Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com – She is long gone, but the Cherokee have kept the legend of Spearfinger alive. She was an ancient, evil witch who used her supernatural powers to cause harm. No-one knows how she did it, but she had a strange power over stones and could move heavy rocks no normal man could push.
It was almost impossible to detect Spearfinger, until it was too late. Credit: Public Domain
Legends tell Spearfinger had a special and unusual relation to stones. Her body was covered by a hard skin of rock, making it impenetrable and warriors could do little harm to the witch. Her greatest enemy was the Stone Man. Both she and the Stone Man chased for the same food – livers, but he had stronger powers and could take advantage of his magical staff to create bridges to other mountains.
Spearfinger Was A Master Of Deception
Spearfinger was a shapeshifter and as such she could transform herself from the ugly, old woman she was into a beautiful young female. Her deadliest weapon was her sharp finger that resembled a spear or awl, which she used to cut her victims. This is why the Cherokee called her U’tlun’ta which means “the one with pointed spear”.
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Being a master of deception, she always hid her deadly finger and used it as an element of surprise. She was evil and showed her victims no mercy. Those who had the misfortune of encountering her lost their life, but killing people was not enough. Spearfinger wanted more, and so she ate her victims who were both adults and children.
The Cherokee Feared Horrible Spearfinger And Bouncer
Legends of the Cherokee tell Spearfinger outlived generation upon generation of man, hiding somewhere along the eastern side of Tennessee and western part of North Carolina.
In Western North Carolina, “the Nantahala River and Patton’s run have surprisingly deep roots in myth and in history. The Cherokee, the only original residents of these mountains we know much about from historical records, considered the river, and all their rivers holy.
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