One pleasant, summer day, a young boy was playing by the river, shooting at a target with his bow and arrow. Soon, he tired and decided to build a fish trap in the cool waters instead. As he piled stones, a man came and stood on the bank, watching him lazily.

“What are you doing?” the man asked.

“Building a fish trap.”

“That’s hard work,” the man nodded, “You should take a rest. Come with me and take a walk up the river.”

“No,” the boy said, shaking his head, “I’m going home to have dinner soon.”

“Come to my house instead,” the man smiled, “I’ll give you a better dinner and take you home in the morning.” Shrugging, the boy followed him up the river until a small house came into view. When they entered, they were happily greeted by the man’s wife and family. All were glad to see the pair, treating them with kindness and offering a delicious meal. While they were eating, Udsi'skalä, a man the boy knew very well, joined them. Udsi'skalä spoke to the boy cheerfully, casually, and made him feel at home.

After dinner, the boy played with the man’s children and rested on a comfortable bed; in the morning, the stranger and boy ate a hearty breakfast together and gathered their things. They leisurely strolled down a path shaded by a cornfield and fenced peach orchard, before coming to a rougher path. “Follow this trail across the ridge and you’ll see the road that will take you home,” the man directed. The boy nodded and the pair went separate ways. The boy took a few steps, but had one last question; turning, he saw no orchard, no fence, no cornfield, or trail, Running a ways back, he stood in shock—the house had also vanished. The only thing behind the boy was a mountainside covered in trees. The boy found this very strange but was oddly unafraid or concerned with its meaning. He continued down the riverbank until his home was in sight. There on the trail stood a group of people talking anxiously; when they spotted the boy, they rushed towards him crying and shouting.

“There he is! See, he hasn’t drowned or been killed in the mountains!” The townsfolk scolded, “We have been looking for you everywhere since noon yesterday! Where have you been!?”

“A man took me to his house across the ridge,” the boy replied sheepishly, “They fed me and I played with the other children. Udsi'skalä was there! He’ll tell you where I was!”

“I wasn’t there,” said Udsi'skalä, “I was in my canoe all day looking for you! Wait… Could it have been one of the Nunnehi? They must’ve changed their appearance to look like me! But, why?”

“You ate there!?” asked his mother.

“Y-yes, a really big dinner!” the boy exclaimed, “I’ll show you where I went!”.

But, the villagers knew that there wouldn’t be a house there—only trees and rocks; they remembered that they could sometimes hear drums in the hills—drums believed to be played by the Nunnehi. They were grateful for the man’s protection of the boy and whatever harm could have befallen him otherwise. 1

Nunnehi are only seen when they want to be seen, and like most fae, they share many characteristics with the average human. For the most part, these nisse appear as normal men, women, and children, but have an otherworldly aura; to those that take lingering glances, the Nunnehi’s ears seem abnormally long or pointed, eyes a bit too large, limbs a tad too long, and other proportions slightly off. Though the beings are friendly towards humans—helping those that are lost and sick—they have also intervened in battle against them, namely on behalf of the Cherokee tribe. The Nunnehi can be very strong allies or foes, wielding weapons with strength and precision while employing fae magic to execute vicious, surprise attacks. However, they only appear before humans they favor in their time of need and in situations that are for a noble cause or a dire emergency.

The People Who Live Anywhere can change their size from 2 - 6 ft tall on a whim and alter their appearances to resemble those of humans living nearby—some even impersonating specific people. They are often adorned in intricate, regal attire, though when occasions demand it, dress as majestic warriors or poor commoners.2 Not all human interactions with the nisse are serious; the Nunnehi have been known to secretly infiltrate human celebrations, feasting, dancing, and partaking in other festivities with carefree joy and enthusiasm. Once they have satiated their whims, the Nunnehi vanish without a sound or trace. After war, parties, or daily toils, it is said that if one listens quietly by a hill, mountain, or above a river, the Nunnehi can be heard speaking and singing boisterously with one another, playing odd, upbeat music.

