Today, we’re staying close to Tennessee but looking more broadly at Appalachia to explore a piece of folklore about the moon-eyed people.
According to the legend, the moon-eyed people were small, humanlike beings with beards and extremely pale skin. They were supposedly seen only at night, leading to stories that they were nocturnal. The moon-eyed people were also said to have lived in the region before the Cherokee.
Along with these humanlike characteristics, the moon-eyed people were said to have unusually large, blue eyes. Some versions of the legend suggest their eyes were sensitive to sunlight, forcing them to hide during the day, possibly in caves.
Accounts of the moon-eyed people were recorded by writers in the late 18th century. Some versions of the story describe the Cherokee encountering and driving the moon-eyed people from the region. Later versions of the legend have connected the story to Fort Mountain in present-day Georgia.
According to those accounts, the moon-eyed people were unable to see well in bright light, giving the Cherokee an advantage during their encounter.
There is no established historical or archaeological evidence confirming the existence of the moon-eyed people. A small stone figure with prominent eyes, now associated with the legend, has been displayed at the Cherokee County Historical Museum in Murphy, North Carolina. However, connecting the figure to the moon-eyed people remains speculative.
Over the years, people have proposed different explanations for the legend, including theories that could have originated from encounters with another population living in the region. However, these explanations remain theories, and the origins of the story are uncertain.
What do you think of the moon-eyed people? Could the legend have developed from encounters between different groups living in Appalachia, or is it simply one of the many pieces of folklore passed down through generations in the region?
