Even the time that
has elapsed since the Tallegwi were overthrown by them is estimated as
somewhat more than a thousand years, thus placing this defeat in the
ninth century. Professor Cyrus Thomas in "The Cherokees of Pre-Columbian
Times" states that he thinks it would be more nearly correct to credit
the event to the eleventh or twelfth century. He quotes in support of
his theory from the _Walam-Olum_ as translated by Dr. Brinton, who
giving the original in parallel pages, with the mnemonic signs, does not
use in the English version the Indian names of the chiefs.
This record of the _Walam-Olum_ is really very curious. After passing
the account of the Creation, the Flood, the Migrations, and entering
upon the Chronicles, the _Walam-Olum_ reads much like a Biblical
genealogy, save that in lieu of scions of a parent tree these are
military successors, war-captains. The following quotations are from the
version given by Squier:
47. _Opekasit_ (East-looking) being next chief, was sad
because of so much warfare.
48. Said let us go to the Sun-rising (_Wapagishek_) and
many went east together.
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