Golanv Circle
Moon Day
Magick & Medicine

Raven Medicine
Golanv Didanawisi

THE STAR FEATHERS
a Cherokee Myth

A long time ago a warrior of roving disposition went down into the white settlements toward the east, where for the first time he saw a peacock. The beautiful long feathers surprised and delighted him, and by trading some valuable Indian possession of his own he managed to buy a few of the feathers. He took these with him back into the mountains and hid them safely in an old beaver lodge beneath the river bank until he was ready to work them into something.

The day had come that he was going to work with his prized unique feathers. So, off to the river bank he went.

To gain access to the beaver lodge, he had to dive under the cold mountain stream to the entrance of the lodge. Shivering but undeterred, he retrieved the feathers and promptly set off to work secretly making himself a headdress. For his creation, he decided to place the long peacock feathers in the front and trailing out behind. He kept the shorter ones at the sides. He pleasingly smiled to himself at his efforts.

At the next dance he decided he would wear the headdress. Everyone one marveled at the beauty of the feathers. The man asserted that he had been up to the Sky and that these were star feathers. He made a long speech also, which he pretended was a message he had received from the Star Spirits given to him in order to deliver it to the people. Everyone continued in wonderment at the beautiful feathers, so different from any they had ever seen before. The people had no doubt that he had been up to the Sky and talked with Spirits. For this, he became a great prophet.

After dances, the man would keep himself hidden all day in the beaver hole, and whenever there was a night gathering for a dance or a council, he would suddenly appear among them wearing his feather headdress. Without fail, always giving the people a new message from the Sky. Then he would leave them again, pretending that he went back into the Sky. He grew famous and powerful among all the medicine men, until at last it happened that another Cherokee went down among the white settlements and saw there was another peacock. This second man knew at once that the prophet was a fraud.

On his return he quietly told some of his friends, and they decided to investigate. When the next night dance came around the prophet was on hand as usual with a new message, “fresh from the stars”. The people listened reverently, and promised to do all that he commanded. Then he left them, saying that he must return at once to the Sky. But, as he went out from the circle spies followed him in the darkness. The men who followed him saw him go down to the river and dive under the water.

Much time passed. They waited, but he did not come up again. After a short while longer, they went back and told the people of hteir village. The next morning a party went to the spot and discovered the beaver lodge under the bank. One man dived and came up inside, and there he found the prophet sitting with the peacock feathers by his side.

Retold by Reverend Richoz, RN
Inspired by James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees , p400

Moon Day GQ4

General - Journal - Book of Shadows

SUBMISSION: GQ4 STAR FEATHER MYTH INTERPRETATION (Due by Sunday)
Please spend a few moments with the Cherokee myth above.
What message do you think is being conveyed by telling this story?
Give answers in TWO PARAGRAPHS or more.

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