Stone Coat

Stone Coat - known in Cherokee as Nun’yunu’wi - is a fearsome giant from Appalachian Cherokee legend. Covered entirely in stone plates and sharp rock scales, he towered over humans and fed on unsuspecting travelers, moving silently through the high ridges and shadowed forests of the Smoky Mountains.

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

My Momma used to tell me stories of going out into the woods with her grandmother - who was a Native American - talkin' about remedies and nature. Scary stuff like 'Stone Coat' wasn't shared with me!

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Origin

Stone Coat is one of the ancient beings of Cherokee tradition, older than the tribes themselves. His skin was said to be made of living stone - cold, gray, and harder than iron. Arrows shattered against him, knives bent on impact, and even fire had little effect.

He wandered the mountains in search of prey, luring victims by imitating voices or appearing as a harmless old man. Some tales link him loosely to U’tlun’ta (Spearfinger) as a distant relative or counterpart, though he is older, more solitary, and far more cunning.

In traditional stories, Cherokee warriors had to rely on strategy - not strength - to defeat him. His only weakness was trickery, cooperation, and an understanding of the land he stalked.

Notes

Stone Coat is known for several defining traits:

Stone-plated body - weapons could not penetrate his armor.
Gigantic size - towering over trees, leaving enormous tracks.
Voice mimicry - used to lure travelers or children from safety.
Shapeshifting - sometimes appearing as an injured hunter or elder.
Deadly cold aura - the air chilled when he passed, and frost followed him.

In one famous tale, Stone Coat disguised himself as a kindly old man, but the people noticed that snowflakes formed on his shoulders even indoors. Realizing who he was, they tricked him into falling into a deep pit lined with burning coals - the only way to crack his stone hide.

Legacy

Stone Coat remains one of the most iconic Cherokee monsters and a symbol of the dangers of the high mountains - cliffs, cold, night travel, and wandering alone.

Today he appears in Cherokee storytelling events, Smoky Mountain folklore collections, and educational programs about Indigenous myth. His legend stands beside Spearfinger, Uktena, and the Raven Mocker as one of the central supernatural beings of the Southern Appalachians.

Where Spearfinger embodies deception, Stone Coat embodies sheer, unstoppable force - the mountains themselves come alive.

Kin Topics

Southern Ghost Stories and Legends

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, December 9). Stone Coat. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/stone-coat-cherokee-giant-nunyunuwi
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Stone Coat." HillbillySlang.com, 9 Dec. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/stone-coat-cherokee-giant-nunyunuwi.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Stone Coat." HillbillySlang.com. December 9, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/stone-coat-cherokee-giant-nunyunuwi.

Dislaimer

What you're reading here is old Southern folklore and storytelling - not medical advice, and not meant to guide health, or pregnancy decisions (especially pregnancy decisions!). These tales are part of how folks once made sense of the world, passed down from grandparents and midwives.

If you have any medical questions or concerns, talk with a qualified healthcare professional.

Learn more on the Folklore hub page.