Red cedar tree in Raleigh, NC (1929).  Photo courtesy ofAFA and Forest History Society.

Legend of the Cedar Tree

A long time ago when the Cherokee people were new upon the earth, theythought that life would be much better if there was never any night. Theybeseeched the Creator that it might be day all the time and that there would beno darkness.

The Creator heardtheir voices and made the night cease and it was day all the time. Soon theforest was thick with heavy growth. It became difficult to walk and to find thepath. The people toiled in the gardens many long hours trying to keep the weedspulled from among the corn and other food plants. It got hot, very hot, andcontinued that way day after long day. The people began to find it difficult tosleep and became short tempered and argued among themselves.

Not many days hadpassed before the people realized they had made a mistake and, once again, theybeseeched the Creator. "Please," they said, "we have made amistake in asking that it be day all the time. Now we think that it should benight all the time." The Creator paused at this new request and thoughtthat perhaps the people may be right even though all things were created intwos… representing to us day and night, life and death, good and evil, timesof plenty and those times of famine.

The Creator loved the people and decided to make it night all the timeas they had asked. The day ceased and night fell upon the earth. Soon, the cropsstopped growing and it became very cold. The people spent much of their timegathering wood for the fires. They could not see to hunt meat and with no cropsgrowing, it was not long before the people were cold, weak, and very hungry.Many of the people died.

Those that remainedstill living gathered once again to beseech the Creator. "Help usCreator," they cried! "We have made a terrible mistake. You had madethe day and the night perfect, and as it should be, from the beginning. We askthat you forgive us and make the day and night as it was before."

Once again theCreator listened to the request of the people. The day and the night became asthe people had asked, as it had been in the beginning. Each day was dividedbetween light and darkness. The weather became more pleasant, and the cropsbegan to grow again. Game was plentiful and the hunting was good. The people hadplenty to eat and there was not much sickness. The people treated each otherwith compassion and respect. It was good to be alive. The people thanked theCreator for their life and for the food they had to eat.

The Creator acceptedthe gratitude of the people and was glad to see them smiling again. However,during the time of the long day of night, many of the people had died, and theCreator was sorry they had perished because of the night. The Creator placedtheir spirits in a newly created tree. This tree was named a-tsi-na tlu-gv{ah-see-na loo-guh} cedar tree. When you smellthe aroma of the cedar tree or gaze upon it standing in the forest, rememberthat if you are Tsalagi Cherokee, you are looking upon your ancestor. Traditionholds that the wood of the cedar tree holds powerful protective spirits for theCherokee. Many carry a small piece of cedar wood in their medicine bags wornaround the neck. It is also placed above the entrances to the house and theneedles are burned to protect against the entry of evil spirits.