I'm sure many of you are familiar with the story of the Titan, Atlas, who was punished by the Olympian god, Zeus, by being forced to hold the weight of the world upon his shoulders. Well, there is an even older story of how the world came to be.
The Cherokee creation myth states that when First Woman got too curious and fell through a hole in the heavens, she landed upon the back of a giant turtle swimming in an infinite sea. All of the animals gathered together to try and create a home for her. Only the muskrat was able to dive deep enough to gather mud. So, he brought the mud up above the water and used it to create land upon the turtle's back. The land became what we know today as Earth. Later, First Woman gave birth to a daughter, and ascended back up into the heavens to become Grandmother Moon.
I call this guy, Atlas. He was created with the Cherokee creation myth in mind. I kinda like his cranky expression. I think he has every right to be cranky about the going-ons upon his back, don't you? (I'm thinking about creating a background for him....he needs a place to be!)
