Story time...

So I found this random book of old Indian legends and stories about the swamp that just randomly showed up in the living room one day.   So I decided to type one up to share it with you.

**Part of the end is graphic**

Indian Legends of the Great Dismal Swamp

By Waverly Traylor

Wicked Fire Bird

The Warroscoyack Indian tribe had a settlement at the present site of Chuckatuck, which they called Mattanock.  This tribe belonged to the powerful Powhatan Federation.  It controlled the hunting grounds in the Dismal Swamp as far south as the Chesapeake Bay.  This tribe was noted for its brave warriors and beautiful maidens.

The Chesepiooc tribe lived on the Chesapeake Bay at the site of Norfolk, then known as Skicoat.  This tribe controlled the hunting grounds around the bay and the fine oyster beds and fishing grounds.  The Chesepioocs and Warroscoyacks had fought many small wars over the hunting and fishing rights of their respective areas.  Because of this hostility the Warroscoyacks had always blocked the Chesepioocs from joining the Powhatan Federation.

However, this story deals with those happy days when the Warroscoyacks and Chesepioocs were at peace and all of their hunting grounds lay directly under the hunter’s star.  At this time each tribe felt a need to share their hunting and fishing grounds and to fight together against a common enemy which had recently taken refuge in the Dismal Swamp.

This horrible monster was called Fire Bird.  It had huge ragged wings, long sharp claws, and an insatiable appetite for small Indian children.  It had carried away many children from both tribes.  Its presence had frightened away most of the big game.

As this wicked bird soared swiftly overhead through the sky, its wings darkened the earth below.  On dark nights it spewed fire from its eyes and mouth to light its path.  When it flew over on a moonlight night or in the daytime it brought evil to all on which it cast a shadow.

The Warroscoyacks and Chesepioocs planned a tribal council and sought the advice of the wise counselors on a plan to destroy this horrible bird before it destroyed their tribes.

Among the Chesepioocs there lived a young Indian brave whom all trusted and loved in spite of his youth.  None excelled him in wisdom, cunning and courage.  While he was yet a young hunter he once captured a huge black bear from the nearby swamp.  Though he had captured it alive and brought it to the village, it took many arrows to kill it.  From that day forth he was known as Big Bear.  When magic potions were needed by the medicine man, Big Bear was sent alone to the swamo.  Here he stripped off the heads of moccasins, tore out the kidneys of bears, and gathered magic herbs.  Because of this young brave’s courage, cunning and strength, he was chosen to represent his people at the great tribal council.

There lived among the Warroscoyacks White Swan, an Indian maiden so beautiful that her fame had spread throughout the whole federation.  Most of the young braves of her tribe had vied with each other for her attention.  Among her suitors was a scheming old warrior who was very powerful and cruel.  He had exacted White Swan’s hand in marriage from her father when she was very young, in payment for rescuing him from a bear.

The old warrior was scarred and wrinkled.  His hair was matted and the color of Spanish moss.  When the young men of his tribe were put to torture to enture manhood, he devised punishments more cruel than any that the tribe had ever known before.  This practice had earned him the name of Cold Heart.

When Big Bear attended the tribal council between the Warroscoyacks and Chesepioocs he met and fell in love with White Swan.  Old Chief Cold Heart was not blind to such events.  At the close of the council meeting he announced that he would marry White Swan at the rising of the next full moon.

Big Bear, with all of his wisdom, courage and strength could not find any solution to the problem of preventing Cold Heart from marrying White Swan.  Since Big Bear was a member of another tribe he could not marry White Swan without Cold Heart’s consent and this was out of the question.  If he attempted to spirit her away this would cause a war between the two tribes.  With a war they would be so divided that Fire Bird would be able to destroy all of them.  So with a heavy heart he bade White Swan farewell, and returned to his people after giving Cold Heart assurance that his tribe would help destroy Fire Bird.

