Untitled - Smithsonian Institution

24 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 99
The Cherokee pretend that the Thunder is the friend of all Indians,
and that he never kills one; not one case can be cited, they say, of a
Cherokee having been "struck by the Thunder," whereas white people
have frequently been killed on the reservation, and scores of trees are
struck every year.
The Thunder's role is that of a disease expeller rather than that of
a disease causer. He and his two sons are the enemies of the Black
Man and of anything and anybody having his abode in the "Black
Land," in the "Evening Land," in the "Dark Land," or in the West.
The only case, it seems, where the Thunder gets angry is when we
do not observe the taboo relating to him, and which prohibits referring
to him as "Red" in the everyday language. The epithet "Red"
should only be bestowed on him in the ceremonial language, whereas
in everyday speech he is to be referred to as "White."
The Two Little Red Men (the Cherokee never explicitly call
them "Thunder Boys") always rove about together; they are reputed
to be about 60 centimeters high and to wear a cap, half red, half
purple, surmoimted by a peak, the whole looking "like a German
military helmet," which some of the Cherokee have seen or have
heard described, s^we'^ai and tsa^'ni (John), both now dead,
claim to have seen the Thunder Boys; they looked exactly as they
had always heard them described; which does not surprise us.
According to Og., the Two Little Red Men are to be identified
with the two sons of k^ana'^ti (cf. Mooney, Myths, p. 242); k^oma'ti
himself being no one else than the Thunder in person.
Purple Man, Blue Man, Black Man, etc.—There is not much defi-
nite infoi-mation to be gathered about these spirits, neither from the
texts themselves nor from oral information.
Possibly they owe their existence merely to the desire to oppose
to the Red Man corresponding men of the different colors, to conform
to the color symbolism.
The Black Man, living in the West, seems in many cases to be
identical with a ghost. (See p. 26 et seq.). The diseases they cause,
the nature of their activities, their opponents and antagonists, all
this supports this impression, and many informants expUcitly and
spontaneously state that this identity exists.
The Purple Man is generally called upon to assist in nefarious
machinations, such as incantations, love conjurations, etc. That
purple is the color of witchcraft will appear from other facts listed in
these pages.
The Blue Man, living in the North, is called upon to act as an
antagonist in diseases sent by the scorching sun (insolation, blisters,
etc.). He himself causes such pains and ailments as usually follow in
the wake of severe frost.