Cherokee Dance and Drama

This study explores the traditional dances and ceremonies of the Eastern Cherokees. Many of the dances are no longer practised, so that the book provides a valuable record for researchers into the Cherokee tribal history and folklore. Traditionally, the Cherokees danced to ensure individual health and social welfare. According to legend, the dance songs bequeathed to them by the Stone Coat monster will assuage all the ills of life that the monster brought. Winter dances are to be given only during times of frost, lest they attract the growth of vegetation by attracting cold and death. The summer dances are associated with crops and vegetation. Other dances are purely for social intercourse and entertainment, or are prompted by specific events in the community.