Native American Culture is filled with tales and legends of spirits and monsters. Fascinatingly though, one Cherokee legend is considered neither, and was believed to be human and altogether a separate race of people.
The name given to these people by the Cherokee tribe was the Moon Eyed People.
According to Cherokee legend, the moon-eyed people lived deep in the Appalachia Mountains in North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
The Cherokee described this mysterious race of people as small, blue-eyed, pale, short, with small round bodies. They were extremely sensitive to light and hid during the day and only came out at night. Some also say they didn’t come out at day because they couldn’t see well then and thus, they built caves underground to escape the light. Some stories also suggest that they built small huts made of logs and wood that were low to the ground.
There are several stories of people encountering the Moon-Eyed people.
Perhaps the most famous and one of the earliest accounts was that of Benjamin Smith Barton. Barton said that the Cherokee Tribe recounted to him that they first encountered the strange race when they arrived in southern Appalachia in 1200 AD.
Lionel Wafer, a Welsh explorer of the early 18th century recalled to Barton that the moon-eyed people were ancestors of albinos. According to Barton, Wafer lived for some time among the people for quite some time.
Another story involves Cherokee chief, Oconostota, who recalled the story of the moon-eyed people to Tennessee governor John Sevier in 1782.Elderly at the time, Oconostota repeated the story told to him by his ancestors. He was told “white men” long ago “crossed the great water and landed first near the mouth of the Alabama River near Mobile.
It’s said the Native American Creek tribe came up from the South and invaded the territory of the Moon-Eyed People, eventually expelling them to the Smoky Mountains.
Still, one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that the Moon eyed people existed has to do with the ruins left behind. In particular, Fort Mountain State Park. There are ruins there of an 850-foot-long stone wall there that was said to have been constructed by them. Tennessee governor John Sevier spoke with the Cherokee Tribe about the wall in the early 1800s and was told it was built by the men who travelled across the water. Fornications like this exist all over the Appalachia area and are theorized to have been used by the moon people when warring with the Creek tribe.
There are competing theories on if the Moon eyed people ever existed and if so, who they were.
Many people believe the Moon-eyed people did in fact exists while others believe it was just a myth.
One popular belief and potential piece of evidence surrounding the Moon eyed People involves a Welsh Prince. Madoc Owain Gynwedd , who was born out of wedlock to Owain Gynwedd , the ruler of Gynwedd. When Madoc’s father died, there was a bitter dispute among family for power. Upset by this, Madoc and his brother took to the sea and set sail sometime around 1170.
When they finally reached land, around 100 men, women and children left from the ship and formed a colony. Ecstatic on what he had discovered, Madoc returned back home to Wales to recruit more settlers and after getting about 100, he sailed back. It’s unknown what happened next, but many believe his first colony was in Mexico and that he and his settlers traveled north and settled in the Appalachia area. Today, people still speculate where he may have landed at.
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Other evidence includes a book written in 1902 by James Mooney, an ethnographer, who tells of a mysterious, ancient tribe who predated the Cherokee in southern Appalachia.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating pieces of evidence has to do with the ancient city of Cahokia. Considered to be one of the great ancient towns, it had around 10,000-40,000 people during its peak around 1200 AD. Some believe the white-skinned inhabitants of Appalachia erected several old structures in the city. Still, Surprisingly, researchers currently know relatively little about Cahokia. The original name of the city is unclear because the ancient builders left no written documents behind.
The Legend of the Moon people is very controversial with many historians debating whether they ever existed and if so, who were they. It could simply be the case of stories embellished, or perhaps there was a sociological or religious reason that the moon eyed people didn’t come out at night. There are countless theories and questions, and this legend appears to be the case that the more evidence that is unearthed, the more questions come about. Despite this many of the monuments associated with them are remarkable, and maybe one day a critical piece of evidence will come to light.
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