The Moon-Eyed People

Region: Appalachia
Location:Cherokee folklore; widespread in Appalachian lore (North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia)

The Moon-Eyed People are one of the most intriguing entries in Cherokee tradition, describing a mysterious race said to have lived in the mountains long before European contact. They were described as pale, small-statured people with unusually large, light-sensitive eyes. According to some Cherokee stories, they were unable to see in daylight and thus lived in caves or traveled only at night. Their unusual appearance and nocturnal habits set them apart from surrounding tribes, contributing to their mythic status.
  Some versions of the legend claim the Moon-Eyed People were driven out during a great conflict, unable to withstand the bright summer sun. Others say they simply vanished, leaving behind stone mounds or fortifications whose origins were unexplained. Over time, European settlers incorporated the story into their own folklore, linking the Moon-Eyed People to Welsh explorers, lost tribes, or even tribes of subterranean humans. None of these explanations hold historical support, but they illustrate how compelling the idea is — a vanished people glimpsed only through fragments.
  Modern archaeology offers no proof of such a group, but the legend endures because it inhabits the perfect intersection of mystery, cultural memory, and geographical features that suggest hidden histories. Caves, stone effigies, and unexplained earthworks in the Southern Appalachians keep fueling speculation. The Moon-Eyed People remain a symbol of the unknown peoples who might have walked the mountains long before written records, lingering in the imagination as whisper-figures at the edge of night.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

The spark is human. The polish is digital.

 

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