Posted on 06/03/2013 3:50:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
According to one legend, the berry has been a force of nature since the beginning of time.
The Cherokees have a creation myth that connects human harmony and the configuration of heaven and Earth to the sight of a single strawberry. The cosmic details are murky. But the culinary message is clear. Abbreviated, it goes like this:
First Man and First Woman (think Cherokee Adam and Eve) have a blowout argument, after which First Woman proclaims: “You are lazy and pay no attention to me. I am going to find another place to live.” With that, she harrumphs off with that indignant, power-walker briskness achieved only by angry women.
First Man feels remorse. He sets off to apologize, but can’t catch up. His legs are no match for her will. Desperate, he beseeches the Creator: “Please, slow her down so I can tell her how much I love her.”
Moved by First Man’s anguish, the Creator sets temptations in First Woman’s path. He tries gooseberries. He tries huckleberries. He tries blackberries. But First Woman pays them no attention, and proceeds at her frantic clip.
Finally, the Creator turns to his own garden and plucks the berry of the Heavens. He sets Earth’s first strawberry plant at First Woman’s feet. Miraculously, it blooms and bears fruit.
First Woman stops dead in her tracks. She’s smitten by the graceful leaves, the lovely bloom, the heart-shaped fruit. She decides to pause for a single bite.
As she picks the first berry, more plants sprout around her. She tastes one strawberry. Then another, and another. As she plucks and feasts, her anger melts away.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I’ve heard some of the local Yurok’s traditional stories and they are interesting.
And you believed in the tooth fairy, too.
I didn’t say I necessarily believed to them , I said they were interesting.
I know...I’ve listened to them, too.
In classical education, they taught Greek mythology. I don’t see why any other folklore should be different.
The ones I’ve heard had a pretty good point to the story. They had been handed down for generations. I don’t care if they were based on actual events or not.
Hand dip them in chocolate and she will really love you.
I’m convinced.
Darn that Marco Polo!
lol!
I LOVED the story, nickcarraway! Thanks for posting it.
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Awwwww!!
Thanks for posting!
Oh, there are all sorts of interesting Cherokee legends. The great, monstrous bird-like creature Tlanuwha has always been striking. Impenetrable metal feathers. Mountain balds were cleared to combat the things. Sounds very much like the Thunderbird or Piasa Bird of other legend.
For what it’s worth, the Strawberry is the only plant with seeds on the outside of the fruit so, yes, it’s a pretty special plant!
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
It is now strawberry season in East Tennessee. We are fortunate to have an entrapraneur that grew his small farm into a mega enterprise producing tons of strawberries.
We eat them every day, sometimes twice a day. We know that too soon, they will be gone.
The favorite recipe:
Bake Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits, cut them in half, apply generous amount of butter and sugar, reheat until melted.
Cut strawberies in two or three, mash, apply sugar.
Put mashed strawberries and all the juice on the buttered sugared biscuits.
Eat
Indeed...
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