Somewhere near the beginning of the Oconaluftee River in the deepest part of the Great Smoky Mountains is the line that separates North Carolina and Tennessee and there is a lake there called, The Enchanted Lake of Atagahi, "Gall Place." All the Cherokee know of this lake though no one has ever laid eyes on it. The rest of this story is posted below the picture . . .

NOTE -- The necklaces can be worn by either men or women.

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The Enchanted Lake

Necklace/Earrings Set $40.20 2 Necklaces $25.20 Earrings Only $20.20

Necklaces are approximately 20 inches

Westward from the headwaters of the Oconaluftee River, in the wildest depths of the Great Smoky mountains, which form the line between North Carolina and Tennessee, is the enchanted lake of Ataga'hi', "Gall Place." Although all of the Cherokee know that it is there, no one has ever seen it, for the way is so difficult that only the animals know how to reach it. Should a stray hunter come near the place he would know of it by the whirring sound of the thousands of wild ducks flying about the lake, but on reaching the spot he would find only a dry flat area, without bird or animal or blade of grass, unless he had first sharpened his spiritual vision by prayer and fastinhg and an all-night vigil.

Because it is not seen, some people think the lake has dried up long ago, but this is not true. To one who had kept watch and fasted through the night it would appear at daybreak as a wide-extending but shallow sheet of purple water, fed by springs spouting from the high cliffs around. In the water are all kinds of fish and reptiles and swimming upon the surface or flying overhead are great flocks of ducks and pigeons, while all about the shore are bear tracks crossing in every direction. It is the medicine lake of the birds and animals and whenever a bear is wounded by the hunters he makes his way through the woods to this lake and plunges into the water and when he comes out upon the other side his wounds are healed. For this reason the animals keep the lake invisible to the hunter.

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