ON THE BELIEF, SUPERSTITIONS, AND ERRORS OF THE MONTAGNAIS SAVAGES.
I HAVE already reported that the Savages believe that a certain one
named Atachocam had created the world, and that one named Messou
had restored it.[16] I have questioned upon this subject the famous
Sorcerer and the old man with whom I passed [44] the Winter; they
answered that they did not know who was the first Author of the
world,--that it was perhaps Atahocham, but that was not certain;
that they only spoke of Atahocam as one speaks of a thing so far
distant that nothing sure can be known about it; and, in fact, the
word "Nitatahokan" in their language means, "I relate a fable, I am
telling an old story invented for amusement."
Pour le Messou, ils tiennent qu'il a reparé le monde qui s'estoit perdu
par le deluge d'eau, d'où appert qu'ils ont quelque traditiõ de cette
grande inondation vniuerselle qui arriua du temps de Noë, mais ils ont
remply cette verité de mille fables impertinentes. Ce Messou allant
à la chasse ses loups Ceruiers dont il se seruoit au lieu de chiens,
estans entrez dans vn grand lac ils y furent arrestez. Le Messou les
cherchant par tout, vn oyseau luy dit qu'il les voyoit au milieu de ce
lac, il y entre pour les retirer, mais ce lac venant à se desgorger
couurit la terre, & abisma le monde, le Messou bien estõné, enuoya le
corbeau chercher vn morceau de terre pour rebastir cet element, mais
il [45] n'en peut trouuer, il fist descendre vne Loutre dãs l'abisme
des eauës, elle n'en peut rapporter, enfin il enuoya vn rat musqué,
qui en rapporta vn petit morceau, duquel se seruit le Messou, pour
refaire cette terre où nous sommes, il tira des flesches aux troncs des
arbres, lesquelles se conuertirent en brãches, il fist mille autres
merueilles, se vengea de ceux qui auoient arresté ses Loups Ceruiers,
épousa vne Ratte musquée, de laquelle il eust des enfans qui ont
repeuplé le monde, voila cõme le Messou a tout restably. Ie touchay
l'an passé cette fable, mais desirant rassembler tout ce que ie scay
de leur creance, i'ay vsé de redittes. Nostre Sauuage racõtoit au Pere
Brebœuf que ses compatriotes croyent qu'vn certain Sauuage auoit receu
du Messou le don d'immortalité dans vn petit pacquet, auec vne grande
recommandation de ne la point ouurir, pendãt qu'il le tint fermé il
fust immortel, mais sa femme curieuse & incredule, voulut voir ce qu'il
y auoit dans ce present, l'ayant deployé, tout s'enuola, & depuis les
Sauuages ont esté sujets à la mort.
As to the Messou, they hold that he restored the world, which was
destroyed in the flood; whence it appears that they have some
tradition of that great universal deluge which happened in the
time of Noë, but they have burdened this truth with a great many
irrelevant fables. This Messou went to the chase, and his Lynxes,
which he used instead of dogs, having gone into a great lake, were
held there. The Messou, seeking them everywhere, was told by a
bird that it had seen them in the midst of this lake. He went in,
to get them out; but the lake overflowed, covering the earth and
swallowing up the world. The Messou, very much astonished, sent a
raven in search of a little piece of ground, with which to rebuild
this element [the earth], but he [45] could not find any; he made
an Otter descend into the abyss of waters, but it could not bring
back any; at last he sent a muskrat, which brought back a little
morsel, and the Messou used this to rebuild this earth which we
inhabit. He shot arrows into the trunks of trees, which made
themselves into branches; he performed a thousand other wonders,
avenged himself upon those who had detained his Lynxes, and married
a muskrat, by whom he had children who have repeopled this world.
