CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Appalachian Mountains in Western North Carolina are some of the oldest mountains in the world. Mysteries and folklore flourish in the densely packed forests and storytelling is deeply rooted in the culture of the people who call the area home. There are tales of beginnings, tales of gods, of monsters and, of course, stories of triumphs and of losses passed down through the generations.
Judaculla Rock – Image credit: Lucas Pollet – CC BY-SA 4.0
Of these tales of gods and monsters, to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, there is almost no greater tale than that of Judaculla and Juducalla’s rock, the largest petroglyph in North Carolina and the oldest east of the Mississippi.
The Legend of Judaculla
To the Cherokee people, Judaculla (Tsul-ka-lu, in Cherokee, meaning Slant-eyed giant) was the God of Game and the Master of Animals. The great hunter, he is said to roam the lands of Cullowhee (Judaculla-Whee meaning Judaculla’s Place) and Western North Carolina, fiercely protecting his land from any trespassing and protecting the animals from overhunting from the local tribes.
Photo of an onsite illustration of Judaculla by Nancy Lou Patterson. [Photo Credit: Eligiah Tornton]
Any tribe member who hunts in the “uplands” is expected to ask permission from Judaculla or face the consequences of his wrath.
He is said to be able to jump from mountain top to mountain top with a single leap and drink an entire river dry, while also possessing the ability to bend the weather to his will. He would also travel to and from the spirit world via Juducalla rock, as it served as a gateway between the two realms.
His abilities, according to the Cherokee, are not the only thing to be feared and respected by him. With a height of over seven feet, he was covered in fur and possessed not only seven fingers with razor-sharp claws on each hand but seven of the same on each foot.
On top of Richland Balsam Mountain, Judaculla staked his claim on the land and people. Dwelling in a cave at Judaculla’s Judgment seat, now commonly known as The Devil’s Courthouse, he would leap from this mountain top while chasing hunters away and touch down on the rock, leaving a seven-finger footprint on the bottom-right edge of the soapstone.
Wedding a Cherokee woman and taking her to the spirit world against her will, Judaculla became ever more entwined with the Cherokee people, promising them eternal life in trade for his bride to remain in the spirit world.
It is said that after the deal was made between the two that the markings appeared on the rock, providing a map and guiding the way for each of the “faithful” and “brave” tribal members to enter the spirit world.
Judaculla Rock-Oldest Petroglyphs, East of the Mississippi
Though the lore of Judaculla has been passed down for centuries, the markings on the rock speak for themselves. The stone sits on a slope adjacent to pastureland on Caney Fork Creek, an offshoot of the Tuckasegee River, in Cullowhee.
An outline of the petroglyphs. Provided onsite.
Within the 15-acre site, only a small portion has been preserved with the combined effort of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Jackson County, Western Carolina University, The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, and the former landowners, the Parker Family.
Though the current Mr. Parker’s father donated the land to the county for preservation in 1959, he and his wife can be seen caretaking the land, cultivating the gardens and rock structures that surround the rock alongside the other caretakers.
All working together to maintain the beauty that surrounds the now on the US National Register of Historic Places.
Archeologists have dated the petroglyphs from around 1400 BCE to 200 CE, the late Archaic era. The Archaic era in what would be now named North America began the evolution of local economies through agricultural trade, developing into less nomadic practices and a more sedentary farming lifestyle for hunter-gatherers.
Over 1,500 etchings and carvings were made on the soapstone with the oldest dating back well over 4,000 years to the most recent to 300 years ago.
Some of the etchings include claw-like markings, stick-like figures, a cross in a circle, winged figures, animals, and perhaps the most famous interpretation, the print of Judaculla.
The site not only contains petroglyphs but also a bowl quarrying section used by the Cherokee for the production of large clay bowls on the bottom right of the stone.
Though the petroglyphs have yet to be deciphered by modern standards, theories such as star maps, or hunting ground maps for the ancient Cherokee people seem to hold the most weight with those who have studied the rock.
Bowl quarrying section of Judaculla Rock. E. Thornton
The Cherokee people still use the ancient site for healing and ceremony. This sacred stone is not only a connection to the spirit world for the Cherokee people but a center where they can connect to each other, through ceremony and kinship.
Through their ancestors’ carving on soapstone, through the great hunter, Judaculla, who left not only his mark on the Rock, but also his mark on the Appalachian Mountains, and on the Cherokee people who once called Cullowhee home.
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