The Uktena

Cherokee Words Used and Their Meanings

Names:

Enola: (ee-no-lah) Black fox. Can also be written as Enola, Enoli, or Inali (with the latter three being masculine)

Onacona: (oh-nah-coh-nah) White Owl

Wohali: (woe-ha-lee) Eagle

Gawonii: (gah-wo-nee) He is speaking

Animal Words:

Klandagi: (clan-had-gee) Mountain lion

Tsgili: (a-tsa-gili) Great Horned Owl; also the word for "witch"

Mythological Figures:

Uktena: (ook-tay-nah) A horned serpent that was originally human; dangerous and malevolent; name means "The Keen-Eyed"; as the name suggests, can see everything in its vicinity. The Uktena has only been defeated in two or three legends where it is involved, and in one of those, it was not a human who killed it.

Agan-uni'sti: (ah-gahn-ooh-knee-stee) A Shawnee medicine man who had been captured as a prisoner of war of the Cherokees. In order to avoid being executed, he said that he would battle the Uktena and bring the Ulun'suti back to the Cherokees in exchange for his life. He is one of the two to three beings who, according to the legends, had killed an Uktena.

Tlanuwa: (tlah-noo-wah) A bird that looks like a giant red-tailed hawk, but with feathers of metal. In the legend called "The Nest of the Tlanuwa," the Tlanuwa in the story kill an Uktena.

Unetlanvhi: (oo-net-la-nuh-hee) The Great Spirit, otherwise known as the "Creator," which is the direct translation into English. Unetlanvhi is a divine being with no human form or attributes.

Nunnehi: (noon-nay-hee) The Cherokee fae/fairies. They have been compared to creatures called "brownies." Nunnehi directly translates to "The People Who Live Anywhere," and they are helpful spirits, and are willing to take human form to interact with the Cherokee people. They are also known to fight on the behalf of the Cherokee people. According to legends, if you hear drumming in the mountains near where the Cherokee live, that is the Nunnehi.

Yunwi Tsunsdi: (yun-wee joon-stee) Literally meaning "Little People," the Yunwi Tsunsdi are small, humanoid nature spirits (have been called dwarves or fairies in English). They are generally helpful to humans, and prefer to stay invisible. Though they are helpful to humans, if they feel that they have been mistreated or disrespected, they are known to punish the person who offended them.

Jistu: (jeese-do) A trickster rabbit in Cherokee (and other southeastern U.S. tribes) legends

Atsil'-dihye'gi: (at-sil-dee-yay ghee) "The Fire-Carrier." Similar in appearance to a will-o'-wisp, and is a malevolent spirit. Historically, the Cherokee are afraid of Atsil'-dihye'gi, although not much is known about this spirit.

Yunwi Amai'yine'hi: (yun-wee ah-mai-yin-hee) "The Water-Dwellers." Able to shapeshift between their humanoid and animal forms, these water spirits were often helpful to fishermen, though they could also be very dangerous. With their ability to change the water they reside in, the Yunwi Amai'yne'hi are capable of turning white water rapids into still pools of water (and vice versa).

De′tsătă: (day-sa-ta) He was once a boy who ran away into the forest in order to protect himself from being scratched. He chooses to remain invisible most of the time, and is a trickster who plays light tricks on hunters, occasionally stealing an arrow that was fired into a clear spot. In order to get the arrow back, a hunter must only say "De′tsătă, you have my arrow. If you don't give it up, I'll scratch you."

Other Words Used:

Ulun'suti: (ooh-loon-soo-tee) Directly translates to "Transparent"; the diamond in the forehead of the Uktena; roughly the size of a cartridge bullet with a blood-red streak through its center. It is said to have magical powers that only the owner can use, and it must be fed with blood sacrifices, usually of small game animals, but twice a year with large game animal's blood

Asegi udanto: (as-egg-ee oo-dan-to) Literally translates to "strange spirit" or "strange heart"; a two-spirit or non-binary gender identity present in Cherokee Traditional gender identities. Neither male nor female.