So this is the way in which the Messou restored all things. I
touched upon this fable last year, but, desiring to recapitulate
all I know about their beliefs, I have repeated many things. Our
Savage related to Father Brebœuf that his people believe that a
certain Savage had received from Messou the gift of immortality in
a little package, with a strict injunction not to open it; while
he kept it closed he was immortal, but his wife, being curious and
incredulous, wished to see what was inside this present; and having
opened it, it all flew away, and since then the Savages have been
subject to death.[17]
[46] Ils disent en outre, que tous les animaux de chaque espece ont
vn frere aisné, qui est cõme le principe & cõme l'origine de tous les
indiuidus, & ce frere aisné est merueilleusement grand puissãt. L'aisné
des Castors, me disoiẽt-ils, est peut-estre aussi gros que nostre
Cabane, quoy que ses Cadets (i'entẽds les Castors ordinaires) ne soient
pas tout à faict si gros que nos moutons; or ces aisnez de tous les
animaux sont les cadets du Messou, le voila bien apparẽté, le braue
reparateur de l'Vniuers, est le frere aisné de toutes les bestes. Si
quelqu'vn void en dormant l'aisné ou le principe de quelques animaux,
il fera bonne chasse, s'il void l'aisné des Castors, il prẽdra des
Castors, s'il void l'aisné des Eslans, il prendra des Eslans, iouyssans
des cadets par la faueur de leur aisné qu'ils ont veu en songe. Ie
leur demanday où estoient ces freres aisnez, nous n'en sommes pas bien
asseurez, me disoient-ils, mais nous pensons que les aisnés des oyseaux
sont au ciel, & que les aisnez des autres animaux sont dans les eauës.
Ils reconnoissent deux principes des saisons, l'vn [47] s'appelle
_Nipinou_k_he_, c'est celuy qui ramene le Printemps & l'Esté. Ce nom
vient de _Nipin_, qui en leur langue signifie le Printemps. L'autre
s'appelle Pipounoukhe du nom de Pipoun, qui signifie l'Hiuer, aussi
rameine il la saison froide. Ie leurs demandois si ce Nipinoukhe &
Pipounoukhe estoient hõmes ou animaux de quelque autre espece, & en
quel endroict ils demeuroient ordinairement; & ils me respondirent
qu'ils ne sçauoient pas bien cõme ils estoient faicts, encor qu'ils
fussent biẽ asseurez qu'ils estoiẽt viuants; car ils les entendent,
disent-ils, parler ou bruire, notãment à leur venuë, sans pouuoir
distinguer ce qu'ils disent; pour leur demeure, ils partagent le mõde
entre-eux, l'vn se tenant d'vn costé, l'autre de l'autre, & quand le
temps de leur station aux deux bouts du mõde, est expiré l'vn passe en
la place de l'autre se succedans mutuellement; Voila en partie la fable
de Castor & de Pollux. Quand Nipinoukhe reuient, il ramene auec soy la
chaleur, les oyseaux, la verdure, il rend la vie & la beauté au mõde,
mais Pipounoukhe rauage tout, [48] estant accompagné de vents froids,
de glaces, de neiges, & des autres appanages de l'Hiuer; Ils appellent
cette succession de l'vn à l'autre _Achitescatoueth_, c'est à dire ils
passent mutuellement à la place l'vn de l'autre.
[46] They also say that all animals, of every species, have an
elder brother, who is, as it were, the source and origin of all
individuals, and this elder brother is wonderfully great and
powerful. The elder of the Beaver, they tell me, is perhaps as
large as our Cabin, although his Junior (I mean the ordinary
Beaver) is not quite as large as our sheep. Now these elders of all
the animals are the juniors of the Messou. Behold him well related,
this worthy restorer of the Universe, he is elder brother to all
beasts. If any one, when asleep, sees the elder or progenitor of
some animals, he will have a fortunate chase; if he sees the elder
of the Beavers, he will take Beavers; if he sees the elder of the
Elks, he will take Elks, possessing the juniors through the favor
of their senior whom he has seen in the dream. I asked them where
these elder brothers were. "We are not sure," they answered me,
"but we think the elders of the birds are in the sky, and that the
elders of the other animals are in the water." They recognize two
progenitors of the seasons; one [47] is called _Nipinoukhe_, it is
this one that brings the Spring and Summer. This name comes from
_Nipin_, which in their language means Springtime. The other is
called Pipounoukhe, from the word Pipoun, which means Winter; it
therefore brings the cold season. I asked them if this Nipinoukhe
and Pipounoukhe were men, or if they were animals of some other
species, and in what place they usually dwelt; they replied that
they did not know exactly what form they had, but they were quite
sure they were living, for they heard them, they said, talking
or rustling, especially at their coming, but they could not tell
what they were saying. For their dwelling place they share the
world between them, the one keeping on one side, the other upon
the other; and when the period of their stay at one end of the
world has expired, each goes over to the locality of the other,
reciprocally succeeding each other. Here we have, in part, the
fable of Castor and Pollux. When Nipinoukhe returns, he brings
back with him the heat, the birds, the verdure, and restores life
and beauty to the world; but Pipounoukhe lays waste everything,
[48] being accompanied by the cold winds, ice, snows, and other
phenomena of Winter. They call this succession of one to the other
_Achitescatoueth_; meaning that they pass reciprocally to each
others' places.
