The Daughter of the Sun is a Cherokee origin myth explaining how Uktena, the great horned serpent, came to be, as well as why those who die cannot return to life. The story also explains the respect due to the rattlesnake in Cherokee culture and references the location of the Darkening Land, the afterlife, which lay toward the west.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2562/the-daughter-of-the-sun/.
Join the Conversation
- What do you think this story says about balance in life?
- Why do you think the Little People’s help does not work as planned?
- What do you think the redbird means in the myth?
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