Tweet
I am a Cherokee and have studied our religion for quite a while. I made a pantheon using this, although there are a lot of similarities to the Manitou. Anyone has my official permission to use this in their Scion games.
The letter "v" in Tsalagi is pronounced "uh" and the TS is kind of like a "ch" sound. The letter "u" is always an "oo" sound. The letter "a" is pronounced "ah" and the letter "i" is pronounced "ee" while the letter "e" is pronounced "eh".
Asgina is the tsalagi word for "spirit", similar to manitou for the Anishinaabek. The Nunnehi are powerful spirits similar to demigods and are above most other spirits so it made sense to me to call the pantheon this.
ASGINA NUNNEHI
Like the manitou but often gender-flipped versions of them.
Primordial: Unetlanvhi – the Sun Goddess, the Apportioner
Callings: Creator, Sage, Judge
The Sun who created everything, kind of a cross between the Kami Amaterasu and if Kitchi-Manitou was gender flipped.
Purviews: Sun, Fortune, Stars, Prosperity, Fertility, Order
Eduda Suli - Grandfather Buzzard
Callings: Guardian, Sage, Judge
Geezhigo-Quae of the manitou gender flipped and associated with vultures, hawks, and other large raptors. Dried the world after Dâyuni'sï brought the land up, but inadvertently formed mountains, hills, and valleys by doing this.
Purviews: Beasts (all), Sky, Order, Wild, Epic Stamina
Dâyuni'sï- the Water Beetle
Callings: Healer, Sage, Hunter
Uzzu-Kumik-Quae gender flipped, brought the mud up from the waters to form the land.
Purviews: Earth, Water, Journeys, Wild, Beasts (Aquatic Beetles and Turtles)
Kanati – the Lucky Hunter
Callings: Trickster, Leader, Hunter
The First Man. Like Maudjee-Kawiss but far less uptight. A bit of a trickster as well. Kept all the animals in a cave so he could hunt them one at a time until his sons discovered the cave and accidently let them all out.
Purviews: Epic Dexterity, Fortune, Sky, Deception, Prosperity
Selu – the Corn Mother
Callings: Guardian, Lover, Healer
The First Woman, very similar to Winona of the Manitou but also the one who created corn and beans. Killed by her children the thunder twins when they mistook her for a raven mocker posing as her, but they later brought her back by following a ritual she gave them.
Purviews: Earth, Fertility, Prosperity, Health, Death
Jistu – Rabbit
Callings: Trickster, Hunter, Warrior
Basically Nana’b’oozoo but more closely associated with rabbits. A trickster and culture hero.
Purviews: Beasts (rabbits and hares only), Chaos, Journeys, Deception, Artistry (Dance, Acting, Storytelling)
The Thunder Twins
Asgaya Gigagei – the Red Man/Red Woman, Kapoonis, Lightning
Callings: Warrior, Sage, Creator
Learned medicine, magic, and how to create fire spears (aka lightning). Went on many journeys to find herbs (he was the one who discovered tobacco) or knowledge. Could be male or female depending on what he thought was best for the situation (when healing he would often take on the gender of the one being healed to put them at ease). The smartest of the thunder twins.
Purviews: Fire, Journeys, Sky, Healing, Forge
Inage Utasuhi – the Wild One, Enumclaw, Thunder
Callings: Warrior, Hunter, Liminal
Trained until he could hurl massive boulders with ease, often gets his brother into trouble. Enjoys living in the woods and remote places. The strongest of the thunder twins.
Purviews: Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, Wild, Sky, Chaos
Titans: Asgina Uya
Tsul ‘Kalu – the sloping eyed giant
Rapacity, Dominance
He is of giant proportions, and dwells in a great mountain of the Blue Ridge Range, in North-western Virginia. He appears to have possessed all the game in the district as his private property. Not that bad really but likes to be left alone. Able to turn himself invisible and is a very skilled hunter.
Ocasta – the Stonecoat
Fecundity, Dominance
A giant made of stone. Created the raven mockers, was captured, then as he was dying had a change of heart and taught the people medicine songs and magic. Could never decide if he wanted to be good or evil. His spirit might make a good guide.