White Swan pleaded with her father to save her, but to no success.  Cold Heart spurned her pleas and made plans for the wedding ceremony.  In total despair, on the night before the wedding, White Swan fled into the depths of Dismal Swamp.  She threw herself to the wet spongy floor, and all night lay sobbing on the ground.  Between sobs she recoiled from the ghostly screeches of the owl and screams of the wildcats.

When morning came White Swan slowly picked her way through the dense jungles deep into the swamp forest to the gnarled swollen base of a cypress where she had been told that the great Swamp Spirit dwelled.  She summoned all her courage and bravery to speak to the Spirit.  Her beautiful body trembled as she fought to control her troubled soul.  Just as she opened her mouth to call to the spirit, Big Bear emerged from the nearby jungle and took his place beside her.  Now she lost all fear, and called with great humility to the Great Spirit to hear her woes.

Small puffs of smoke rushed from the gnarled branches of the old stump.  Slowly they arose and joined together just above the heads of the two lovers into a halo of blue light.  From this halo a firm voice called to White Swan: “Speak, fair maiden, and I will consider your requests.”

White Swan told how she and Big Bear had met and fallen in love.  She told how her father had been forced to betroth her to the cruel chief Cold Heart because of a favor the chief had done for him when her was a young man.  Then she explained how the Fire Bird had brought sorrow and trouble to both tribes.  She besought the Swamp Spirit to find some way to enable her to marry Big Bear.  She also sought wisdom and strength so that she and Big Bear could destroy Fir Bird.  She asked that she and Big Bear be blessed with many children so that they could weld the two tribes together.  They promised the Swamp Spirit anything he might ask of them in return for these blessings.

The Swamp Spirit replied, “I have heard your problems.  What you have sought from me is very great indeed.  You must prove by your own bravery that you are worthy of my help.  The gift I ask of you will be as great as the deed I will help you perform.  I shall demand that you deliver your first born child to me.  This child will be my own.  I hall change it into a white deer which shall forever roam through the swamp forests to ward off evil spirits and guide members of your tribe to safety when they get lost in the forest.”

White Swan and Big Bear both agreed to this bargain.  The blue halo of light ascended on a gentle breeze toward a huge tree nearby.  It changed again into a cloud of smoke.  White Swan and Big Bear watched the smoke in awe.  As it cleared, they saw light from fire spurted from the eyes of the dreaded Fire Bird.

In horror they turned to run, but before they could enter the nearby jungle Fire Bird had swooped down and grasped Big Bear in its huge claws.  The impact was so great that it stunned Big Bear. When he began to regain his senses he felt himself being lifted above the tree tops.  As he disappeared in a cloud of acrid smoke, he got a glimpse of White Swan darting beneath the foliage in the dense jungle.

White Swan was a brave girl; her heart did not fail her.  Now that Big Bear was in danger she resolved to follow Fire Bird through the swamp forest and find some way to rescue her lover.  She darted into the jungle and ran swiftly in the direction Fire Bird was flying.

Great wonder had always existed as to the location of Fire Bird’s nest.  No one had ever dared to follow it.  It was well known that wherever Fire Bird alighted in the swamp it set the peat floor on fire.  Ever since Fire Bird had been in the swamp there had seemed to be a big fire near the center of the swamp.  Most Indians believed that Fire Bird had a nest here.

White Swan knew that if she and Big Bear were brave the great Swamp Spirit would come to their rescue.  As swiftly as a deer White Swan glided through the entanglements.  Soon she came to a small clearing through which she felt that she would be able to gain on Fire Bird.  She ran faster and faster.  As she crossed the opening and approached the edge of the forest on the other side she felt herself being lifted from the ground.  Gradually she soared above the trees.  She then realized that the Swamp Spirit had come to her help.  Gracefully she glided through the air above the forest in the direction that Fire Bird had flown.

At last, she was gently deposited in the fork of a huge cypress tree which overhung a burning cauldron of peat.  Beside this fire was the grisly nest of Fire Bird.  She looked down on the nest.  It had been woven from the tendons of Indian braves.  It was lined with scalps and littered with the skulls and bones of Indian children.