The Nunnehi have long dark hair loose or bound, and sometimes braided, behind their heads. Their garments include rich, hand-spun fabrics and materials gathered from animals incorporated into complex, decorative, and layered designs. Hand-embellished patterns are of animals, flowers, vines, and other natural imagery and may also tell traditional folk tales or familial stories; the color of their clothing only reflects hues found in nature. Yet, when appearing before humans, they mirror their dress and way of speaking, hiding these works of art.

As immortal creatures, the Nunnehi cannot die and their true forms do not change (children remain as children and the elderly remain elderly); it is said that families do not age so that there is always a relatable member in the household to help a human in need. When the nisse receive wounds that are lethal to mortals, they rest for several years before becoming active once more, sleeping soundly in townhouses.

The Nunnehi believe their purpose is to influence humans to do good, help the lost or wounded, protect nature, and enjoy life through food, dance, and celebration; they also warn those they favor of upcoming disasters or bad events. In folklore, there are even stories of them even taking their favorite, most benevolent mortals into their homes to turn them into one of their own—allowing human and fae to live happily together forever.

One of the Nunnehi’s most famous encounters was in Nottely, where four jovial, bold women danced with a group of young men late into the night. Most thought they had come from another settlement to socialize, but once the women disappeared after midnight, they suspected that the beautiful women could have only been the Nunnehi.

Homes Hidden in the Mountain | Nunnehi Townhouses

When hidden from human eyes, Nunnehi homes appear as circular depressions in the mountain or hillside; the open recesses are protected by a covering of bark, which loosely resembles a door, and the interior is lined with wooden benches pushed up against the wall. Objects tossed or left in the dwelling disappear the next day, the walls and floors also appearing freshly swept and scrubbed.

During European exploration, townhouses were sought out by the curious; those who knew of the Nunnehi would follow the sound of music in the wilderness, hoping to find them and their secrets. However, sensing the trespassers, the fae made their music switch directions as soon as seekers thought they drew near; the nisse made it impossible to be found by those they did not desire to see. Townhouses have been found in hills, mounds, mountainsides, and on peaks where little foliage resides. The most famous of these dwellings is located on Pilot Knob under Blood Mountain, where the Nottely River begins.

When humans are permitted to see and enter townhouses, they are described as cozy and well adorned, always featuring the same furnishings: a large, wooden table sits in the middle of the one-room home piled with fruits, vegetables, meats, stews, and freshly baked loaves of bread; against one wall glows a hearth, which keeps the room warm and scented like a rich broth; dried herbs hang from the ceiling, woven rugs and animal hides decorate the floors and walls, and dried flower arrangements brighten the home; bed-mats are lain on the ground while in use and folded against one wall during the day. The homes are completely underground, with one window and door facing the outside and chimney on the side. The only differences in these homes are their doors; some are ornate with stone, wood, and bright paintings decorating the outer wall, while others are plain and simply built. This is to denote the Nunnehi family’s standing within their kind. A Nuye’hi’s social status is determined by how many people they have helped, or how much good they have helped bring about.

The outside of townhouses are as bountiful their interior. Near the structure, secret fruit orchards, large gardens, tree taps for syrup, and hives of honey reside. The nisse also hunt and fish game when certain populations grow too plentiful. The Nunnehi do not need to eat, but do so solely for enjoyment or to give to humans in need.

Once Europeans arrived and began living in the Appalachian region, many townhouses were abandoned; the destruction of the environment and encroaching cities interrupted the nisse’s quiet, traditional ways of life. Moving farther into the mountains, old townhouses became cluttered with debris, never to be cleaned by fae hands again. Today, the Nunnehi are rarely seen. Some believe that the Nunnehi have completely abandoned Appalachia, following the Cherokee to other parts of North America; others insist some families remain, guarding the land and its inhabitants.