U’tlun’ta’ – the Spearfinger
Submission, Dominance
The first of the Raven mockers, evil sorcerers who can shapeshift into owls and eat livers to stay young. This one is the most evil Titan of the pantheon.
Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï - Raven Mockers, evil sorcerers who can shapeshift into owls and eat livers to stay young. Often are fallen medicine men. Otherwise similar to the Wendigo.
Overworld:
Galun’lati - The sky vault, basically Skyworld.
Underworld:
Ulasigi – Similar to The World but the seasons are backwards (winter is hot, summer is cold, etc.).
Creatures:
Tlanuwa – Basically like Manitou thunderbirds but with metal or obsidian feathers instead of lightning powers
Uktena – Basically Manitou water panthers. No real difference
Junsdi – Basically Bagwajiwinnini/Pukwudgie, little people with very long hair
The Asgina Nunnehi also have supernatural animals like the Manitou.
Signature Purview would be the same as the Manitou.
Pride and Dream seem like a good fit for virtues, but they also have a large emphasis on balance similar to the Shen.
All in all, other than individual goddesses and gods being a little different, they are extremely similar to the Manitou, and would likely get lumped in together with them by other gods.
Religion: Kituwah
VERY similar to Midewiwin, except there is both an emphasis on balance and "becoming Yvwi", or a "true human being". This part is very similar to Hinduism. The afterlife is temporary, everyone gets reincarnated eventually. There are no "castes" though, where you are on the path to becoming "Yvwi" is between you and the spirits. The point is to keep trying. There are clans though, but no clan is superior to another. This factors into the symbol of the Cherokee and the Asgina Nunnehi, which is a seven pointed star (which represents the seven Tsalagi clans). Fire is also a big sacred element in being Kituwah, and the chief ritual is the Stomp Dance, in which practitioners dance around a fire singing medicine songs all night (yes, the ENTIRE night) one day per month after purifying themselves through washing in the river.
Feedback is welcome!
I already posted this on reddit and thought I should probably do that here too.
The letter "v" in Tsalagi is pronounced "uh" and the TS is kind of like a "ch" sound. The letter "u" is always an "oo" sound. The letter "a" is pronounced "ah" and the letter "i" is pronounced "ee" while the letter "e" is pronounced "eh".
Asgina is the tsalagi word for "spirit", similar to manitou for the Anishinaabek. The Nunnehi are powerful spirits similar to demigods and are above most other spirits so it made sense to me to call the pantheon this.
ASGINA NUNNEHI
Like the manitou but often gender-flipped versions of them.
Primordial: Unetlanvhi – the Sun Goddess, the Apportioner
Callings: Creator, Sage, Judge
The Sun who created everything, kind of a cross between the Kami Amaterasu and if Kitchi-Manitou was gender flipped.
Purviews: Sun, Fortune, Stars, Prosperity, Fertility, Order
Eduda Suli - Grandfather Buzzard
Callings: Guardian, Sage, Judge
Geezhigo-Quae of the manitou gender flipped and associated with vultures, hawks, and other large raptors. Dried the world after Dâyuni'sï brought the land up, but inadvertently formed mountains, hills, and valleys by doing this.
Purviews: Beasts (all), Sky, Order, Wild, Epic Stamina
Dâyuni'sï- the Water Beetle
Callings: Healer, Sage, Hunter
Uzzu-Kumik-Quae gender flipped, brought the mud up from the waters to form the land.
Purviews: Earth, Water, Journeys, Wild, Beasts (Aquatic Beetles and Turtles)
Kanati – the Lucky Hunter
Callings: Trickster, Leader, Hunter
The First Man. Like Maudjee-Kawiss but far less uptight. A bit of a trickster as well. Kept all the animals in a cave so he could hunt them one at a time until his sons discovered the cave and accidently let them all out.
