Legend of the Universe The Cherokee have many different…

““ Legend of the Universe The Cherokee have many different legends. One of them is the story of the universe. This legend has been handed down from generation to generation. Today’s elders continue to pass this story down to the children. The Cherokee used to believe that the world was made up of three separate worlds. There was the Upper World, the Lower World, and This World. This World was a round island resting on the surface of the water. Four cords from each of the directions of the compass attached it to the sky. Each direction had its own color that represented something from the Lower World or the Upper World. The Upper World had perfect order and stability. The Lower World was full of disorder. East was the color red, because it was the color of the sun. Red was also the color of fire and represented life. North was the direction of cold, so its color was blue. It represented trouble and defeat. South was the direction of warmth, and its color was white. It was associated with peace and happiness. The moon was in the west. It gave no warmth and unlike the Sun, it was not a giver of life. Black was the color that represented the west. The west stood for death and the souls of the dead. The Cherokee believed that it was their role to find a halfway spot between the Upper World and the Lower World. This spot should be found while living in This World.””

— Anne M. Todd