About the composition...

This extended piece was inspired from Cherokee heritage. It's history and mythology. Native American resonance is certainly a strong thread through much of my spirit & work...

Atagahi, is the myth of the enchanted lake deep in the great smoky mountains...

Westward from the headwaters of Oconaluftee river, in the wildest depths of the Great Smoky mountains, which form the line between North Carolina and Tennessee, is the enchanted lake of Atagahi...

Although all the Cherokee know that it is there, no one has ever seen it, for the way is so difficult that only the animals know how to reach it. Should a stray hunter come near the place he would know of it by the whirring sound of the thousands of wild ducks flying about the lake.
On reaching the spot he would find only a dry flat, without bird or animal or blade of grass, unless he had first sharpened his spiritual vision by prayer and fasting and an all-night vigil.

Because it is not seen, some people think the lake had evaporated long ago, but this is not true. To one who had kept watch and fast through the night it would appear at daybreak as a wide-extending but shallow sheet of purple water, fed by springs spouting from the high cliffs around.
Just above it's waters cascades an everlasting violet mist...
In the water are all kinds of fish and reptiles, and swimming upon the surface or flying overhead are great flocks of various birds, ducks and pigeons, while all about the shores are bear tracks crossing in every direction. It is the medicine lake of the birds and animals, and whenever a bear is wounded by the hunters he makes his way through the woods to this lake and plunges into the water, and when he comes out upon the other side his wounds are healed.
For this reason the animals keep the lake invisible to the hunter...

Of the many people who have sought Atagâ’hï only a few have ever found it. Two of these may have been two Cherokee youngsters by the name of Utani and Netani. Utani was the elder brother of Netani, who was his little sister. He was a young Cherokee lad, tall and strong, who was approaching the age when he would be considered a brave and be expected to act like one. Utani had been given a new knife with a bright and shiny blade that was razor sharp and gleamed and glittered in the sunshine.

He was fascinated by his knife and the way the blade reflected the sun. He placed it upon the ground in the sun and stood and admired the way it gleamed in the sunshine. He was so absorbed in staring at the blade gleaming in the sunlight that he did not notice the approach of his sister, Netani. Not until her body cut out the sunlight from the blade stopping it gleaming did he notice she was there.

Seeing the knife suddenly stop gleaming Utani looked up and saw it was because his sister was blocking the sun by where she was standing and her shadow was falling upon it “Please remove your shadow from my knife,” he said but Netani just staring at him at him with puzzled look on her face. “Please move so that that your body does not stop the sun from shining on my knife!” he said. Netani did not move so he said it again...

Although Netani did not understand why Utani was staring at the blade, because he was her elder brother she obeyed him and moved out of the way allowing the sun to shine upon the knife again. Then she asked him why he was so fascinated about the knife. Realising she may think of him as foolish and because he was now approaching the age of when a Cherokee boy becomes a brave and he did not want to sound childish. He told her that he was watching the blade of his knife because the sun was shining on it and was sending him a message.

Utani had not reckoned on his little sister’s natural curiosity. She was fascinated and begged to know what the message was. Thinking to quiet her curiosity he told her that the sun was telling him the secret location of Atagâ’hï the hidden lake. Too late Utani realised he had gone too far with his childishness. But, he was obstinate. He did not want to be seen to lose face by telling his little sister that he had made it all up and did not know the way to the hidden lake. If he did he would have to admit that he had not received a message from the sun from his knife. Netani was intrigued by the thought of Atagâ’hï and begged him to take her there...

Utani realised he was in a fix but thinking now he was almost a brave he must begin to act like one. So he decided, perhaps foolishly, that he would try and find the way to the hidden lake of Atagâ’hï. Picking up his knife he placed it in its sheath at his side and taking his sister by the hand began walking towards the high ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains.

With no clear idea of which way to go Utani led his sister along the trails that led up to the high ridges. They walked for hours through the wild woods climbing higher and ever higher along remote trails that few trod. They got further away from home than Utani had ever been before and he began to feel scared, but he did not want to show fear in case he frightening his sister who had always placed her trust in him. They walked and walked and came across no sign of the lake and Netani now began to grow tired and lagged behind. She called to Utani to wait for her and suggested they rest and then head home as she was beginning to feel very hungry. She suggested they come back tomorrow and look when they would have more time.

Secretly, Utani was very pleased because he had no idea where he was going and with his sister suggesting it was time to go home he would not lose face and he was also feeling very hungry and tired. Making out he was angry he agreed to turn round and go home, but as he took his sister’s hand to return down the trail he kicked a pebble which rolled across the trail to one side and down a bank and they heard a plop as it fell into water...

Atagâ’hï

Brother and sister looked at each other with surprise and then very quietly and carefully walked to the side of the trail which had thick branches and foliage growing along it. Pulling the foliage out of the way Utani and Netani found themselves looking down a bank that ran to the the edge of a beautiful blue lake that was hidden by trees and bushes. All around around the edges of the lake great cliffs rose and springs of crystal clear water bubbled down their face into the lake. There were multitudes of many different kinds of birds & butterflies. The waters were filled with fish and their were reptiles in among them Around the shore of the lake there were the footprints of many kinds of animals and they could see bears and deer, squirrels and many other kinds of animals. They knew they had found the Atagâ’hï the hidden lake of their Cherokee people.

They looked about them and realized it was getting towards sundown so they agreed to return home and come back again in the morning to explore it further. When they arrived home it was dark and their mother and father and the older braves of the village were worried and angry. They wanted to know where they had been and Netani told them happily that the sun had sent a message to Utani’s knife blade telling him where to find Atagâ’hï and that was where they had been. Their parents laughed and the older braves laughed. Utani and Netani did not laugh. They knew they had found the hidden lake of Atagâ’hï and could find it again. Now, for those who wander in the Great Smoky Mountains sometimes along the trail in the wilds you may come across a young Cherokee brave and his sister kicking pebbles down a bank on the side of the trail.

Legend has it that you can still see morning mist rise from the magic lake when you stand at the top of Clingmans Dome...