De plus, ils croyent qu'il y a certains Genies du jour, ou Genies de
l'air, ils les nomment _Khichi_k_ouai_ du mot _Khichi_k_ou_, qui veut
dire le jour & l'air. Les Genies, ou K_hichi_k_ouai_, connoissent les
choses futures, ils voyẽt de fort loing, c'est pourquoy les Sauuages
les consultent, non pas tous mais certains iongleurs, qui sçauent mieux
bouffonner & amuser ce peuple que les autres. Ie me suis trouué auec
eux quand ils consultoient ces beaux Oracles, voicy ce que i'en ay
remarqué.
Furthermore, they believe that there are certain Genii of light,
or Genii of the air, which they call _Khichikouai_ from the word
_Khichikou_, which means "light" or "the air." The Genii, or
_Khichikouai_, are acquainted with future events, they see very far
ahead; this is why the Savages consult them, not all [the savages]
but certain jugglers, who know better than the others how to impose
upon and amuse these people. I have chanced to be present when they
consulted these fine Oracles, and here is what I have observed.
Sur l'entrée de la nuict, deux ou trois jeunes hommes dresserent vn
tabernacle au milieu de nostre Cabane, ils plãterent en rond six pieux
fort auãt dans terre, & pour les tenir en estat, ils attacherent au
haut de ces pieux vn grand cercle, qui les enuironnoit tous; cela
fait ils entourerent cet Edifice de Castelognes, laissant le haut du
tabernacle [49] ouuuert, c'est tout ce que pourroit faire vn grand
homme, d'atteindre de la main au plus haut de cette tour ronde, capable
de tenir 5 ou 6 hommes debout. Cette maisõ estãt faite, on esteint
entierement les feux de la cabane, iettant dehors les tisons, de peur
que la flãme ne donne de l'espouuãte à ces Geniés ou K_hichi_k_ouai_,
qui doiuent entrer en ce tabernacle, dans lequel vn ieune iongleur
se glissa par le bas, retroussant à cét effect la couuerture qui
l'enuirõnoit, puis la rabbattãt quand il fut entré, car il se faut bien
donner de garde qu'il n'y ait aucune ouuerture en ce beau palais, sinon
par le haut. Le jongleur entré, commença doucement à fremir, comme en
se plaignãt, il esbranloit ce tabernacle sans violence au cõmencement,
puis s'animant petit à petit, il se mit à siffler d'vne façon sourde,
& comme de loin: puis à parler comme dans vne bouteille, à crier
comme vn chat-huant de ce pays-cy, qui me semble auoir la voix plus
forte que ceux de France, puis à hurler, chanter, variant de tõ à tous
coup, finissant par ces syllabes, _ho ho, hi hi, gui gui nioué_, &
autres [50] semblables cõtrefaisant sa voix en sorte qu'il me sembloit
oüir ces marionnettes que quelques bateleurs fõt voir en France:
Il parloit tãtost Mõtagnais, tantost Algonquain, retenãt tousiours
l'accent Algonquain, qui est gay, cõme le Prouençal. Au commencement,
cõme i'ay dit, il agitoit doucement cét edifice, mais cõme il s'alloit
tousiours animant, il entra dans vn si furieux enthousiasme, que ie
croyois qu'il deust tout briser, esbranlant si fortement, & auec de
telles violences sa maison, que ie m'estonnois qu'vn homme eust tant de
force: car, comme il eut vne fois cõmencé à l'agiter, il ne cessa point
que la consulte ne fust faite, qui dura enuiron trois heures: Comme
il changeoit de voix, les Sauuages s'escrioient au commencemẽt _moa,
moa_, escoute, escoute: puis inuitãs ces Geniés, ils leurs disoiẽt,
_Pitou_k_hecou_, _Pitou_K_hecou_, entrez, entrez. D'autrefois cõme
s'ils eussent respondu aux hurlements du jongleur, ils tiroient ceste
aspiration du fond de la poitrine, _ho, ho_. I'estois assis comme les
autres regardant ce beau mystere auec defence de parler: mais cõme ie
ne leur [51] auois point voüé d'obeïssance, ie ne laissois pas de dire
vn petit mot à la trauerse: tantost ie les priois d'auoir pitié de ce
pauure jongleur, qui se tuoit dans ce tabernacle: d'autrefois ie leur
disois qu'ils criassent plus haut & que leurs Geniés estoient endormis.
