Moon-Eyed People: Cherokee Legend of the Night-Dwelling Pale Tribe

My Shadow Tribe, 

I hope this missive finds you well. Today I want to share with you some ancient folklore that just may be more than folklore.

Cherokee oral tradition tells of the Moon-Eyed People (Yunwi Tsunsdi in Cherokee), a mysterious race who inhabited the Southern Appalachians long before the Cherokee arrived. 

Described as short, bearded, white-skinned (sometimes blue-eyed), and flat-faced, they lived in caves and stone structures, emerging only at night because bright sunlight blinded their large, sensitive eyes. Hence the name "moon-eyed."

They supposedly built ancient fortifications, like the stone wall at Fort Mountain in Georgia, and were skilled but reclusive, avoiding daytime conflict.

According to legend, the Cherokee eventually clashed with them. One version has the Cherokee attacking during a full moon when the Moon-Eyed were blinded by reflected light, driving them westward or into extinction. Another ties them to battles with neighboring tribes like the Creek. 

Early European accounts, including from botanist Benjamin Smith Barton in 1797 and Cherokee chief Oconostota speaking to Tennessee governor John Sevier in 1782, preserved these stories. Some link them to pre-Columbian ruins or small-statured burials reported in the 1800s, like tiny skeletons in stone coffins near Sparta, Tennessee.

Theories abound on their identity. Skeptics call it pure folklore; symbolic of natural forces, rival tribes, or even European contact myths (like Welsh Prince Madoc's lost colony). Others see a faded memory of an actual pre-Cherokee people, perhaps an earlier indigenous group with albinism traits or genetic conditions causing light sensitivity. Cryptozoology fans push cryptid angles: surviving Neanderthal-like hominids, underground dwellers, goblins, or something else paranormal tied to Appalachian weirdness.

No hard archaeological proof exists. There is no DNA, no definitive artifacts tied to a distinct "Moon-Eyed" culture. Most modern scholars lean toward cultural memory or metaphor rather than literal beings. 

Still, the legend endures in Appalachian storytelling, museums (like the soapstone statue or effigy discovered in 1840s, now on display in Murphy, NC), and fringe discussions, blending Native history with deep mystery.

For Further Reading

1. James Mooney – Myths of the Cherokee (1900) – Classic collection of Cherokee legends, including Moon-Eyed references from 19th-century sources. (Amazon link)
2. Various Appalachian Folklore collections (e.g., North Carolina Ghosts or Blue Ridge Tales sites/articles) – Modern retellings and regional explorations of the legend. Many are out of print. 
3. Charles C. Royce – The Cherokee Nation of Indians (1889) – Historical context on Cherokee traditions and early settler accounts of pre-Cherokee inhabitants. (Amazon link).

 

Between Shadows and Light,

     Cade Sadowlight ☠

 

 Join the Shadow Tribe: Sign up for the email list by clicking here. 

 

P.S. Here is my go to for all things life saving: Refuge Medical & Refuge Training (affiliate link). High quality, American made, first aid kits and medical supplies (training, too!). A 10% discount will automatically be applied at checkout using my links. 

 

If this article inspired or helped you, then please buy me a coffee so I can keep exposing the things they don’t want you to know → https://buymeacoffee.com/cadeshadowlight