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Tsul 'Kalu, is known as the Cherokee Devil, a legendary figure of
Cherokee mythology Cherokee spiritual beliefs are held in common among the Cherokee people – Native American peoples who are indigenous to the Southeastern Woodlands, and today live primarily in communities in North Carolina (the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians ...
that plays the role of "the great lord of the game," and as such is frequently invoked in hunting rites and rituals. The Tsul 'Kalu is also known as judaculla or slant-eyed giant that married a young girl


Name etymology

The tale is one of the best known Cherokee legends and was recorded by Europeans as early as 1823, often using the spelling, ''Tuli cula''. The name Tsul 'Kalu means literally "he has them slanting/sloping", is understood to refer to his eyes, although the word eye (akta, plural dikta) is not a part of it. In the plural form, it is also the name of a traditional race of giants in the far west.


In local nomenclature

He is said to dwell in a place called Tsunegun'yi. The words ''Tsul'' and ''Tsune'' and their variations appear in a number of Cherokee place names throughout the Southeastern United States, especially in western
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
and eastern
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Tsul`kälû' Tsunegûñ'yï is a patch on a slope of the mountain Tanasee Bald in
Jackson County, North Carolina Jackson County is a county located in the far southwest of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,109. Since 1913 its county seat has been Sylva, which replaced Webster. Jackson County comprises the C ...
, on the ridge upon which the boundary of
Haywood Haywood may refer to: Places Canada * Haywood, Manitoba United Kingdom * Haywood, Herefordshire * Great Haywood, Staffordshire * Little Haywood, Staffordshire United States * Hayward, California, formerly Haywood * Haywood, Kentucky * Haywood, ...
, Jackson, and
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
Counties converge. p 479 It is believed Tsul 'Kalu was responsible for clearing the spot for his residence. The name is sometimes corrupted by Europeans to ''Jutaculla''; consequently the area is also known as the "Jutaculla Old Fields". There is also a large slab of
soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the ...
called "Jutaculla Rock" nearby, which is covered with strange scratches and carvings. These markings are said to have been made by the giant when he would jump from his home on the mountain to the creek below. Another place associated with Tsul 'Kalu, Tsula'sinun'yi (literally "where the footprint is"), is located on the
Tuckasegee River The Tuckasegee River (variant spellings include Tuckaseegee and Tuckaseigee) flows entirely within western North Carolina. It begins its course in Jackson County above Cullowhee at the confluence of Panthertown and Greenland creeks. It flows ...
, about a mile above Deep Creek in
Swain County, North Carolina Swain County is a county located on the far western border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,117. Its county seat is Bryson City. Four rivers flow through the mountainous terrain of Swain County: ...
. Impressions said to have been the footprints of the giant Tsul`kälû' and a deer was found on a rock that was destroyed during railroad building.


Popular culture

* Tsul 'Kalu appears in ''
The Secret Saturdays ''The Secret Saturdays'' is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens for Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 3, 2008 in the United States. The series follows the adventures of the Saturdays, a family ...
'' episode "The Return of Tsul 'Kalu". It appears at the ruins close by The Saturdays' house where it attacks the Saturdays to retrieve his hand on Zak's staff. It was also responsible for leaving a scar on Solomon "Doc" Saturday's face and costing him the use of one of his eyes. Tsul 'Kalu later appears in the episode "And Your Enemies Closer" saving Zak from Argost and assisted by Doc, Fisk, and Komodo. * In the popular online game
World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...
, Tsul 'Kalu appears as a massive white gorilla in the zone known as "Northern Stranglethorn". Also known as "The Earth Spirit", he is neutral unless attacked and is often tamed by hunters for his unique appearance. * In the book ''
The Lost Hero ''The Lost Hero'' is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 12, 2010, and is the first book in '' The Heroes of Olympus'' series, a sequel to the ''Percy Jacks ...
'' by Rick Riordan, Tsul 'Kalu is mentioned by Piper McLean's father Tristan McLean after she, Jason Grace, and Leo Valdez rescue him from
Enceladus Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn (19th largest in the Solar System). It is about in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most refle ...
, a
Giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
monster who Tristan McLean, a Cherokee, sees through the lens of Cherokee mythology, and the other Giants: "And the giant, Tsul'kälû, breathing fire--" (p. 472) * In the film, "In The Devil's Courthouse," Tsul 'Kalu is referenced as Judaculla and is a ravenous creature that terrorizes a young woman, her brother, and a small group of friends in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina. Judaculla Rock is also referenced in the prologue of the film as a warning left by the Cherokee for all to see for eternity. "In The Devil's Courthouse" was released in 2011 by Brain Juice Productions of North Carolina. * The Tsul 'Kalu appeared in the season finale of '' Mountain Monsters'' third season and is mentioned in the fourth season and is the second monster of the series to be a subject in three episodes, the first being the Yahoo and the Grassman. *Tsul'Kalu appears as the main antagonist in the novel "Flux" by Jeremy Robinson.


See also

*
List of topics characterized as pseudoscience This is a list of topics that have, either currently or in the past, been characterized as pseudoscience by academics or researchers. Detailed discussion of these topics may be found on their main pages. These characterizations were made in the ...
*
Judaculla Rock Judaculla Rock is a curvilinear-shaped outcrop of soapstone known for its ancient carvings and petroglyphs. The archaeological site is located on a 0.85-acre rectangular-shaped property, now owned by Jackson County. It is approximately 60 meters e ...
* Bigfoot


References


External links


The Full Version of the Tsul 'Kalu legend at www.firstpeople.us


{{Cherokee Cherokee legendary creatures Giants