Towards nightfall, two or three young men erected a tent in the
middle of our Cabin; they stuck six poles deep into the ground in
the form of a circle, and to hold them in place they fastened to
the tops of these poles a large ring, which completely encircled
them; this done, they enclosed this Edifice with Castelognes,[18]
leaving the top of the tent [49] open; it is all that a tall man
can do to reach to the top of this round tower, capable of holding
5 or 6 men standing upright. This house made, the fires of the
cabin are entirely extinguished, and the brands thrown outside,
lest the flame frighten away the Genii or _Khichikouai_, who are
to enter this tent; a young juggler slipped in from below, turning
back, for this purpose, the covering which enveloped it, then
replaced it when he had entered, for they must be very careful that
there be no opening in this fine palace except from above. The
juggler, having entered, began to moan softly, as if complaining;
he shook the tent at first without violence; then becoming
animated little by little, he commenced to whistle, in a hollow
tone, and as if it came from afar; then to talk as if in a bottle;
to cry like the owls of these countries, which it seems to me
have stronger voices than those of France; then to howl and sing,
constantly varying the tones; ending by these syllables, _ho ho,
hi hi, gui gui, nioué_, and other [50] similar sounds, disguising
his voice so that it seemed to me I heard those puppets which
showmen exhibit in France. Sometimes he spoke Montagnais, sometimes
Algonquain, retaining always the Algonquain intonation, which, like
the Provençal, is vivacious. At first, as I have said, he shook
this edifice gently; but, as he continued to become more animated,
he fell into so violent an ecstasy, that I thought he would break
everything to pieces, shaking his house with so much force and
violence, that I was astonished at a man having so much strength;
for, after he had once begun to shake it, he did not stop until the
consultation was over, which lasted about three hours. Whenever he
would change his voice, the Savages would at first cry out, _moa,
moa_, "listen, listen;" then, as an invitation to these Genii, they
said to them, _Pitoukhecou, Pitoukhecou_, "enter, enter." At other
times, as if they were replying to the howls of the juggler, they
drew this aspiration from the depths of their chests, _ho, ho_. I
was seated like the others, looking on at this wonderful mystery,
forbidden to speak; but as I [51] had not vowed obedience to them,
I did not fail to intrude a little word into the proceedings.
Sometimes I begged them to have pity on this poor juggler, who
was killing himself in this tent; at other times I told them they
should cry louder, for the Genii had gone to sleep.
Quelques vns de ces Barbares s'imaginẽt que ce jongleur n'est point là
dedans, qu'ils est transporté sans sçauoir ny ou, ny cõment. D'autres
disent que son corps est couché par terre, que son ame est au haut de
ce tabernacle, où elle parle au commencement, appellant ces Geniés, &
iettant par fois des estincelles de feu. Or pour retourner à nostre
consultation, les Sauuages, ayant ouy certaine voix que contrefit le
jongleur, pousserẽt vn cris d'allegresse, disants qu'vn de ces Geniés
estoit entré: Puis s'addressants à luy, s'escrioient, _Tepouachi,
tepouachi_, appelle, appelle; sçauoir est tes compagnõs; là dessus le
jongleur faisant du Geniés, changeant de ton & de voix les appelloit:
cependant nostre sorcier qui estoit presẽt prit son tambour, & chantant
auec le iongleur qui estoit dans le tabernacle, les autres [52]
respondoient: On fit dancer quelques ieunes gens, entr'autres l'Apostat
qui n'y vouloit point entendre, mais le sorcier le fit bien obeïr.
Some of these Barbarians imagined that this juggler was not inside,
that he had been carried away, without knowing where or how. Others
said that his body was lying on the ground, and that his soul was
up above the tent, where it spoke at first, calling these Genii,
and throwing from time to time sparks of fire. Now to return to our
consultation. The Savages having heard a certain voice that the
juggler counterfeited, uttered a cry of joy, saying that one of
these Genii had entered; then addressing themselves to him, they
cried out, _Tepouachi, tepouachi_, "call, call;" that is, "call
thy companions." Thereupon the juggler, pretending to be one of
the Genii and changing his tone and his voice, called them. In the
meantime our sorcerer, who was present, took his drum, and began
to sing with the juggler who was in the tent, and the others [52]
answered. Some of the young men were made to dance, among others
the Apostate,[12] who did not wish to hear of it, but the sorcerer
made him obey.
