The Legend of Reelfoot Lake

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Long ago a tribe of the Chickasaw people was ruled by a mighty Chief. His heart was heavy, for his son had been born with a deformed foot. As the boy grew and developed, his walk was different from all the other boys. He walked and ran with a rolling motion so his people called him Kalopin, meaning Reelfoot.

When the old Chief died, Kalopin became Chief. He was sad and lonely for as yet none of the local maidens had stirred in him the thoughts of love. His father had often told him of the mighty tribes dwelling to the south, and of the wondrous beauty of the maidens who lived there. So, restless in spirit, when the robins arrived from the north, Kalopin wandered south in quest of a princess.

After many days of travel, he reached the land of the great Choctaw Chief, Copiah. Kalopin then beheld his dream princess, more beautiful than he had ever dared imagine, sitting close by the side of the Chief, her father. The maiden was called Laughing Eyes. After they had eaten and smoked the peace pipe, Kalopin asked for the old chief's daughter in marriage. Old Copiah was filled with wrath because he did not wish his daughter to marry a deformed chief and told Kalopin that his daughter could only be given in wedlock to a Choctaw chieftain.

The old chief called on the Great Spirit who spoke to Kalopin and said that a man must not steal his wife from any neighboring tribe, for such was tribal law and if he disobeyed and carried off the princess that He, the Great Spirit, would cause the earth to rock and the waters to swallow up his village and bury his people in a watery grave. Kalopin was frightened at this threat of dire punishment and sorrowfully returned home.

By the end of the next summer Kalopin decided to ignore the wrath of the Great Spirit and stole the forbidden maiden. He returned home to the great rejoicing of his people. Laughing Eyes was greatly frightened for she had heard what the Great Spirit had said to Kalopin and implored that he send her back to her father. Kalopin was so much in love that he was willing to defy everything.

In the midst of the festival and the marriage rites, the earth began to roll in rhythm with the kettledrums and tom-toms. The people tried to flee to the hills, but the rocking earth made them reel and stagger. Chief Kalopin and his bride reeled also and the Great Spirit stamped his foot in anger. The Father of Waters heard and, backing on his course, rushed over Kalopin's country.

Where the Great Spirit stamped the earth the Mississippi river formed a beautiful lake, in the bottom of which lay Kalopin, his bride and his people. Such is the legend of Reelfoot Lake.