Terror in the Smokies: Spearfinger

Deep within the Great Smoky Mountains lurks a chilling figure of Cherokee legend: Spearfinger.

Spearfinger, or U'tlun'ta' ("the one with the pointed spear"), was a monstrous witch who once stalked the wilds of western North Carolina. Her name alone still evokes a stab of fear, a chilling reminder of the livers she devoured and the terror she sowed. 

Stone Cold Witch 

U'tlun'ta' was no typical witch. Her skin was as hard and unyielding as the mountain stone itself. As she lumbered through the forest, her monstrous steps sent tremors through the earth and obliterated boulders beneath her crushing weight. Spearfinger’s booming voice echoed through the valleys, scattering birds and wildlife like dead leaves in the wind. This cacophony was a death knell for anyone unfortunate enough to hear it. 

Silent Hunter, Deadly Strike 

Spearfinger's true horror lay in her silent butchery. Her weapon wasn't a wand or a curse, but a cruelly sharpened finger, tipped with obsidian. With chilling precision, she'd pierce her victims’ hearts or necks. Strangely, the cuts left no mark or pain. Only days later, the victims would succumb to an agonizing illness, a slow death brought on by the stolen liver. A deep crimson stain permanently marred Spearfinger’s lips. Her bloody grin served as a grim reminder of the lives she consumed. 

Shapeshifting Terror 

Children were Spearfinger's favorite prey, but the witch was a master of deception. Tales abound of Spearfinger shapeshifting into trusted family members like kindly grandmothers or aunts. Hunters spoke of encountering a frail old woman with a strangely misshapen hand. The woman sang a haunting melody that sent chills down the hunters’ spines and sent them fleeing in terror. These stories became chilling bedtime tales, warnings for children never to wander alone, lest they meet the liver-stealing witch in disguise. 

Spearfinger's Demise

The Cherokees weren't completely helpless, however. Through cunning and bravery, they outsmarted Spearfinger and lured her into a cleverly disguised pit. Once trapped, warriors struck at the witch’s only vulnerability, the heart she clutched within her palm. With that final blow, Spearfinger's reign of terror came to an end. But where had she come from?  

“Cherokees believe in three worlds,” storyteller Kathi Littlejohn, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, told Tenneesee news station WATE 6. “We believe in the upper world which is where the creator lives. Then, the middle world where humans live, animals, birds, insects, and reptiles, but then there’s another world, what we call the underworld. There are portals where the creatures can come out and the story of Spearfinger springs from that.” 

Today, Noland Creek Trail, a rugged path within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, winds through the same land the Stone Witch once stalked. Backcountry campsites offer serene spots for overnight adventures. But while lush and teeming with life, the trail is still plagued by whispers of the Spearfinger legend. The story is a chilling reminder of the wildness and the dangers that once lurked, or perhaps still do, deep in the heart of the Smokies.