En fin apres mille cris & hurlements, apres mille chants, aprés auoir
dancé & bien esbranlé ce bel edifice, les Sauuages croyãs que les
Geniés ou K_ichi_k_ouai_ estoient entrez, le sorcier les consulta:
il leur demanda de sa santé (car il est malade) de celle de sa fẽme
qui l'estoit aussi. Ces Geniés, ou plustost le jongleur qui les
contrefaisoit, respondit que pour sa fẽme elle estoit desia morte
que c'en estoit fait, i'en eusse bien dit autant que luy, car il ne
falloit estre ny prophete, ny sorcier pour deuiner cela; d'autãt que
la pauure creature auoit la mort entre les dents: pour le sorcier, ils
dirẽt qu'il verroit le Printemps. Or cognoissãt sa maladie, qui est vne
douleur de reins, ou pour mieux dire, vn appanage de ses lubricitez
& paillardises, car il est sale au dernier poinct, ie luy dis voyant
qu'il estoit sain d'ailleurs, & qu'il beuuoit & mangeoit fort biẽ, que
non seulement il verroit le printemps, mais encore l'Esté, si quelque
autre accident [53] ne luy suruenoit, ie ne me suis pas trompé.
At last, after a thousand cries and howls, after a thousand songs,
after having danced and thoroughly shaken this fine edifice, the
Savages believing that the Genii or _Kichikouai_ had entered, the
sorcerer consulted them. He asked them about his health, (for he is
sick), and about that of his wife, who was also sick. These Genii,
or rather the juggler who counterfeited them, answered that, as to
his wife, she was already dead, that it was all over with her. I
could have said as much myself, for one needed not to be a prophet
or a sorcerer to guess that, inasmuch as the poor creature was
already struck with death; in regard to the sorcerer, they said
that he would see the Spring. Now, knowing his disease,--which was
a pain in the loins, or rather an infirmity resulting from his
licentiousness and excesses, for he is vile to the last degree,--I
said to him, seeing that he was otherwise healthy, and that he
drank and ate very heartily, that he would not only see the spring
but also the Summer, if some other accident [53] did not overtake
him, and I was not mistaken.
Apres ces interogations, on demanda à ces beaux oracles s'il y auroit
bien tost de la neige, s'il y en auroit beaucoup, s'il y auroit des
Eslans ou Orignaux, & en quel endroict ils estoient, ils repartirent ou
plutost le iongleur, contrefaisant tousiours sa voix, qu'ils voyoient
peu de neige & des orignaux fort loing, sans determiner le lieu, ayãt
bien cette prudence de ne se point engager.
After these interrogations, these fine oracles were asked if there
would soon be snow, if there would be much of it, if there would
be Elks or Moose, and where they could be found. They answered, or
rather the juggler, always disguising his voice, that they saw a
little snow and some moose far away, without indicating the place,
having the prudence not to commit themselves.
Voila comme se passa cette consulte, apres laquelle se voulut arrester
le iongleur: mais comme il estoit nuict, il sortit de son tabernacle,
& de nostre cabane si vistement, qu'il fust dehors auant quasi que ie
m'en apperçeusse. Luy & tous les autres Sauuages qui estoient venus
des autres Cabanes à ces beaux mysteres, estans partis, ie demanday à
l'Apostat, s'il estoit si simple de croire que ces Geniés entrassent &
parlassent dans ce tabernacle, il se mit à iurer sa foy, qu'il a perduë
& reniée, que ce n'estoit point le iongleur qu'il parloit, ains ces
K_hichi_k_ouai_ ou Genies [54] du iour, & mon hoste me dit, entre toy
mesme dans le tabernacle, & tu verras que ton corps demeurera en bas,
& ton ame montera en hault: I'y voulu entrer, mais comme i'estois seul
de mõ party, ie preueu qu'ils m'auroient faict quelque affront, & comme
il n'y auoit point de tesmoins, ils se seroient vantez, que i'aurais
recogneu & admiré la verité de leurs mysteres.
So this is what took place in this consultation, after which I
wished to get hold of the juggler; but, as it was night, he made
his exit from the tent and from our little cabin so swiftly,
that he was outside almost before I was aware of it. He and all
the other Savages, who had come from the other Cabins to these
beautiful mysteries, having departed, I asked the Apostate if
he was so simple as to believe that the Genii entered and spoke
in this tent. He began to swear his belief, which he had lost
and denied, that it was not the juggler who spoke, but these
_Khichikouai_ or Genii [54] of the air, and my host said to me,
"Enter thou thyself into the tent, and thou wilt see that thy body
will remain below, and thy soul will mount on high." I did want to
go in; but, as I was the only one of my party, I foresaw that they
might commit some outrage upon me, and, as there were no witnesses
there, they would boast that I had recognized and admired the truth
of their mysteries.
