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American Myths - Page 2

Sacred and symbolic stories that explain creation, natural phenomena, and humanity’s origins.

Parchment-style artwork of Coyote stealing fire from the mountain sisters, Native American folktale

How Coyote Brought Fire to the People: American Folktale

by Ayomide Adekilekun

October 20, 2025

American Myths·Native American Nature & Animal Myths

In the ancient lands of the Pacific Northwest, when the world was still young and the nights were bitterly cold, the people suffered without fire. They shivered under the stars, unable to cook their food or keep the darkness at bay. Fire existed, yes, but it belonged only to three powerful sisters who lived high upon a mountain, where smoke

Parchment-style artwork of the Sun and Moon facing each other in the sky, Cherokee folktale scene.

American Myths·Native American Sun, Moon & Star Myths

The Sun and the Moon Are Man and Wife: Cherokee Folktale (United States)

In the ancient days, before the world found its rhythm of day and night, the Sun and the Moon lived together on earth as husband and wife. They shared one lodge under the vast sky, their home surrounded by whispering trees and flowing rivers of silver light. The folktale of

Parchment-style artwork of Raven releasing the Sun and Moon into the sky, Haida folktale scene.

The Theft of the Sun and the Moon

In the time before time, when the earth was still covered in

Parchment-style artwork of white crow flying with burning coal, Cherokee folktale of courage and fire.

Why the Crow Is Black: Cherokee Folktale

In the time before memory, when the earth was still young and

The Firewalker of the Sierra Mines stepping through molten ore while fellow miners look on in awe in a Gold Rush camp

The Firewalker of California Sierra Mines

February 19, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

The air in the Sierra Nevada gold camps was thick with smoke and the metallic scent of molten ore. Miners labored day and night, chipping rock, shoveling dirt, and tending to the blazing furnaces that separated gold from stone. Among them, a figure loomed larger than life in stories told

The Great Basin Guide leading lost travelers across the desert, pointing toward hidden water while they follow cautiously

The Great Basin Guide of the Desert Trails

February 18, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

The sun blazed relentlessly over the endless expanse of the Great Basin, casting long shadows across the cracked desert floor. Heat shimmered in the distance, and the wind carried only the dry scent of sagebrush and sand. Travelers, weary from the relentless march across barren washes, often found themselves disoriented

Jumper, the frog champion, ready to leap from a miner’s hand while Gold Rush camp spectators cheer in the background

The Calaveras Frog Jumping Champion Legend

February 18, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

The midday sun beat down on the dusty streets of a bustling Calaveras mining camp, where the air smelled of pan-dirt, smoke, and hope. Miners shouted and laughed, stacking sacks of supplies and trading stories about their latest finds, but amid the bustle, one corner of the camp held an

A legendary frontier fence builder lifting enormous posts across the Great Plains, constructing miles of fence with the help of oxen

The Frontier Fence Builder Strength Legend

February 18, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

Across the rolling plains of the Great Plains, where the horizon stretched endlessly under a wide sky, settlers worked tirelessly to carve farms from the open prairie. Among these hardworking pioneers, stories arose of extraordinary men known as the Frontier Fence Builders. These were not ordinary homesteaders; they were larger-than-life

Babe the blue ox standing beside Paul Bunyan in a northern forest, glowing faintly in mist and helping move logs

The Bunyan Blue Ox Companion Tradition

February 18, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

In the dense forests of the Northern United States, where towering pines stretched endlessly and rivers carved their way through rugged valleys, a giant lumberjack named Paul Bunyan made his home. He was a man of extraordinary size and strength, capable of felling forests in a single day and reshaping

Ozark cave explorers descending dark twisting caverns with lanterns, exploring underground rivers and formations

The Ozark Cave Explorer Bravery Cycle

February 18, 2026

American Hero Myths·American Myths

In the heart of the Ozark Mountains, communities have long whispered tales of explorers who ventured into the hidden underground world with nothing but courage and flickering lantern light. These were not ordinary travelers but figures whose bravery became legendary, inspiring countless stories that blended fact with imagination. The Ozark

Plains landscape at night with a glowing campfire below and bright stars above, illustrating the belief that stars are ancestral campfires watching over the living

Stars as the Campfires of the Ancestors

February 6, 2026

American Myths·Native American Sun, Moon & Star Myths

Before the land was divided by borders and paths, the people of the plains and plateau regions lived with wide skies above them. At night, the darkness was never empty. Countless stars stretched from horizon to horizon, steady and bright. Elders taught that these lights were not distant objects without

Great Basin landscape where clouds and wind soften the sun’s heat as people and animals gather, illustrating a Native American myth about tempering solar power

The Sun Who Burned Too Strongly

February 6, 2026

American Myths·Native American Sun, Moon & Star Myths

In the earliest age remembered by the people of the Great Basin, the sun did not move gently across the sky. It rose too quickly, burned too fiercely, and lingered too long. Its heat pressed down upon the land without mercy, cracking the earth and thinning the rivers until fish

Partial moon glowing dimly in a Southeastern forest night sky, representing the Native American myth explaining lunar phases

The Moon Who Lost His Face

February 6, 2026

American Myths·Native American Sun, Moon & Star Myths

Long ago, the moon shone brightly every night, a perfect circle of silver light that touched every corner of the world. It was celebrated by the people of the Southeastern forests for its beauty and generosity. The moon provided light for travelers, comfort for the restless, and guidance for hunters

Villagers honoring glowing stones fallen from the sky, representing Plains Indigenous belief that stars become sacred stones

Stars That Fell to Become Sacred Stones

February 6, 2026

American Myths·Native American Sun, Moon & Star Myths

Long ago, before the night sky was as we know it today, stars were not fixed in their places. They moved across the heavens like wandering spirits, bright and alive. People watched them with wonder, believing that each carried a spirit’s intention or a message from the forces above. Some