Moon-eyed people facts for kids
The moon-eyed people are a mysterious group from old legends. People say they were short, had beards, and light skin. They supposedly lived in the Appalachian Mountains long ago. The Cherokee people are said to have later moved them out of the area.
Early European settlers in America heard these stories from the Cherokee. One writer, Benjamin Smith Barton, wrote in 1797 that they were called "moon-eyed" because they couldn't see well during the day. Some legends claim these people built ancient ruins in the area before Christopher Columbus arrived. Then, they simply disappeared.
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What Are the Moon-Eyed People?
Stories about an ancient group called the moon-eyed people have been told in the southern Appalachian region for over 200 years. They are said to have lived there before the Cherokee arrived.
People have different ideas about these stories. Some wonder if the stories are truly part of Cherokee oral tradition. Others debate if the moon-eyed people were real or just a myth. Were they indigenous peoples or early European explorers? Did they really build the old structures found in the region?
These different ideas have appeared in letters, newspapers, and books for a long time. Early European settlers were very interested in the native people and old ruins. They published stories about the time before many Europeans settled in America.
Benjamin Smith Barton was one of the first to mention the legend. He said he heard the story from Leonard Marbury. Another early mention comes from John Sevier, who spoke of an ancient white race. Barton, Marbury, and Sevier lived when the lower Appalachians were still part of the Cherokee Nation. This was before the sad event known as the Trail of Tears.
Legends at Fort Mountain
The moon-eyed people are often mentioned in connection with Fort Mountain State Park in Chatsworth, Georgia. There is a historical marker there from 1968 that talks about them. Park guides and news articles from that time also mention the legends. They often wonder about who built the ancient stone wall found at Fort Mountain.
A plaque at Fort Mountain mentions legends about the wall's origin. It says of the moon-eyed people: "These people are said to have been unable to see during certain phases of the moon. During one of these phases, the Creek people annihilated the race. Some believe the moon-eyed people built the fortifications on this mountain."
Today, people still have different opinions about the moon-eyed people. Were they real people from prehistoric times or just characters from folklore? Did "moon-eyed" mean their eyes looked like moons, or that they could see better at night? Were they native people or from Europe?
Early Stories and Accounts
One of the earliest stories about the time before the Cherokee removal comes from John Sevier. He was an early governor of Tennessee. Sevier lived when North Georgia and other parts of the Appalachians were still part of the Cherokee Nation. He was involved in treaties that later led to the Cherokee Removal.
According to a 1969 newspaper article, Sevier visited Fort Mountain in 1782. The article says that Sevier wrote in a letter that Chief Ocotosota, then 90 years old, told him a story. The chief said his own ancestors "told of the fort being built by white men from across the great water." Chief Oconostota died in 1783, the year after Sevier's visit.
Benjamin Smith Barton wrote a book in 1797 called New Views of the Origin of the Tribes and Nations of America. In it, he describes an ancient people who were "moon-eyed." Barton said that Colonel Leonard Marbury told him the story. Marbury was a go-between for the government and the Cherokee. Barton wrote, "the Cheerake tell us, that when they first arrived in the country which they inhabit, they found it possessed by certain 'moon-eyed-people,' who could not see in the day-time. These wretches they expelled." A 1923 newspaper article repeated this legend. It also said Barton seemed to think they were an albino race.
Barton thought the moon-eyed people might be ancestors of albino people. He mentioned Lionel Wafer, an explorer from the early 1700s. Wafer lived for a time among the Kuna people of Panama. They were called "moon-eyed" because they could see better at night.
Other early history books also mention the term "moon-eyed people." These include Ezekial Sanford's History of the United States Before the Revolution. Also, B. R. Carroll's Historical Collections of South Carolina mentions them. Both books say James Adair (historian) linked the term to Cherokee tradition.
Another writer, James Mooney, wrote about Barton's "moon-eyed people" story in his 1902 book, Myths of the Cherokee. He connected it to other similar accounts. Mooney quoted John Haywood (historian)'s 1823 book, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee. Haywood wrote about "white people, who were extirpated in part, and in part were driven from Kentucky." Mooney said this came from Indian tradition.
According to Mooney, Haywood said that in the 1600s, the Cherokee met "white people" near the Little Tennessee River. He described forts left by the French with "hoes, axes, guns, and other metallic utensils" around them. Haywood added that the Cherokee found no native people when they arrived.
Mooney also shared two other stories from Cherokee people of his time. They spoke of a very small, perfectly white people. These people lived north of the Hiwassee River when the Cherokee arrived. Then, they moved west.
Different Ideas and Theories
Authors who have written about the moon-eyed people have shared their own ideas. They try to explain where the legend came from. They also add new thoughts to the existing stories.
Some later stories link the moon-eyed people to a Welsh explorer named Madoc. A 2008 article described the ruins at Fort Mountain. It said, "Cherokee legend attributes the wall to a mysterious band of 'moon-eyed people' led by a Welsh prince named Madoc who appeared in the area more than 300 years before Columbus sailed to America. A plaque at the wall says matter-of-factly it was built by Madoc...."
However, some people disagree with these ideas. One writer, Stacy McCain, wrote in 2008 that an early author from Philadelphia first suggested the "moon-eyed people" were white. She said that before this, the Cherokee legend did not mention their skin color. McCain also pointed out that this Philadelphia story, published in 1797, was picked up by another author in 1823. This author wrote about a fight between the Cherokee and some blond, blue-eyed, fair-skinned people. McCain says that the park plaques about Madoc date to 1968.
Other Moon-Eyed Legends
Besides the legends from the eastern Appalachian region, there are other stories about moon-eyed people. These relate to different areas or cultures.
For example, there is a mention of moon-eyed people from Cherokee legends in Ohio. One author suggests that the "moon-eyed people" of Cherokee tradition were actually Adena culture people from Ohio. She believes they joined with the Cherokees around 200 BCE.
A 1914 book also describes a race of moon-eyed people. This book, Old Panama and Castilla Del Oro, was written by Charles Loftus Grant Anderson. It talks about the moon-eyed people described by Lionel Wafer.
