Choctaw made Kashehotapalo angry, he would race ahead of them. He would warn their enemies or the animals they were hunting. He had the legs and hooves of a deer, but the body of a man. His head was small and shriveled. It was said that if you looked at him, bad things would happen. He would yell a sound like a woman's scream, which is how he got his name.
Okwa Naholo or Oka Nahullo were "white people of the water." They lived in deep pools and had light skin like trout. It was believed they sometimes captured humans. They would turn these humans into beings like themselves.
Hoklonote was a bad spirit. It could change into any shape it wanted. It was also believed to read people's thoughts.
Shadow Beings
The Choctaw also had stories about shadow beings. Nalusa Chito, also called Impa Shilup, was the soul-eater. He was a great black being. If people had evil thoughts or felt very sad, Impa Shilup would creep inside them. He would then eat their souls. Many Choctaw people do not say his name. They fear it might summon the spirit.
Nalusa Falaya (long black being) looked like a man. But he had very small eyes and long, pointed ears. He sometimes scared hunters. He could also transfer his power to do harm. Some believed Nalusa Falaya preferred to approach men by sliding on his stomach like a snake.
Hashok Okwa Hui'ga (Grass Water Drop) was like a will-o-the-wisp. Only its heart could be seen, and only at night. Hashok Okwa Hui'ga would lead astray anyone who looked at it.
It was also believed that every person had a shilombish (the outside shadow). This shadow always followed them. They also had a shilup (the inside shadow, or ghost). After death, the shilup went to the land of ghosts. The shilombish was thought to stay on Earth. It would wander restlessly around its old home. It often moaned to scare its living friends. It tried to make them leave the spot and find a new place to live. It was also believed to turn into a fox or an owl. By barking like a fox or screeching like an owl at night, it caused great fear. This sound was seen as a sign of bad things to come. The Choctaw could tell the difference between the shilombish and real animals. When a real fox barks or an owl screeches, another animal replies. But when the shilombish made the sound, no reply was heard.
Birds of the Dark
Ishkitini, or the horned owl, was believed to hunt at night. It killed men and animals. Many believed that when ishkitini screeched, it meant someone would die suddenly. If opa (a common owl) sat in a barn or on trees near a house and hooted, its call meant death for close family members.
Biskinik, the sapsucker, was known as the newsbird. If it landed on a tree in a family's yard early in the morning, some "hasty" news would arrive before noon. If it perched there late at night, the news would come before morning.
Animals Explaining Nature
Animals are very important in Choctaw mythology. This is true for most Native American myth cycles. For example, in Choctaw history, solar eclipses were caused by black squirrels. And maize (corn) was a gift from the birds.
Heloha (thunder) and Melatha (lightning) caused the dramatic thunderstorms. In Choctaw mythology, they were two huge birds. Heloha would lay her giant eggs in the clouds. They would rumble as they rolled around on top of the clouds. Even though he was huge, her mate, Melatha, was very fast. He left a trail of sparks as he flew across the sky.
Choctaw Mythological Tales
The Origin of Poison
In a shallow pool where the Choctaw people would bathe, there was a poisonous vine. Anyone who touched the vine would die. The vine liked the Choctaw people and did not want them to die. But it could not warn them when its poison would get into the water. So, it decided to get rid of its poison. It called the chiefs of the snakes, bees, and wasps. These creatures had often been accidentally stepped on and killed by men.
The chiefs of these small creatures agreed to take and share the vine’s poison. This would be a warning and a way to stop being trampled.
The bees were the first to take the poison. They said they would take only a small amount to protect their hives. They also liked the Choctaw people and did not want to kill them. To show they were not enemies, the bees promised that after they were forced to use their stinger, they would die.
Next, the wasps took the poison. They said they would buzz in a person's ear as a warning before they attacked to protect their nests.
Finally, the snakes took the rest of the poison. They promised they would always warn people with their rattle before they struck. This would give the person a chance to escape.
From then on, only foolish people who did not listen to the warnings of these small creatures were hurt by the vine’s poison.
The Brothers Tashka and Walo
Two brothers named Tashka and Walo followed the sun for many years, from when they were children until they were grown men. They would follow it all day until it disappeared over the horizon in the evening. One day, the sun rested over a huge body of water. The boys swam into it and went underneath.
