Legend of Blood Mou
Legends of Blood Mountain Once Blood Mountain and the rest of the Appalachians in Northeast Georgia were part of the land of the Cherokees. They roamed at will in its green valley and brought forth abundant crops from its red clay. In spring, they watched the white dogwood flower in its bridal splendor. In summer, they shared the multitude of wild fruit and nuts: blackberries, wild strawberries, black walnuts-with the black bear and the raccoons. When the leaves on the mountains turned every shade from vivid yellow to flaming orange to scarlet red, they knew winter was approaching. That was a time of stark beauty and bone chilling cold. White snow would lie on the ground. The leafless trees would cast a sharp shadow on the earth. The crystal -74- | ExtendedWeekendGetaways ~ October, 2023
columns of ice would climb the steep cliffs. Always there was music; the babble of a rushing stream, the moan of the wind, and the song of the people blessed this beauty. Settlers Came The early European settlers arrived mostly after 1828, spurred by the gold found nearby; they stayed to farm the land. They brought their dulcimers, fiddles, and banjos, and sang of their mountain life. Sadly, the beginning of a way of life for the settlers chronicled the end for the Cherokees. Most were exiled to Oklahoma via the infamous Trail of Tears. Fortunately, a few remained behind and many more returned when they were able. History The Cherokee lifestyle has been wiped from their old
mountain home, but traces of their heritage have been indelibly stamped on the land. Legends say that many spirits of the early people remain. You will find many unexplained phenomena around Blood Mountain. Located on the outskirts of Blairsville near the Union/ Lumpkin county line, it is the highest point on the Georgia Appalachian Trail at 4,458 feet and Georgia’s second highest peak. It was revered by the Cherokee as the home of the Nunne’hi, or Immortals, the Spirit People, who lived in the highlands of Cherokee Country. Perhaps more than the legendary spirit people still linger atop Blood Mountain. The Cherokee say Blood Mountain earned its name from a famous battle they fought to
