The belief in a connection between name and character shows up repeatedly in ancient civilizations. The Romans tied a person’s name to his destiny. The North American tribe known as Cherokees also held this belief.
Ancient Cherokee Beliefs
The Cherokee foretold the future of every individual by bestowing a descriptive and detailed name on a newborn to express personality and gifting. Since the mid 1700s there are indications of the elaborate naming ceremonies the Cherokees held. The first naming began a few days after birth. A Cherokee priest would take the child from the parents, pass him or her over sacred fire, and immerse the newborn in water with blessings for the baby’s future. The elements of fire and water hold special significance in Cherokee culture. Fire, the gift of the Great Spirit, is believed to divide man from the animal kingdom since man alone is able to kindle and maintain flame. As a divine gift, fire plays a prominent role in Cherokee religion. In similar fashion Cherokees believed that moving water could purify and strengthen an individual. Thus water is also sacred.
After the medicine man purified the child with fire and water, the baby was presented to a prominent elderly woman in the clan to receive his or her name. The matriarch of this matrilineal society would bestow the child’s name on him based on her belief of his future character. Or she might choose a name based on his resemblance to something in nature. However a child was not limited to one name. Over the course of his life, for example when a warrior came of age and went on a vision quest, he would acquire other names as acknowledgment of achievement or disgrace.
Significance of Cherokee Names
Cherokees chose expressive names. If a girl was christened Huhu, the Cherokee word for mockingbird, her name might indicate that she possessed the supernatural powers and quickness the Cherokees assigned to the Yellow Mockingbird. If a baby boy was given the name “Twisted Branch,” it might indicate physical deformity or refer to a deceptive or “warped” personality. Whether for good or ill the name became a distinct part of the individual’s personality. So how accurate were these designations and what role did they play in shaping the individual’s identity?
History shows an uncanny accuracy in the given names of many Cherokees. For example: Attacullaculla, the five foot Cherokee who visited London in the 1730s and helped establish a peace treaty, has a name that translates into English as “Little Builder.” This small chief indeed “built” relationships and trust between his people and the Europeans.
Or take the example of Amouskositte, or Dreadful Water, who tried (unsuccessfully) to usurp his father’s place as chief in the clan. Since Cherokee culture imbued water with great significance, regarding it as sacred and potent, the name “Dreadful Water” suggest harmful uses of power.
Examples abound of other intriguing Cherokee names, such as She Who Walks with the Little People to Turtle-Stay-At-Home. While it remains difficult to prove a connection between a name and a person’s destiny, the significance and variety of names in ancient Cherokee culture offers a fascinating study in linguistics.
Select Bibliography
Cherokee by Blood. 2003. David Vann. May 20, 2009
Cherokee History. 1996. Lee Sultzman. May 20, 2009.
Mails, Thomas E. The Cherokee People: the Story of the Cherokee from Earliest Origins to Contemporary Time. New York: Marlowe & Company, 1996.
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