A Traditional Cherokee Story

Graphic courtesy of Li Luyi

(aka "Shaman")

The Ice Man
As retold by Li Luyi

The Elders tell of a time, long ago, when the people were burning the woods in the fall and the blaze set fire to a poplar tree. This tree continued to burn until the fire went down into the roots and continued, burning a great hole in the ground. It burned and burned, and the hole kept getting bigger and deeper. The people began to fear that it might burn up all of mother Elohi (the Earth). They tried to put the fire out, but it had gone so deep that it continued to burn beyond their reach. The people began to despair and did not know what to do.

It came to pass that one of the people remembered a man living in a house made of ice far in the North. This Ice Man was said to have great powers. It was hoped that he could put out the massive fire, so messengers were sent. After traveling far, they came to the Ice House and found the Ice Man dwelling therein. He was a small fellow with long hair which hung to the ground in two long braids. 

The messengers told him their plight and asked him if he could help. He answered, "Oh, yes, I can help you," and began to chant and unravel his hair. When it was all unbraided he took it up in one hand and struck it once across the other, and the messengers felt a wind blow against their cheeks. Upon striking his hair upon his hand a second time, rain began to fall. The third time he struck his hair across his open hand, sleet started to fall, mixed with the raindrops. A fourth time he struck his hand and now great hailstones fell upon the ground, as though they had been slung from his hair. "Return," the Ice Man said, "and I shall come visit you tomorrow." So the messengers returned to their people, whom they found still gathered helplessly about the great burning pit which was now even larger.

The next day while they were all watching the fire as it grew and spread, there came a wind from the North, and the people were hopeful, for they knew that it came from the Ice Man. But the wind only made the fire blaze up higher. A light rain began to fall, but the drops seemed only to make the fire blaze even hotter. However, the shower turned to a heavy rain, and then the sleet and hail became mixed into the torrent. The people had to retreat to their homes for shelter as the storm grew in intensity and drove the rain into every burning crevice. The fire was finally killed the and as it was extinguished, great clouds of smoke and steam rose from the glowing red embers. Great hailstones piled over the embers, until the fire was dead and cold. Even the smoke ceased to rise from its remains. When, at last, it was all over, the people slowly began to emerge from their homes. To their amazement, they found a lake where the burning pit had been, but deep below the water came a sound as of embers still crackling.

Still to this day, when a great storm arises, the skies will fill with clouds. And one can still hear the embers crackling beneath the lakes if one listens closely!

Next Story

Back to Stories & Legends

Home