Story of Corn Woman

In the beginning, there was First Woman. She was Corn Woman known by the Cherokee As Selu.   Now Corn Woman had four sons. They were strong and healthy boys. Corn Woman cared for them with the gift of corn. She would feed the growing boys all forms of corn...stew, bread, cereal and so on.   As the boys grew of age, they began to question: Where does our Mother get this Wonderful food that tastes so good and keeps us strong?   They decided to ask Corn Woman where the corn comes from. She would only smile and continue to prepare thier food.   Many days went on like this. They would ask, she would smile and go about her work preparing the sacred and wonderful food.   Finally, they got the idea to follow her and see where she gathered the corn for they had noticed that she would disappear at night when they had gone to bed.   So, one night, the young men went to bed and pretended to sleep. Soon, Corn Woman picked up her large basket and quietly left the lodge.   Her sons followed out behind her keeping thier distance so that she would not see them. They followed her into the woods and into a clearing where there stood a lodge they had never seen before.   Corn Woman entered the lodge. The young men crept up and peeked through a crack to see what she was doing. In front of her she had placed the basket on the floor.   Corn Woman began singing and rubbing herself. As she did this, corn fell from her body into the basket. Her sons watched this and became very afraid.   What evil is this? They wispered. Our mother must be a witch! We can not let this be! And so, they conspired to kill their own mother.   Saddened and already knowing what her sons plotted, Corn Woman met them at the entrance ready to give her life. They grabbed her and took her life. When her blood touched the ground, corn began to grow.   This is the beginng of tending the fields and growing corn.