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Part of the culture of the Choctaw

Choctaw mythology is part of the culture of the Choctaw, a Native American tribe originally occupying a large territory in the present day Southeastern United States: much of the states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. In the 19th century, the Choctaw were known to European Americans as one of the "Five Civilized Tribes" even though controversy surrounds their removal. Today the Choctaw have three federally recognized tribes: the largest is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, next is the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, made up of descendants of individuals who did not remove in the 1830s, and the smallest is the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, located in Louisiana. Also, the Choctaw Apache Tribe of Ebarb, state recognized by Louisiana and resides in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. In addition, the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians is state recognized by Alabama, but it has not achieved federal recognition. It, too, is made up of descendants of individuals who remained in the Southeast in the 1830s. The Choctaw and their ancestors have lived in the Mississippi region in what is now the southeastern region of the US for centuries. Thousands of years of myth and story making have contributed to a rich collection of history. The Choctaw continue to tell and write about their legends.

At the beginning there was a great mound. It was called Nanih Waiya. It was from this mound that the Creator fashioned the first of the people. These people crawled through a long, dark cave into daylight and became the first Choctaw. For many years they lived in this area until a great shift occurred. At this time a great flood arose covering the lands. The Choctaw people had to flee by canoes to an island as guided by a dove. They prospered and then over populated the island. They then traveled back to the coast of Turtle Island. Once they arrived again the people who remained were not friendly. They then traveled for hundreds of years down the coast down south. They finally traveled across what is now the Yucatán again in canoes. Once they landed up on the land of giants and fought for territory. They then rebuilt their sacred Nanih Waya and found a sacred home for their ancestor's bones that they lovingly carried with them all those many years. (Caitlin, Letters and Notes, 1841)

Some early writers, and in later times Cushman and Bushnell, report that the Choctaw believed in a great good spirit and a great evil spirit. Choctaw oral histories mentioned numerous supernatural beings. In addition to their terms for what might also be called the Great Spirit or God and the Devil, the Choctaw believed they had many other "powerful beings" in their midst.

The Choctaw venerated Sinti lapitta, a horned serpent that visited unusually wise young men.

They believed in a little man, about two feet high, who dwelled alone in the thick, dark woods. The little man was called Bohpoli or Kowi anukasha, both names being used alone or together. The translation of Bohpoli is the "Thrower". The translation of Kowi anukasha is "The one who stays in the woods", or to give a more concise translation, "Forest dweller". Little man can be compared to the European counterparts dwarfs, elves, gnomes, and leprechauns. The little wood sprite (ole) was known to be rather mischievous, but not malicious. The Choctaw believed that he often playfully threw sticks and stones at them. All unexplained sounds heard in the woods were attributed to Bohpoli. The Choctaw believed that he took a special pleasure in hitting the pine trees to create noise. Bohpoli was never seen by the common Choctaw, only by the prophets and shaman. The Indian shamans or doctors would report that Bohpoli assisted them in creating their medicines. Some stories said that Bohpoli would "steal" little children and take them into the woods, to teach them about herbs and medicines. After returning the children to their homes, Bohpoli would leave them alone, letting them grow up to become doctors of the tribe. Some of the history writings refer to Kashehotapalo, a combination of man and deer who delighted in frightening hunters. He was much admired for his speed and agility. If the Choctaw angered Kashehotapalo, he would race ahead of them and warn the enemy or animals being hunted. Okwa Naholo or Oka Nahullo (white people of the water) dwelled in deep pools and had light skins like the skins of trout. They were believed to sometimes capture human beings, whom they converted into beings like themselves. Hoklonote was a bad spirit who could assume any shape it desired; it was believed to read people's thoughts.

The Choctaw have stories about shadow beings. Nalusa Chito, also known as a Impa Shilup, was the soul eater, a great black being.

Ishkitini, or the horned owl, was believed to prowl about at night killing men and animals. Many believed that when ishkitini screeched, it meant sudden death, such as a murder. If the ofunlo (screech owl) was heard, it was a sign that a child under seven in the family was going to die. Such a child was likened to a small owl. If opa (a common owl) perched in a barn or on trees near the house and hooted, its call was a foreboding of death among the near relatives of the residents. Biskinik, the sapsucker, was known as the news bird. If he landed on a tree in a family's yard early in the morning, some "hasty" news would come before noon. If he perched there late at night, the news would come before morning.

Animals figure significantly in Choctaw mythology, as they do in most Native American myth cycles. For example, in Choctaw history, solar eclipses were attributed to black squirrels, and maize was a gift from the birds.

Two brothers named Tashka and Walo followed the sun for many years from childhood to adulthood. They would follow it throughout its life in the day, until it died over the horizon in the evening. One day, the sun rested over a great expanse of water, and the boys swam into it, going underneath. They emerged in the home of the sun, finding women all around. These women were the moon and the stars. The moon was the sun's wife and asked the brothers how they entered this realm. The brothers said that they followed the sun for many years since they were boys. The sun then told his wife to boil water, and he placed the brothers in it, keeping them there until their skin fell off. The sun asked if they knew their way back home. The boys replied "no", as they looked over the edge of the sky, seeing land, but were not able to discern their home from such a height. The sun asked why they had followed him for all these years, to which the brothers replied only to see where he had died. The sun agreed to send them home, but instructed them not to talk for four days after they returned, or they would surely die. He called a giant buzzard to fly them home, and after they had landed, an old man recognized them and went to tell their mother. The mother, frightened since she had not seen them for many days, made them tell her where they had been. They told her of their journey and said that they will now surely die because they did not keep their promise to the sun of silence for four days. After this the mother was very worried, but they all returned home. The brothers told the tales of the many years they had followed the sun. After telling all of what they knew, they died and entered heaven.

Soon after the Great Spirit created all the animals and humans, he asked each how long their lives should be. The dog was the first to respond, excited by the promise of a long life, and asked for 10 years. The rest of the animals did not know how long they wanted, so the spirit gave them the years he thought was best. He gave humans three centuries of life and told the dog that, although its life was short, its quality of life will be determined by its master. If the master was good to the dog, feeding, loving, and caring for it, it will prosper and live long. If the master neglected and abused it, it will live a short and miserable life.

During the emergence from Nanih Waiya, the grasshoppers journeyed with man to reach the surface and spread in all directions. But in the travel to the surface, the mother of the grasshoppers was stepped on by the men, which stopped the rest of her children from reaching the surface. Those already above ground spread in all directions, just as the first tribes of man had done. From then on the Choctaw called the creatures eske ilay ("mother dead"). As the men emerged from the hill and spread throughout the lands, they would trample on many other grasshoppers, killing and harming the orphaned children. Fearing that they would all be killed as the men multiplied while continuing to emerge from Nanih Waiya, the grasshoppers pleaded to Aba, the great spirit, for aid. Soon after, Aba closed the passageway, trapping many men within the cavern who had yet to reach the surface. In an act of mercy, Aba transformed these men into ants, allowing them to rule the caverns in the ground for the rest of history.

The hunter of the Sun is a myth about what happens to the Sun when it disappears. None of the prophets or chief leaders could answer this question. A young man embarked on a mission to understand what happens to the Sun when it sets. He left his family, community, and country to dedicate his life to answering this question. He said he would one day return with the answer to this question. Many years passed—the young men became old and the old men died—and people continued to talk about him. He finally returned, as an old man, with the answer to this question. He journeyed to the ocean and found that the sun sets and rises from the water. After sharing this, the old man died.