Confluence
Sep 10, 2023, 10:26 PM
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Stand here and look over 10’s of thousands of years of history. These two rivers join here. The Hiwassee is to your left, the Valley River is to your right. The rivers, once joined retain the name of the Hiwassee River as it flows westward towards Tennessee.
In the summer months, the Tennessee Valley Authority raises the level of the water in the Hiwassee with their control system of dams. This area effectively becomes a lake suitable for all types of water sport and recreation. Fishing, canoeing and kayaking are popular ways to enjoy the summer on the lake.
Before the arrival of the white man, this region was home to the Cherokee and their ancestors for thousands of years.
This place had many names over the centuries. One of the Cherokee names for this area was Klausuna, a name that meant “Large Turtle”.
The name comes from a Cherokee legend that tells of a huge turtle that would sun itself at the junction of these two rivers. The Turtle would lie out all day with no worries. He was so huge that he had no fear of the many attempts to capture or hurt him. Legend says he even survived a lightning strike.
But he soon became bored, tiring of the futile attempts of man’s attacks. He became disgusted with the world and burrow down to the center of the earth, never to be seen again.
As with most legends, there are often physical objects that tell of the story. The same is true of this legend. A huge soapstone rock carved into the shape of a turtle by ancient man was found near here.
Now residing in front of the Cherokee County Historical Museum In downtown Murphy, is this stone turtle the source of the legend or just an acknowledgment of the old story?
In the summer months, the Tennessee Valley Authority raises the level of the water in the Hiwassee with their control system of dams. This area effectively becomes a lake suitable for all types of water sport and recreation. Fishing, canoeing and kayaking are popular ways to enjoy the summer on the lake.
Before the arrival of the white man, this region was home to the Cherokee and their ancestors for thousands of years.
This place had many names over the centuries. One of the Cherokee names for this area was Klausuna, a name that meant “Large Turtle”.
The name comes from a Cherokee legend that tells of a huge turtle that would sun itself at the junction of these two rivers. The Turtle would lie out all day with no worries. He was so huge that he had no fear of the many attempts to capture or hurt him. Legend says he even survived a lightning strike.
But he soon became bored, tiring of the futile attempts of man’s attacks. He became disgusted with the world and burrow down to the center of the earth, never to be seen again.
As with most legends, there are often physical objects that tell of the story. The same is true of this legend. A huge soapstone rock carved into the shape of a turtle by ancient man was found near here.
Now residing in front of the Cherokee County Historical Museum In downtown Murphy, is this stone turtle the source of the legend or just an acknowledgment of the old story?