The Ancient World (HUM 124 - UNC Asheville)/Texts/Corn Woman Spirit by Freeman Owle

Summary


This poem talks about a spirit named the Corn Woman who was sent down to walk with the Cherokee and who helps the Cherokee grow corn during the harvest season. However one day the corn did not come up, and the Cherokee discovered the Corn Woman was missing. All the animals and spirits were looking for her, and eventually the raven set out to find the Corn Woman. The raven found her in a dark cave, captured by an evil spirit. The raven had to rescue her or else the Cherokee starve. Eventually, the Raven rescues her and the corn returns along with the Corn Woman.

Translations from Oral Tradition to Written Word
Immediately upon beginning the poem the reader is given a sense that this story is told with a casual attitude. This can be confusing If the poem is approached on its own. The poem begins with “Another” which suggests that the writer/narrator has already told another story. The second line tells the reader that the teller “mentioned that it is a matrilineal society.” With this line appearing so early in the story, it reinforces the idea that this poem is part of a much larger story. Not quite a fragment, but that as a reader, we’ve entered the story at the wrong point.

It is entirely possible that the author who transcribed this story from its original oral form, learned the story from a person who was not a practiced storyteller. It could also be a translation from an account written in with the Cherokee Syllabary, and later translated into English and written using the Latin alphabet. As was presented in Vedic India and Ifa divination, the exact retelling of a sacred story was of critical importance. The inclusion of many casual turns of English phrases suggests that the sanctity of this Cherokee origin story may have been lost in translation.

Symbolism
Throughout this traditional Cherokee story, many symbols arise that give us a deeper look into the story and into Cherokee culture. One of the most prominent symbols is the "Hunger Spirit" that is given the blame when there was an absence of corn in the fields. The hunger spirit is a symbol of famine and failed crops during the growing season, and is viewed as an evil spirit who abducts the Corn Woman, which further prevents the crops from growing. The raven also serves as a symbol of the Cherokees respect for nature and the world around them. In the story it is emphasized that the Cherokee let ravens stay in the cornfield and eat their corn, as opposed to the Appalachian people who display raven heads on sticks to deter the other birds from entering the fields. We are able to take a deeper look into the the Cherokees respect for nature as the raven who is so often viewed as the villain in other cultures, is revered as a hero who saved the Corn Woman.

Other Comments

 * Similar in relation to The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf in the sense that this is more of a narrative poem, it does not follow a specific rhyme scheme and tends to have a plot with a beginning and end.