Cherokee Origin of Game and Corn and The Pasta Buster...

My Artwork

Here is one of my recent Kendall Expressions paintings.  I am going to go back to my main style for some shore scenes now!

Imaginary Butterfly     Original 18"x24"   Acrylic Painting    $894

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Blooming Apple   Original Oil Painting has been Sold

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

I am still finding great Blue Ridge myths and legends of the Cherokee people!   Such wonderful, magical stories!  I was pleased that my husband was not familiar with the one I posted yesterday about the chickadee!  I actually taught The Bird Man something! 

The Origin of Game and Corn

Long ago shortly after the world was made there lived a hunter and his family on Looking Glass Mountain in North Carolina.  The Blue Ridge Parkway can be seen from Looking Glass Rock.  They had one son named Good boy. His brother came out of the water where the first boy played.  They kept him and named him Wild Boy.  They knew he had magic powers.  The father always brought home much game for the family.  They always had enough to eat.

One day Wild Boy transformed himself into a puff of bird down on the father's shoulder  and followed him to a rock.  The father moved the rock and  deer came out and he killed one to bring home.

The next day the boys went to the rock and got game but forgot to put the rock back.  The father punished them and told them now they would have to hunt for game.

The hungry boys went home and asked their mother for something to eat and she went to the storeroom for corn.  The boys watched her rub her belly to fill a pot with corn and rub her legs to fill one with beans.

They decided she was a witch and she told them that when she died they were to clear the land around the home and they would always have corn.  They didn't follow her instructions carefully so that is why corn does not grow in all parts of the world.

I found this story on the online publication, Native Languages of the Americas: Tsalagi/Cherokee Legends, Myths, and Stories

Life with the Word and Bird Man - Clyde Kessler

As I mentioned before my husband is not able to eat many things most people have no problem with.  The tomato  is one of them but he can eat a small portion if it is cooked such as in spaghetti sauce.  I think I am becoming somewhat sensitive to tomatoes and now after spaghetti I feel like I am going to pop!

I told Clyde we needed to go on a Pasta Buster walk and he said that sounds like a rock song.  "Get outside and bust that pasta before they have to roll you out the door!"  Get outside and bust that pasta!  You know you don't need anymore!

I know the lyrics aren't much so far but maybe we will come up with more the next spaghetti night.

More Cheroke Animal Legends of the Blue Ridge Mountains near The Blue Ridge Parkway and Blue Ridge Discovery Event tomorrow!

My Artwork

For the last few days I have been blogging about Cherokee Animal Myths and Legends so I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my animal paintings from my folder Kendall Expressions.  

In these paintings I have let my expressive side take over!

Here is the link to this folder on my website      Kendall Expressions

Bear Beauty   Original 16"x20" Acrylic painting      $670

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Antler Swirl    Original 20"x16" Acrylic Painting     $670

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Galloping Red   Original 16"x20" Acrylic Painting      $670

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at   KENDALL KESSLER ART

Yesterday I blogged about some of the Cherokee animal legends and thought it would be a good idea to add some more!    I like to learn!

Cherokee Animal Legends

Yesterday I wrote about the skunk legend.  The Cherokees believe the smell is a deterrent to disease.  There is more to it.  During the small pox epidemic of 1866 the animal was hung up and sometimes it was cooked and eaten.  The oil was rubbed on the sick person's body because they believed the smell would repel the disease spirit.

The beaver is invoked when children are getting their permanent teeth since it has amazing gnawing ability.  When  children lose a tooth they run with it around the house four times and ask the beaver to put a new tooth in their jaw.

The dog does not appear much in their myths but some say it is responsible for the Milky Way.

Another myth says the dog drives the wolf from the home and takes the comfortable place by the fire for himself.

The elephant which some Cherokees saw in shows is called The Great Butterfly because of its large flapping ears and long trunk which resemble the wings and proboscis of the insect.

I got this information from the online publication  First People The Legends

Life with The Bird and Word Man  -  Clyde Kessler

I wanted to again remind folks of the next Blue Ridge Discovery Center event this Friday!

BRDC at Independence Farmers Market

Fri, June 6, 9:30am – 12:30pm

Calendar	BRDC Web Calendar
Created by	scott@blueridgediscoverycenter.org
Description	More kid events.

Cherokee Animal Legends and Vacuum Tales in Radford near The Blue Ridge Parkway

My Artwork

Blue Ridge Mist    Original 12"x16"  Oil Painting     $384

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

Liatris Flowers at Doughton Park    Original 30"x40" Oil Painting  $2425

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at KENDALL KESSLER ART

Near Pawleys Island    Original 11"x14" Oil Painting     $313

Prints on Paper or Canvas Available at    KENDALL KESSLER ART

I still have Pawleys Island on my mind!  After I do some more shore scenes I will be getting back to large Blue Ridge Vistas!

I have put up a number of blogs on the Cherokee Native American legends about the Black Bear in The Blue Ridge Mountains and today I came across some other legends regarding other animals!  Interesting stuff!

Cherokee Animal Legends

The primeval animals are thought to have been larger and stronger than their present day descendants.

The rabbit is the most prominent animal in their myths.   It is a trickster and considered to be malicious.  It is often beaten at its own game by those it intends to victimize.  Ball players are forbidden to eat rabbits when they are in training because this animal seems to be so confused when it runs.

The meat of the common grey squirrel is forbidden to rheumatic patients because of the cramped position it assumes while eating.

The deer won its horns in a successful race with the rabbit.

The wolf is revered as a hunter and Cherokees abstain from killing it if they can avoid it.  They believe a relative of the slain wolf will seek out the hunter and kill him.

The odor of the skunk is believed to keep off contagious diseases.

I found this information on the online publication, First People , The Legends

Life with The Word and Bird Man

Over the years my husband and I have had a lot of trouble with vacuum cleaners.  I try to be very careful not to pick up anything that will break it but I seem to manage to break them anyway.  Either that, or they just break to spite me.

I am practically putting my head to the rug to check for objects since we bought a new one a while back.  It is under warranty and I have the box and everything in it.  This one will be replaced if something goes wrong.

The other day I was vacuuming our bedroom and my husband was standing nearby.
I said I checked and I didn't see any stupid thing  on the floor.

He said he was standing on the rug but he didn't think that would be a problem.  I didn't mean him!  He is always there with a word quip!  Keeps me laughing!