Kawatche
From Smallville Wiki
The Kawatche are a Native American tribe whose name literally means "Skinwalkers."
The Kawatche lay claim to a series of underground caves near Smallville, Kansas. These caves contain paintings and special symbols, which appear to be some kind of alphabet, although the Kawatche do not have a written language. LuthorCorp once owned the land containing the caves, but in response to a petition drive led by Henry Small, the state of Kansas decided to exercise the Historic Artifacts Amendment and bought the project from LuthorCorp at thirty cents on the dollar, and LexCorp secured the contract for the preservation of the area.
[edit] Skinwalkers
Skinwalkers are Kawatche Indians who have the ability to merge with the animal skin that they wear and become that animal. Legend has it that Naman I brought special green stones which had strange effects on the people. One such skinwalker was Kyla Willowbrook, a modern day Kawatche tribe member who had the ability to transform into a wolf.
[edit] Naman I
In 1502, a Kryptonian called Naman I by the Kawatche came to Earth and fell in love with the mother of the Kawatche people. Out of that forbidden affair, the Kawatche people were born. Naman brought with him from Krypton green kryptonite that had strange effects on the people, and that is when the first Skinwalkers appeared.
At one point, Naman forged the prophecies on the walls of the Kawatche Caves. He left some "parasites" from Krypton in the walls also, along with Palak (The Star Blade). One day, the Kryptonian visitor flew back to Krypton, promising he would come back to protect them. (Rather his descendant, Kal-El) Also, at some point, Naman hid the sacred Kryptonian stones, building the reputation of a "god" along the way.
One day, Naman flew back into the sky, promising he would send another. He came from a star that no longer exists. There is a constellation of a wolf with only one eye. The star from which Naman I came used to be the other eye of the wolf. Kyla and Joseph Willowbrook believe Naman sent Kal-El in his place and that Clark Kent is the Naman's descendant.
[edit] Palak
Palak, also known as the Starblade, was a mythical dagger that was created by Kryptonians and possessed mystical properties. It was missing for 500 years until Lionel Luthor found it in the Kawatche Caves.
The Starblade was supposed to shine a light on the true Sageeth so Naman could identify and destroy his greatest enemy. If Sageeth ever touched it, the blade would disintegrate. The Kawatche were charged with the Starblade's safekeeping, so if one of them is holding it, they are given the power to protect it until they can deliver it to the true Naman.
Jeremiah Holdsclaw took the Starblade from Lionel, and he was given superhuman strength, speed, and invulnerability. Jeremiah was able to stab Clark Kent with the blade, suggesting that it might be made of Kryptonian metal. Once the Starblade left Jeremiah's hands, his powers disappeared and he was left comatose.
When Lionel and his son, Lex Luthor, tried to grab the Starblade, at both of their touches, the Starblade disintegrated, leaving the identity of Sageeth unknown between these two Luthors.
[edit] The Slumbering Place
The Slumbering Place was a burial ground where ancient Kawatche performed death rituals.
The Legend Of Naman is a story of a man from the stars, passed down by the Native American Kawatche people.
[edit] The Legend
The story is both an oral history of the origins of the Kawatche people, and a prophecy of the eventual arrival of a traveler from the stars; Naman. Five hundred years ago, the legend tells, a man came from the stars and "fell in love with the mother of the Kawatche". From their union the Kawatche people were said to have been born. The visitor from the stars also brought "special green stones" with him on his journey. These stones were said to have had a "strange effect" on the Kawatche, and it was at this time that the first skinwalkers appeared.
One day the traveler left, flying "back into the sky", but not before promising that he would send another.
This other was Naman. The prophecy said that he would "fall from the skies in a rain of fire", "have the strength of ten men" and be able to "start fires with his eyes". It also promises that "one day Naman will protect the entire world".
The legend also tells of two more characters important to Naman. Sageeth, who will be like a brother to Naman, but eventually turn against him, the two becoming the balance between good and evil; and a woman whom Naman is fated to be with. She is not named, but there is an image of her in the Kawatche caves, with a symbol of a bracelet originally worn by Kyla Willowbrook beneath it.
[edit] The Caves
It was said that the story had been "written in the Earth long ago", but the location of the tale had been lost until a rock slide caused by Clark Kent opened a fissure in the Kawatche caves. This revealed a hidden chamber that contained the legend written on the walls in pictograms.
[edit] The Reality of the Legend
Given that the skinwalking legends of the Kawatche proved true, it is likely that there really was a traveler from the stars that came to Earth five hundred years ago, and that this traveler was a Kryptonian. The 'special green stones' referred to are obviously kryptonite, which mutated some of the Kawatche giving them the metahuman power to assume animal shapes.
Naman is obviously Clark Kent, who fell to Earth in the meteor shower (a 'rain of fire'), possesses great strength and can ignite fires with his heat vision; while Sageeth is Lex Luthor, once like a brother to Clark, but now his enemy.
The dark haired woman Naman is destined to be with has yet to be revealed. The woman is most likely to be Lois Lane as in most incarnations of their love, they are said to be destined to be together, making them soul mates.
[edit] Naman and Sageeth
It was prophesied that Naman will fall from the sky in a rain of fire, have the strength of ten men and be able to start fires with his eyes, and one day protect the entire world.
Sageeth is like a brother to Naman, but one day, he will turn against Naman; together, they will be the balance between good and evil. If Sageeth ever touches the Starblade, it will disintegrate.
Kyla Willowbrook and Joseph Willowbrook believe that Clark Kent is Naman. Kyla witnessed Clark's super-strength and speed.
Clark thinks that Sageeth is either Lionel or Lex Luthor. The Starblade disintegrated when they grabbed it at the same time.
[edit] Notes
- The story of Naman I sounds something like the story of Jor-El as Joe the Drifter except for the century. Jor-El visited Earth as Joe the Drifter in 1961. (See Relic.)