Now Fire Bird approached the nest.  It was holding Big Bear in its cruel grasp.  Fire spouted from its eyes, and sparks jumped from every twig touched by the huge bird.  As it approached the nest it uttered a raucous and ear-splitting sound.  Instead of landing in the nest it flew directly toward the tree where White Swan was hidden.  Big Bear realized that this was an effort to smash him against the tree.

With quick thinking he was able to use his great strength to divert the course of the bird’s flight so as to ward off a direct blow against the tree.  This tore him loose from the grasp of the bird, and he fell down a short distance into the grisly nest.  He was stunned for a moment from the fall.  When he regained his senses he found that he was in a nest with seven angry and hungry baby Fire Birds.  They immediately began to pluck at his eyes and ears.  They croaked and squawked so loudly that Big Bear was deafened.

He looked for the mother bird and saw that she had gone back toward the gnarled cypress, probably to bring White Swan as additional food for these hungry monsters.  Big Bear knew that he was facing a supreme test.  He must work fast, be brave and succeed.

He grabbed one bird and slammed it against the nearby tree.  When he dumped its limp body over the edge of the nest it fell into the fire.  The foul odors of burning flesh and feathers almost choked him.  He noticed though, that the other six baby birds seemed to be upset by the foul odors.  They fought gamely.  All of them surged at him at once, and he began to feel that the battle was lost.  He glanced up and saw White Swan perched above him in the tree.  He knew then that she was safe from the big Fire Bird.  If he could only subdue the baby birds, then both of them could escape.  With renewed hope he fought the birds with skill and savagery.  He beat them down one at a time.  One by one the birds were overcome.  Big Bear seized the last bird, ripped off its skin, tore out its heart, stripped off its claws and threw the naked carcass over the edge of the nest.  He hung the skin over the nest to dry.

Now that the battle was over, White Swan climbed down into the nest and embraced Big Bear.  He sat down to rest and pulled forth his pipe and lighted it.  He took four long puffs, and with each puff he pointed his pipe toward the four directions of the wind.  The smoke went to all parts of the swamp to summon the Swamp Spirit and find what was the next task.

White Swan helped Big Bear tie the bird skin around his body, fasten the birds claws to his hands, and hide its heart in his quiver.  He was now ready to start through the swamp forest in search of the big Fire Bird.  As he arose to leap from the nest a voice from the cypress tree called to him.  He recognized it as the gentle voice of the Swamp Spirit.

“Big Bear, you have freed the swamp from the terrible Fire Birds.  Your great deed has been done.  You have been brave and I am pleased.  Now I shall do the things for you, which I promised.”

“Fire Bird knows that she cannot raise her young in the swamp as long as we have such brave Indian s here.  She has flown over Mattanock and picked up Chief Cold Heart.  She will leave him unharmed in a hunting ground on a big island far out in the waters where he can never return.”

“I have prepared a love nest for you near the Cypress where I reside.  Hurry, for a big storm is approaching.”

Big Bear and White Swan quickly picked their trail though the dense undergrowth to the love nest.  They had just entered when the winds began to howl, the skies darkened, and the rain poured.  They were soon so lost in their love that time and worldly cares dissolved.  For days, weeks, moons, the rains poured.  But the Swamp Spirit had prepared a protected paradise for them.  Their world of happiness and love was insulated against the erosions of time and reality by the Swamp Spirit.

Eventually the golden shafts of the morning sun diffused undergrowth and shyly intruded on the young lovers.  Big Bear and White Swan reluctantly emerged from their love nest and strolled through the swamp.  They found that the nest of Fire Bird had been filled with water.  The blood from the young Fire Birds had tinted the water with red.  The water overflowed from the nest in seven separate rivers, each struggling to wash away the bloody remains of the young Fire Birds.  So this is how the Dismal Swamp came to have Lake Drummond and the seven rivers, which flow out of the swamp.

The young Indian lovers returned to their tribe and lived happily for many moons.  In due time they were blessed with a fine papoose which they surrendered, according to their promise, to the Swamp Spirit.  Today it is rumored; hunters often encounter the white deer which guides lost hunters out of the forest.