Debbie Herbert | Top Five Native American Tales You’ve Never Heard Of

“The track of the sun across the sky leaves its shining, eternal message. Illuminating, strengthening, warming . . . all of us who are here. It shows us we are not alone. We are not alone. We are yet alive. And this fire, our fire, shall not die!”

~Choctaw Prayer

In my latest book SIREN'S CALL, I began writing in a bit of a new direction for the mermaid trilogy published by Harlequin Nocturne. I knew I wanted a Native American hero, so I researched the Choctaw Nation that is associated with South Alabama, the bayou setting in my Dark Seas series.

What a pleasant surprise to discover that the Choctaw had a legend about mermaids! Called the Okwa Naholo, or ‘white people of the water,’ with skin as pale as trout, they were believed to live in clear patches of water deep in the bayou. Should you accidentally fall into the water, the Okwa Naholo would take you to their underwater world. If you stayed with them longer than three days, you could never again return to land.

Aha, I thought, this book will write itself. Well, that’s never exactly true, all writers know it takes lots of dedication and time to plot and finish a novel. But my imagination was sparked and Siren’s Call is based around this legend. In it, I combined the Choctaw mermaid legend with their forced exile on the infamous Trail of Tears.

I first started writing about mermaids because I see them as archetypes of feminine strength and beauty. So it was a joy to write about them, and now I’m equally excited about exploring more of Native American tales in future books. While mermaids represent the feminine quality of the water element, I created a Native American hero who represents a deep connection to land. The mixing of land and sea, combined with the Choctaw reverence for the sun and the mermaid connection to the moon and the pull of the tide, made for interesting contrasts.

Native American tales are abundant with supernatural elements. Here’s a few more specific to the Choctaw Nation:

1. In the Choctaw Nation, there are stories about mischievous fairies or little men, Bohpoli, who play pranks on those who wander nearby them. These tiny forest dwellers liked to frighten humans by throwing sticks and stones. Unaccounted for noises in the woods were attributed to the Bohpoli.

2. Hunters might be scared by the sudden appearance of Kashehotapalo who was half man and half deer.

3. And there are more ominous shadow beings such as Nalusa Falaya who was a soul- eater and could shapeshift into serpent form. Another, Hoklonote, could shapeshift into any form and read a person’s thoughts.

4. At night, one might see strange glowing objects deep in the woods that they called Hashok Okwa Hui'ga (Grass Water Drop) who would lead you astray and were not to be trusted. The Hashok Okwa Hui’ga are similar to European tales of will-o-the- wisps.

5. After death, a person’s inner shadow went to the Land of Ghosts but their outer shadow, shilombish, remained to haunt the area where they died.

The connection to land and spirit of early Native American cultures inspires me. It’s something I hope to explore more of in future books.

GIVEAWAY

Are there certain legends or mythologies or supernatural beings that fascinate you? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and for a chance to win SIREN'S CALL!

One winner will receive a signed, print copy of SIREN'S CALL (US only) plus 2 winners will receive a digtal copy of SIREN'S CALL!

About Debbie Herbert

Debbie Herbert writes paranormal romance novels reflecting her belief that love, like magic, casts its own spell of enchantment. She’s always been fascinated by magic, romance and gothic stories.

Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team. Unlike the mermaid characters in Siren’s Secret, and Siren’s Treasure, she loves cats and has two spoiled feline companions. When not working on her upcoming books, Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling with her husband as well as spending time with her two adult sons.

A past Maggie finalist in both Young Adult & Paranormal Romance, she’s a member of the Georgia Romance Writers of America. Debbie has a degree in English (Berry College, GA) and a master’s in Library Studies (University of Alabama).

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About SIREN'S CALL

She was irresistible to every man…except one

Lily Borsage is the ultimate siren: gorgeous, aloof and irresistible to all the men in Bayou La Siryna. All of them, that is, until Nashoba Bowman comes back to town. The Native American kid whose innocent first kiss Lily remembers fondly is now all grown-up, hot as an Alabama summer—and immune to Lily's charms. What self-respecting mermaid could resist finding out more?

But Nash has a dark history that puts any woman he loves in grave danger, and a heritage of power he isn't ready to accept. And Lily has a secret that no mortal man can ever know. When a mysterious enemy starts menacing Lily, they will both have to risk everything—and embrace their deepest destinies—if they want to survive.