Purviews: Epic Dexterity, Fortune, Sky, Deception, Prosperity
Selu – the Corn Mother
Callings: Guardian, Lover, Healer
The First Woman, very similar to Winona of the Manitou but also the one who created corn and beans. Killed by her children the thunder twins when they mistook her for a raven mocker posing as her, but they later brought her back by following a ritual she gave them.
Purviews: Earth, Fertility, Prosperity, Health, Death
Jistu – Rabbit
Callings: Trickster, Hunter, Warrior
Basically Nana’b’oozoo but more closely associated with rabbits. A trickster and culture hero.
Purviews: Beasts (rabbits and hares only), Chaos, Journeys, Deception, Artistry (Dance, Acting, Storytelling)
The Thunder Twins
Asgaya Gigagei – the Red Man/Red Woman, Kapoonis, Lightning
Callings: Warrior, Sage, Creator
Learned medicine, magic, and how to create fire spears (aka lightning). Went on many journeys to find herbs (he was the one who discovered tobacco) or knowledge. Could be male or female depending on what he thought was best for the situation (when healing he would often take on the gender of the one being healed to put them at ease). The smartest of the thunder twins.
Purviews: Fire, Journeys, Sky, Healing, Forge
Inage Utasuhi – the Wild One, Enumclaw, Thunder
Callings: Warrior, Hunter, Liminal
Trained until he could hurl massive boulders with ease, often gets his brother into trouble. Enjoys living in the woods and remote places. The strongest of the thunder twins.
Purviews: Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, Wild, Sky, Chaos
Titans: Asgina Uya
Tsul ‘Kalu – the sloping eyed giant
Rapacity, Dominance
He is of giant proportions, and dwells in a great mountain of the Blue Ridge Range, in North-western Virginia. He appears to have possessed all the game in the district as his private property. Not that bad really but likes to be left alone. Able to turn himself invisible and is a very skilled hunter.
Ocasta – the Stonecoat
Fecundity, Dominance
A giant made of stone. Created the raven mockers, was captured, then as he was dying had a change of heart and taught the people medicine songs and magic. Could never decide if he wanted to be good or evil. His spirit might make a good guide.
U’tlun’ta’ – the Spearfinger
Submission, Dominance
The first of the Raven mockers, evil sorcerers who can shapeshift into owls and eat livers to stay young. This one is the most evil Titan of the pantheon.
Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï - Raven Mockers, evil sorcerers who can shapeshift into owls and eat livers to stay young. Often are fallen medicine men. Otherwise similar to the Wendigo.
Overworld:
Galun’lati - The sky vault, basically Skyworld.
Underworld:
Ulasigi – Similar to The World but the seasons are backwards (winter is hot, summer is cold, etc.).
Creatures:
Tlanuwa – Basically like Manitou thunderbirds but with metal or obsidian feathers instead of lightning powers
Uktena – Basically Manitou water panthers. No real difference
Junsdi – Basically Bagwajiwinnini/Pukwudgie, little people with very long hair
The Asgina Nunnehi also have supernatural animals like the Manitou.
Signature Purview would be the same as the Manitou.
Pride and Dream seem like a good fit for virtues, but they also have a large emphasis on balance similar to the Shen.
All in all, other than individual goddesses and gods being a little different, they are extremely similar to the Manitou, and would likely get lumped in together with them by other gods.
Religion: Kituwah
VERY similar to Midewiwin, except there is both an emphasis on balance and "becoming Yvwi", or a "true human being". This part is very similar to Hinduism. The afterlife is temporary, everyone gets reincarnated eventually. There are no "castes" though, where you are on the path to becoming "Yvwi" is between you and the spirits. The point is to keep trying. There are clans though, but no clan is superior to another. This factors into the symbol of the Cherokee and the Asgina Nunnehi, which is a seven pointed star (which represents the seven Tsalagi clans). Fire is also a big sacred element in being Kituwah, and the chief ritual is the Stomp Dance, in which practitioners dance around a fire singing medicine songs all night (yes, the ENTIRE night) one day per month after purifying themselves through washing in the river.
Feedback is welcome!
I already posted this on reddit and thought I should probably do that here too.
Comment