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).

DebbieHerbert.com | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

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.

Comments

25 comments posted.

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

Celtic background here. I love all those legends of fairies and elves. Mermaids are great too, I've been a sucker for them since seeing the "little mermaid" and "splash" as a child. I even like vampires and werewolves, any kind of shapeshifters, really.
(Cynthia Powers 3:09am June 3, 2015)

I am a fan of both paranormal romance and Native American characters. Your books sound interesting to me and I like the Nocturne line.
(Melanie Rosen 3:20am June 3, 2015)

The legends are fascinating thank you.
(Mary Preston 7:01am June 3, 2015)

I love the Celtic tales Cynthia! And I remember watching
Splash back in the -- 70s-- was it? Great movie. Thanks for
stopping by.
(Debbie Herbert 9:34am June 3, 2015)

Glad to hear from a Harlequin Nocturne reader, Melanie.Godd
luck in the contest!
(Debbie Herbert 9:35am June 3, 2015)

Thanks for dropping by, Mary. I'd love to see more novels
centered around Native American tales.
(Debbie Herbert 9:36am June 3, 2015)

I love the mermaids. It's fascinating. In fact. I have a book
coming out about that. As an Irishman, I also like
leprechauns. Everybody's always after me Lucky Charms. Lol.
It's also the mascot of my alma mater, Notre Dame. Go Irish!
(Joseph McGarry 10:01am June 3, 2015)

Your book has information that I'm sure I've never read
about before. I love to read about Native American Indian
culture. I know that some of them used to leave their
bodies out in the desert, so that nature could feast on
their bones and they could be one with the Earth!! You've
done an amazing story, and I can't wait to nestle in and be
one with your story!! I've put your book on my TBR list.
Congratulations on what I'm sure will be a definate sizzler
this Summer!!
(Peggy Roberson 11:59am June 3, 2015)

I do love reading about mythical beings... some of my favs are from Celtic Lore...
(Colleen Conklin 1:11pm June 3, 2015)

Hi, Joseph my fellow mermaid lover! You did know I'm a big
Alabama fan, right? ROLL TIDE! :)
(Debbie Herbert 1:43pm June 3, 2015)

Thanks for putting me on your TBR list, Peggy! I didn't
know the one about the bodies in the desert, although I had
read that some consider rocks Mother Earth's bones. I'd
love to hear from you after read this. Have an awesome
summer!
(Debbie Herbert 1:45pm June 3, 2015)

Another lover of Celtic tales! Their fairy tales have
always enchanted me. Thanks for coming by!
(Debbie Herbert 1:46pm June 3, 2015)

Would love to read, thank you for the chance.
(Sharon Sommer 6:26pm June 3, 2015)

Best of luck L Lam and Sharon. Thanks for dropping by!
(Debbie Herbert 7:29pm June 3, 2015)

I did not know that about the mermaid legend. Yesterday, I
was showing someone the scarf I am crocheting and with this
bulky yarn, it has some larger holes in some places. When I
learned how to do American Native beadwork, we used to say
we have a "spirit bead" when there was a mistake because as
I understand it "man is not perfect". So my needlework
always has at least one "spirit bead". Look forward to
reading your book. I will check on it. Leona
(Leona Olson 8:04pm June 3, 2015)

Wow I would love to have the opportunity read your book. Thank
you for sharing this awesome giveaway on here.
(Elizabeth Stacy 10:42pm June 3, 2015)

That is so interesting, Leona -- and so wise. Why stress
over everything and trying for perfection? We should
celebrate and honor our achievements instead of striving
for an unrealistic ideal. Thanks for commenting!
(Debbie Herbert 10:36am June 4, 2015)

Your welcome, Elizabeth and good luck!
(Debbie Herbert 10:36am June 4, 2015)

I like dragons, they're so different from anything else.
(Jen Barnard 5:55pm June 4, 2015)

Thanks for coming by, Jen!
(Debbie Herbert 8:23pm June 4, 2015)

I love the Mermaids , Fairies , Elves & of course Santa Claus too. Whatever the story I can put myself in it. I can go , do and see so many things in the books I read . Thanks for this wonderful giveaway.
(Joan Thrasher 8:40am June 6, 2015)

happy Saturday friends
(Emily Stemp 2:07pm June 6, 2015)

Mermaids, dragons, fairies. Thanks.
(Jana B 9:47pm June 6, 2015)

I love the cover!
(Denise Austin 9:55pm June 6, 2015)

First of all that of yours is beautiful. I have always loved
mermaids and this story fits the criteria for me with romance
involved. I very much so would love to read this book.
(Sherry Cockerham 10:16am July 7, 2015)

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