My book Smoky Mountain Mysteries
is a collection of stories about the natural mysteries
in the magnificent smoky mountains of the Southern Appalachian chain, and
the unique people who have, and now, live in them. All the places are real.
You can visit most of them and ponder possible solutions to their mysteries.
There are 66 pictures/illustrations in
Smoky Mountain Mysteries;
160 pages, perfect bound.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 — Why Are the Mountains Smoky?
Chapter 2 — Sandy’s Frolicking Ghost
Chapter 3 — Unexplained Balds -
Majestic Vantage Points
Chapter 4 — Ghosts Dance on Hazel Creek
Chapter 5 — An Enigma — Bells Hanging in Trees
Chapter 6 — The Sinks — A Place of Myth and Mystery
Chapter 7 — Lone Grave Marker — A Story About the White
Caps and Blue Bills
Chapter 8 — Who Wrote on Judaculla Rock?
Chapter 9 — Riddle of the Brown Mountain Lights
Chapter 10 — Whose Bones Were in Our Barn?
Chapter 11 — Melungeons — People of Mystery
Chapter 12 — Fairy Cross/Cross Stone — Facts, Folklore
and Legends
Chapter 13 — Sarbe Springs Haints
Chapter 14 — Do Angels Sing on Roan Mountain?
Chapter 15 — Mysterious Mounds
This is a reprint of Chapter 8 - - Who Wrote on Judaculla Rock?
This is Judaculla Rock, a soapstone boulder about 40 feet in circumference,
and covered with pictographic writings.
It is located on Caney Fork Road in Jackson County,
North Carolina, and open to the public all year round, free of charge.
As a writer, I salute the unknown
author, or authors, for leaving this magnificent glimpse into the past. But there the mystery begins.
No one knows who wrote on Judaculla or when they wrote. There is general agreement that the markings
are not graffiti from an earlier time, but information that was important.
However, despite extensive study by scholars and researchers, there is no
agreement on what the writers are telling their readers.
close-up of the marking the hand is pointing to in the
last picture. Some people see this marking as a hand. But this marking, and
every other one on Judaculla can mean something different to each person who
studies it.
Most archaeologist think that the markings on Judaculla
are not a writing system that can eventually be read like Egyptian
hieroglyphics or a phonetic alphabet, but that it may be possible to
interpret the symbols. Since no Cherokee has ever been able to explain what
the markings on Judaculla mean, most researchers believe that they were in
place before the Cherokee established themselves in what is now Jackson
County, North Carolina.
Theories --
As with any unsolved mystery, people create theories to explain it. Here are
some of the theories that swirl about Judaculla.
Map — This is a very popular theory among the locals, and for good
reason. They find unexplained marks on rocks in unexpected places, and many
of the marks parallel roads which are in use or were in use in the past.
The Smoky Mountain Times, a newspaper in Bryson City, North Carolina,
reported on July 1, 1999, that Alan Brown of Bryson City has found such a
rock. He encountered and photographed a “desk-sized” rock while hiking in
the riverbed near the forks of the Little Tennessee and Tuckaseigee Rivers.
Brown said the markings were a map of these areas.
Memorial to a Peace Treaty — The Cherokee and Creeks were long-time enemies,
and they fought a great battle in 1775. The Creeks were defeated and some
scholars believe that the lines Judaculla may have established borders
between the two nations. But most researchers discount this theory because
there is nothing in the rich oral tradition of the Cherokee to support it.
Battle Plan
Religious Symbols
Storytelling in Rock Art
Tool to Teach the Inhabitants’ a Communication System
Whatever it is, Judaculla has an enviable degree of
permanence compared to our paper and electronic systems!
Visit Judculla and Develop Your Own Theory!
Judaculla Rock is off the beaten path, and chances are excellent you
won’t have to stand in line. The final leg of the journey is a narrow,
gravel road. There is a three-car parking lot that slopes upward with a
barrier at the end.
As a veteran recreational vehicle traveler, I always check to see what I can
expect to encounter, and this saves lots of heartburn. I opted to take a van
instead of a motor home, and this was the correct choice for me.
Directions:
From US 74, take Exit 85 to Business 23 through Sylva
Drive on 23, 1.3 miles to NC 107, and turn left on 107
Drive 8 miles south on 107 and look for this sign.
Turn
left on Caney Fork Road, county road 1737
Drive 2.5 miles on county road 1737, and turn left onto a gravel road, and
follow the state signs like this one for 0.45 mile.
Judaculla Rock is on the right side of the road, and the parking lot is
straight ahead.
There is a short trail, about 100 feet, down the slope to
Judaculla, and a wooden viewing platform.
Judaculla is surrounded by tall trees. Squirrels and
birds are everywhere. It is restful spot to send your imagination back in
time to retrieve images of who wrote on Judaculla!
Smoky Mountain Mysteries is available at
Copyright © 2002 - 2007 Juanitta
Baldwin
