Chahta Stories About the Sun

What did the sun and an eclipse mean to the Chahta people

happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. The moon being much smaller, but also much closer to earth than the sun can block the sun’s light from getting to a small portion of the earth’s surface for a short period of time. This is the total eclipse. A partial eclipse happens in places on the earth where the moon is lined up to block only a portion of the sun’s light.

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​Solar Eclipse

What does a solar eclipse look like from a traditional Choctaw perspective? Understanding this requires understanding a bit about how our Choctaw ancestors thought about the sun. At the time of first sustained contact with Europe, most Choctaw people believed in a supreme God and creator. One of his most common Choctaw names was Hvshtahili. This name is a contraction of Hvshi Atahli, meaning the Sun’s Completed Order. In the sun, hvshi, Choctaw people saw God’s eye. When the sun shone on the earth, it brought life and it illuminated Hina Hanta, the Bright Path to victory (Wright 1828:179). Choctaw diplomats preferred to address foreign leaders when the sun was shining brightly (O’Brien 2005:3).

Multiple Choice

Fire was sometimes referred to as Luak Hvshtahli Itichapa, meaning Fire the Partner of God (Wright 1828:179-180). This name captured the belief that fire was allied with the sun and communicated with God. Each Choctaw community maintained its own sacred fire, which was never allowed to go out except when it was ceremonially extinguished. People sought to maintain the purity of their community’s fire through interacting morally with each other and with the earth.

• Each Choctaw community kept a fire burning. They never let it go out except for when they extinguished it ceremonially.

• Each Choctaw community kept a fire burning. They let it go out every month as a part of their extinguishing ceremony.

• Each Choctaw community kept a fire burning. They never let it go out unless it was time to eat.

• Each Choctaw community kept a fire burning. They let it go out monthly. The fire would be restarted every month ceremonially.

Multiple Choice

Annually, the most important spiritual and social function was Luak Mosholi, Fires Extinguished, an event known in English as the Green Corn Ceremony. During this event, the fires were extinguished. The community cleansed, forgave each other for past wrongs, and new fires were lit. When an alliance was made with another community, burning coals were exchanged from the fires of each (O’Brien 2005:58).

• The annual ceremony "Luak Mosholi" or Green Corn Ceremony, extinguished all fires. The ceremony was a time for cleansing and forgiveness.

• The monthly ceremony "Luak Mosholi" or Green Corn Ceremony, extinguished all fires. The ceremony was a time for renewed interest and self reflection.

• The annual ceremony "Luak Mosholi" or Green Corn Ceremony, extinguished all fires. The ceremony was a time for marriages, judgements, and stickball.

Tvshka and Walo were brothers who lived long ago. Every morning they saw the sun rise above the horizon, pass high overhead, and late in the day die in the west.

When the boys were about four years old they conceived the idea of following the sun and seeing where he died. So the next day, when he was overhead, they started to follow him; but that night, when he died, they were still in their own country, where they knew the hills and the rivers. Then they slept, and in the morning when the sun was again overhead they once more set off to follow him. And thus they continued for many years to wend their way after the sun in his course through the heavens.

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Choctaw Oral Story

Multiple Choice

Who were Tvshka and Walo following to see if he died?

• Tvshka and Walo were following their dad.

• Tvshka and Walo were following a great buck.

• Tvshka and Walo were following the sun.

• Tvshka and Walo were following the moon.

Long, long afterward, when the two boys had become men, they reached a great expanse of water, and the only land they could see was the shore on which they were standing. Late that day, when Sun died, they saw him sink into the water; then they also passed over the water and entered Sun’s home with him. All about them they saw women — the stars are women and the moon is Sun’s wife. Then Moon asked the brothers how they had found their way so far from their home. They told her how for many, many years, ever since they were mere boys, they had followed Sun in his daily journey.

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Then Sun told his wife to boil water. Into this he put the boys and rubbed them; this treatment caused them to turn red and their skin to come off. Sun then asked them whether they knew the way to return to their home, and they said, “No;” so he took them to the edge, whence they looked down to the earth, but they could not distinguish their home.

Multiple Choice

What did the sun tell his wife to do?

• boil water

• boil potatoes

• burn leaves

• cause a great storm

Sun asked why they had followed him, as it was not time for them to reach heaven. They replied that their only reason for following him was a desire to see where he died. Sun then told them that he would send them home, but that for four days after reaching their home they must not speak a word to any person. If they spoke during the four days they would die, otherwise they would then live and prosper.

A large buzzard was then called by Sun and the two boys were placed on its back. Buzzard then started toward the earth. The clouds are midway between heaven and earth; above the clouds wind never blows. As buzzard flew from heaven to the clouds the brothers could easily keep their hold; but from the clouds to the earth the buzzard was blown in all directions. All reached the earth in safety, however, and the boys recognized the trees that stood about their old home.

Multiple Choice

Did the boys recognize the trees that stood about their old home?

• Yes

• No

• Ak ikhano

• Maybe

They rested beneath the trees, and while there an old man passed by who knew the brothers. He continued down the road, and soon meeting the boys’ mother, told her the boys had come back. She hastened to see them. When she saw them she began to talk and made them answer her. Then they told her that, as they had spoken during the first four days after their return, they would surely die. Knowing she had forced them to speak, on hearing this the mother was greatly worried. Then all went to the mother’s home, and the brothers told of all they had seen and how they had followed Sun during many years. After they had told all, they died and went up to heaven to remain forever.

Multiple Choice

What did the boys do that caused them to die?

• Follow the sun

• Speak

• Listen to the moon

• Run away from home

Given how much importance the sun had in Choctaw language and culture, when a solar eclipse occurred, it was a significant event. The Choctaw term for eclipse, hvshi kania, the sun goes away, doesn’t convey a lot of meaning in the absence of the context shared above. In practice, when a solar eclipse occurred, on a day just like any other day without any warning, we can only imagine what kinds of thoughts and probably terror went through people’s minds

When the sun began to get less in his brightness, and grow dark and obscure, they believed that some ethereal black squirrels of large size, driven by hunger, had commenced eating him and were going to devour him. With this belief, they thought it was their duty to make every exertion they could to save the great luminary of day from being consumed by them. Therefore, every person, both men, women, and children, who could make a noise, were called upon to join in the effort to drive the squirrels away.

Fvni Lusa

Multiple Choice

What was Fvni Lusa doing?

• Running from the wind

• Eating the sun

• Eating the moon

• Attempting to block the sunrays

Open Ended

1. 1. Did the oral story about the boys following the sun have any in depth meaning?

2. 2. Compare the Fvni Lusa story to the Boys following the sun story.

Happy Friday

Everyone have a fantastic weekend!