Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-08-09
SOME OF THE INDIAN LEGENDS.
"Issaqucna" Has Support Far Back
in Cherokee History.

thc Ih't tHdt quite nninDcE Ol I1I
rcrcnt versions Of the Issaruena story
have been written, feel called upon
to say few words in defense OF my
version rs issued from The Courier
Press. in pamphlet form. in the
Sprin" Of 1897. | have before me
Dr. J. w. Danicl'S beautiful. instruct
i've and valuable contribution. Ca
tccchcc OF ke0wcc." Also. | have be.
fore me three other versions OF the
lSs1uuc!a legend, and have in mind
at least two others. copies OF which
somehow have become lost from my
flies.
1t was in the fall Of 1890 that be-
gan search for data upon which to
weave story that might preserve
the true legend. soon discovered
that | had difficult task before me.
The Oldest citizens. who showed any
interest at all. mad but vague rec
objection Of the story. SO, at the
end or number OF years. had
gained but four items which seemed
to have been generally agreed upon.
namely:
lssaHuena was the daughter Of a
powerful Cherokee chief; she loved
a warrior Of an enemy tribe. (prc-
Sumahly the Greeks. who were next
In Importance to the Cherokres in
the Piedmont section); she cl0pcd
with her lover, and the two were
pursued by the angry tribe OF her
father; being closely pressed when
they reached the top Of the mountain
WATERFALL they determined to end
their lives together rather than sub
nit to capture.
These old citizens. rs well as a
number Of Younger ones, were quite
familiar with the Catecchec story.
and could relate it in interesting de-
tail; but never once did | hear a
suggestion that the Cateechec story
and the lssanuena story might in
any manner he connected. until |
read DR.. Daniels book. published in
1898. In 1895 or 1896 | met Henry
Fricks, then in his 96th or a7th
year; and thereafter enjoyed
many long and interesting conversa-
tions with him. TO his 18th year he
had grown up among the Cherokees,
was familiar with their language,
and had listened to many Of their
legends and traditions. The lssa-
qucna story he remembered having
heard from members OF the tribe,
but only in very meager detail, the
chief incidents being those given
above. He remembered this being
told as a myth OF some very remote
bE-gone day. No names in connec-
tion with the story could be recalled.
And here it seems necessary to sug-
gcst that the story hardly could have
occupied such an uncertain position
among the traditions OF the tribe.
The fact. too. that almost all Indian
legends OF the romantic tyne are
| characterized by fatalism seems to
lend strength to the argument in
favor OF the final scene as given in
my version.
With these essentials | began
weaving the story, working in such
details from imagination as hoped
would assist in making a readable
story. without marring in any way
the legendary thread rs it seemed to
h,n Il
used, with the exception OF the title
name, were necessarily fictitious
The spelling also is my own, as
could lind no rule for spelling In
dian names, and reSortcd to the most
cuphonious combination OF letters
for my purposes. tried to find
some key to the various tongues
Creek. Choctaw, Tuscarora; but as
only the Cherokee had been reduced
to written language, gave this
up. realizing, too, that nothing less
thah translating vocabulary could
assist me. 1t is possible. Of course,
that Issanuena was slave Of he
Cherokee chief, and not his daugh-
ter as DR.. Daniel suggests in a re-
cent article. But ii this were true,
still it should not materially affect
the thread OF the story as given in
my version.
DR.. Daniel has drawn his conclu-
si0ns that the Catecchec and Issa-
nucAa stories arc one, evidently
from the presumed fact that the
len o1 iSh Ia