They came out in the home of the sun. They found many women there. These women were the moon and the stars. The moon was the sun’s wife. She asked the brothers how they got there. The brothers said they had followed the sun for many years since they were boys. The sun asked if they knew how to get back home. The boys said "no." They looked over the edge of the sky and saw land, but they couldn't tell where their home was from such a height.
The sun asked why they had followed him for all these years. The brothers replied that they only wanted to see where he went when he disappeared. The sun agreed to send them home. But he told them not to talk for four days after they returned, or they would surely die. He called a giant buzzard to fly them home. After they landed, an old man recognized them. He went to tell their mother. The mother was scared because she hadn't seen them for many days. She made them tell her where they had been. They told her about their journey. They also said they would surely die now because they didn't keep their promise to the sun to be silent for four days.
After this, the mother was very worried, but they all returned home. The brothers told stories of the many years they had followed the sun. After telling all they knew, they died and went to heaven.
The Dog's Lifespan
Soon after the Great Spirit created all the animals and humans, he asked each how long they wanted to live. The dog was the first to answer. Excited about a long life, it asked for 10 years. The other animals didn't know how long they wanted. So, the spirit gave them the years he thought were best.
He gave humans three centuries (300 years) of life. He told the dog that even though its life was short, its quality of life would depend on its master. If the master was good to the dog, feeding, loving, and caring for it, the dog would do well and live long. If the master neglected and abused it, the dog would live a short and sad life.
The Origin of Grasshoppers and Ants
When people were coming out of Nanih Waiya, grasshoppers traveled with them to reach the surface. They then spread in all directions. But during the journey to the surface, the mother of the grasshoppers was stepped on by the people. This stopped the rest of her children from reaching the surface. Those already above ground spread out, just like the first human tribes. From then on, the Choctaw called these creatures eske ilay, meaning “mother dead.”
As the people came out of the hill and spread across the lands, they stepped on many other grasshoppers. They killed and harmed the orphaned young ones. Fearing they would all be killed as more people came out of Nanih Waiya, the grasshoppers asked Aba, the great spirit, for help. Soon after, Aba closed the passageway. This trapped many people inside the cavern who had not yet reached the surface.
As an act of kindness, Aba changed these trapped people into ants. This allowed them to rule the caverns in the ground for all time.
Choctaw Legends
The Hunter of the Sun
The hunter of the sun is a myth about what happens to the sun when it disappears. No prophets or chief leaders could answer this question. A young man decided to find out what happens to the sun when it sets. He left his family, community, and country. He dedicated his life to finding this answer. He said he would return one day with the answer. Many years passed. Young men grew old, and old men died. People continued to talk about him. He finally returned as an old man with the answer. He had traveled to the ocean and found that the sun sets and rises from the water. After sharing this, the old man died.
Nane Chaha
Before humans existed, there was a hill with a path to the center of the earth. Animals began to fill the earth. Plants, trees, rivers, and the natural world began to form. When the Choctaw people came out at the top of the hill from the passageway called Nane Chaha, they saw the light of the sun. After coming out, they spread throughout the lands.
More About Myths and Sacred Stories
The book Choctaw Tales, by Tom Mould and Chief Phillip Martin, explains how hard it can be to pass down sacred stories through generations in the Choctaw Nation. It's important to keep the story as accurate as possible. Storytelling can be difficult if someone is not sharing the correct information. Storytelling is very important to the Choctaw Nation and many other Indigenous groups. The person sharing the story helps younger generations understand their history and people. If a story is told incorrectly, it loses its value. Storytelling is very helpful in the Choctaw Nation for sharing Choctaw legacies. It helps people better understand their culture.
For example, before there was a written language, history was kept through sacred myths, legends, and personal memories. These sacred myths were the record of history for the Choctaw and many other Indigenous groups. This was true for cultures all over the world. In these sacred stories and myths, names were often mentioned, but dates were rarely included. An example is Choctaw Chief Pushmataha. He lived from 1764 to 1824. But the stories about him focus on his character and how he influenced people's lives. These are stories told by family members to others close to them. If stories are told by people outside his close circle, they lose their strong feeling.
Images for kids
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A digital graphic based on a ceremonial stone palette found at the Moundville Archaeological Site in Moundville, Alabama
