Tales from the Enchanted Forest

This Appalachian tale is perfect for the lead-up to Halloween. When her husband is driven to madness by an evil spirit, it’s up to Running Deer to get revenge.

Today, we are going to settle in with a story from the Appalachians, more specifically, with a from the Cherokee First Nations. Snuggle in and get ready for the thrilling story behind the nightmare creature- the Wampus Cat.

The Wampus cat, the Whistling Wampus or the Gallywampus as it is called, is a half-dog/half-cat creature that lurks in dark places, piercing the hearts and souls of those it comes across. However, the Wampus stories’ potential origin could be the story of Running Deer.

So, before we run out of time, here is our story for today, Deer Travellers.

The Spirit of Madness

It all began as some stories do, with an evil spirit called the Ew’ah or the spirit of Madness. It had appeared suddenly and immediately began terrorizing Cherokee lands. This creature could drive a man mad with a single glance and feast on children’s dreams. No one knew what to do, so they held a meeting with the village leaders and war chiefs.

The shamans advised the others that sending out their bravest men to hunt this spirit would only end in disaster. All of their men would go mad and leave the villages unprotected.

Ultimately, they decided to trust just one man, their bravest soldier and the strongest, fastest and most respected amongst them all: Standing Bear or Great Fellow depending on the version.

Standing Bear accepted the proposition without hesitation and as he set off, he was honoured with the finest weapons from the war chiefs and blessings of protection from the shamans. His last goodbye was to his wife, Running Deer. Little did she know that this would be the last time she saw her husband as he was.

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Standing Bear Returns

Weeks passed and no one heard any news from Standing Bear until he came running back to their camp one night. The powerful man was no more and in his place was a madman, clawing at his eyes and fighting unknown horrors. Running Deer met her husband, but one look and she knew that he was lost to her forever. She knew that one day, he would eventually recover enough to help pick berries and play with the children, but he would never fully be himself again. That meant that he was as good as dead to her as her husband.

Running Deer was devastated. Standing before her was her husband in appearance, but also a madman who was not hers anymore. She wanted her revenge at any cost so she went to the shamans and asked to go after Ew’ah. The others understood her grief and even if they thought her mission futile, they sent her away with blessings. They also gifted her a mask of a bobcat’s face and told her that the only adversary to Ew’ah was the Bob Cat. To defeat him, she would need to sneak up on him and cover her scent. Ew’ah would hopefully think she was the Bob Cat, or the Bob Cat spirit might aid her if she donned its mask. Either way, it was her best hope of survival.

Running Deer on the Hunt

Running Deer took the items and kissed her former husband on the forehead before leaving to get their revenge. She knew the woods well and searched far and wide for the demon. She travelled for many days without luck, until one night, she heard something sulking down by the stream.

Running Deer crept slowly and waited, but to her surprise, a mischievous fox was the one to dart from behind her and scare her. Instead of turning back, Running Deer followed her gut feeling and continued to the stream.

There, she found footprints and her husband’s breastplate. Her blood ran cold. She knew this was it.

Chance Encounter

She followed the tracks up to where she finally spotted the hulking spirit of Ew’ah. It was hunched over, its back to her as it drank from a spring.

Running Deer donned her mask and sprang at the creature. The spirit spun and when it saw the Cat Mask, it began tearing at itself. The spirit of the mountain cat had turned Ew’ah’s insanity back onto itself and the creature howled in pain as it clawed at its own eyes.

Pottermore History of Magic in North America

As Ew’ah lurched and tumbled, Running Deer bolted back to her camp. As she ran, she sang a quiet song to herself, one of grief and joy. The demon was banished but she had still lost her husband. She had her revenge, but to what end? The leaders celebrated Running Deer’s arrival and honoured her with the names, “Spirit-Talker” and “Home-Protector.”

Some say that to this day, Running Deer inhabits the Wampus cat, continuing her mission of protecting her land and people.