Phenix City in Russell County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

The Tie-Snake

Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 5, 2013

1. The Tie-Snake Marker

Inscription. The Creek Indians believed this section of the river was inhabited by a giant Tie-Snake, a mythical monster that snared the unwary and dragged them down into the watery underworld. The Tie-Snake was but one of many strange creatures and natural forces featured in the myths and folk tales of the native people of this region. Among these were the Winds, the Thunder Helper, the Orphan, the Trickster Rabbit, and the Tarbaby. LaGrange lawyer W.O. Tuggle recorded many of these tales in the late 1800s. Joel Chandler Harris read Tuggle's collection, which formed part of the material out of which Harris fashioned his Uncle Remus stories.

Erected 2004 by The Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Phenix City-Russell County Chamber of Commerce.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 32° 28.021′ N, 84° 59.94′ W. Marker is in Phenix City, Alabama, in Russell County. It can be reached from 13th Street south of 3rd Avenue, on the right when traveling east.

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Located on the Phenix City Riverwalk, about halfway between Dillingham Street and 13th Street. Parking is easier behind the Russell County Courthouse near the Amphitheater. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Phenix City AL 36867, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Columbus.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Six Indians Hanged (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Creek Town of Coweta (approx. 0.2 miles away); Coweta: Center for International Diplomacy (approx. 0.2 miles away); "Emperor" Brims, Mary Musgrove and Chief William McIntosh (approx. 0.2 miles away); Coweta and Northeastern Russell County: (approx. 0.2 miles

Chattahoochee River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 5, 2013

2. Chattahoochee River

away); Cotton Warehouses (approx. 0.2 miles away in Georgia); The Fall Line (approx. 0.2 miles away in Georgia); The Creek Indians and the Falls (approx. 0.2 miles away in Georgia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Phenix City.

Also see . . . History: Tie-Snake legend leads to Uncle Remus stories. "Citizen of East Alabama" entry. (Submitted on September 1, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Two tie-snakes and a hand-in-eye motif in a graphic. image. Click for full size.

CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0; Released under the GNU Free Documentation License. (Herb Roe)

3. Two tie-snakes and a hand-in-eye motif in a graphic.

Based on a stone palette found at the Moundville Site in Moundville.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2013, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 4,157 times since then and 218 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2013, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 3. submitted on April 20, 2015, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.