Myths and Legends[]
Anola and the Singing River:[]
Anola was a Native American princess and a member of the Biloxi tribe. The Biloxi co-excited with their neighboring tribe, the Pascagoula, for many years until they split apart. After the splitting of the tribes the two clashed with each other for many years.
Anola was supposed to be married to the chief of the Biloxi tribe, but instead she fell in love with Alatama the price of the Pascagoula tribe. This made the Biloxi tribe angry. They didn't want Anola to marry Alatama so the tribe attacked the Pascagoula. They killed some and took the others as slaves- including the prince.
The Pascagoula chief managed to rescue his people along with his son and the princess. They had escaped, but the Biloxi caught up to them and the Pascagoula had no where to go. They were trapped. The Pascagoula knew that they could not outrun the Biloxi. They couldn't fight back either because their tribe was out numbered.
With no other choice, the tribe listened as women and children reminded them of the tales of merpeople and sirens living in the Pascagoula River. The women and children lead the Pascagoula tribe and princess Anola to the river. The Biloxi believed that they the other tribe cornered but then the Pascagoula tribe and Anola all joined hands. Then they started singing the death song sung by their people and started walking into the river. The Pascagoula didn't want to die at the hands of the Biloxi, they didn't want to be slaves, Anola didn't want to marry the Biloxi chief. Anola and Alatama wanted to be together forever so they drowned themselves in the river which shocked the Biloxi tribe.
The Pascagoula people made this choice because of the stories about the merpeople that have been said to live in the river. The tales that have been told by the Pascagoula and Biloxi people can hear the merpeople and sirens sing giving the Pascagoula River the nickname the Singing River. Which is the reason why the Pascagoula people choose to enter into the river and sing their death song their singing can still be heard just like the merpeople.
The Biloxi and the Singing River:[]
Eventually over the years the Biloxi tribe would make the same choose as the Pascagoula tribe and princess Anola. When more people started coming to the new world and more tribes moved in to Mississippi. The Biloxi did exactly what they saw the Pascagoula do they joined hands, started to sing their death song, walked into the river and drowned themselves. They didn't want to be dominated by other tribes, didn't want to be forced to move or change their ways. So the Biloxi decided to join their old friends/rivals and their princess in the afterlife with the merpeople and other spirits. Just like the sirens and the Pascagoula the Biloxi can still be heard singing.
Survivors:[]
Although princess Anola, prince Alatama and Pascagoula tribe drowned themselves. Some members of the small Pascagoula tribe decided rather then drown or be slaves or be killed a few decided to move further west. Those who did joined much larger tribes of other natives. The same thing happened with the Biloxi when they chose to drown themselves. Some Biloxi moved west and joined other tribes.
Although original told by the Native Americans the myth of the singing river has been inculcated and taken into southern cajun legends. Although the Pascagoula and Biloxi had conflicts with each other. Later stories mention about the conflicts the two tribes had with new settlers moving into their land. It has been said that other people have been lured into the river hearing the singing of the merpeople, the two tribes and the goddess. Those who enter the river become merpeople and join the mermaid goddess. Their songs lure people to the river but the spirits of the Pascagoula, Biloxi and the merpeople are quick to enter back into the water so they can not be seen.