Or j'auois grande enuie de sçauoir de quelle nature ils faisoient
ces Geniés, l'Apostat n'en sçauoit rien. Le sorcier voyant que
i'esuantois ses mines, & que i'improuuois ses niaiseries, ne me le
vouloit point enseigner, si bien qu'il fallut que ie me seruisse
d'industrie: Ie laissay escouler quelques sepmaines, puis le jettant
sur ce discours, ie luy parlois comme admirant sa doctrine, luy disant
qu'il auoit tort de m'esconduire, puisque à toutes les questions qu'il
me faisoit de nostre croyance, ie luy respõdois ingenument, sans
me faire tirer l'oreille: En fin il se laissa gagner à ses propres
loüanges, & me descouurit les secrets de l'escole: voicy la fable qu'il
me raconta, touchant la nature [55] & l'essence de ces Geniés.
Now I had a great desire to know the nature of these Genii; the
Apostate knew nothing about them. The sorcerer, seeing that I was
discovering his mines, and that I disapproved of his nonsense, did
not wish to explain anything to me, so that I was compelled to make
use of my wits. I allowed a few weeks to pass; then, springing this
subject upon him, I spoke as if I admired his doctrine, saying to
him that it was wrong to refuse me, since to all the questions
which he asked me in regard to our belief, I answered him frankly
and without showing any reluctance. At last he allowed himself to
be won over by this flattery, and revealed to me the secrets of the
school. Here is the fable which he recounted to me touching the
nature [55] and the character of these Genii.
Deux Sauuages consultans ces Geniés en mesme temps, mais en deux diuers
tabernacles, l'vn d'eux, homme tres-meschant, qui auoit tué trois
hõmes à coup de haches par trahison, fust mis à mort par les Geniés,
lesquels se transportans dans le tabernacle de l'autre Sauuage pour
luy oster la vie, aussi bien qu'à son compagnon, ils se trouuerent eux
mesmes surpris; car ce iongleur se defendit si bien, qu'il tua l'vn de
ces K_hichi_k_ouai_, ou Geniés, & ainsi l'on a sçeu comme ils estoient
faicts, car ce Geniés demeura sur la place. Ie luy demanday donc de
quelle forme il estoit, il estoit gros comme le poing, me fit-il, son
corps est de pierre, & vn peu long; Ie conceu qu'il estoit faict en
cone, gros par vn bout, s'allant tousiours appetissant vers l'autre.
Ils croiẽt que dans ce corps de pierre il y a de la chair & du sang,
car la hache dont ce Genié fust tué resta ensanglantée. Ie m'enquestay
s'ils auoient des pieds & des ailes, & m'ayant dict que non, & comment
donc, leur fis-ie, peuuent ils entrer ou voler dans ces tabernacles,
[56] s'ils n'ont ny pieds ny aisles, le sorcier se mit à rire, disant
pour solution, en verité ceste robe noire n'a point d'esprit, voila
comme ils me payent quand ie leurs fais quelque obiectiõ à laquelle ils
ne peuuent respondre.
Two Savages having consulted these Genii at the same time, but
in two different tents, one of them, a very wicked man who had
treacherously killed three men with his hatchet, was put to death
by the Genii, who, crossing over into the tent of the other Savage
to take his life, as well as that of his companion, were themselves
surprised; for this juggler defended himself so well that he killed
one of these _Khichikouai_ or Genii; and thus it was found out how
they were made, for this One remained in the place where he was
killed. Then I asked him what was his form. "He was as large as
the fist," he replied; "his body was of stone, and rather long."
I judged that he was cone-shaped, large at one end, and gradually
becoming smaller towards the other. They believe that in this
stone body there is flesh and blood, for the hatchet with which
this Spirit was killed was bloody. I inquired if they had feet and
wings, and was told they had not. "Then how," said I, "can they
enter or fly into these tents, [56] if they have neither feet nor
wings?" The sorcerer began to laugh, saying in explanation, "In
truth, this black robe has no sense." This is the way they pay me
back when I offer some objections to something which they cannot
answer.
Comme ils faisoient grand cas du feu que iettoit ce iongleur hors de
son tabernacle, ie leur dis, nos François en ietteroient mieux que luy,
car il ne faisoit voler que des estincelles de quelque bois pourry
qu'il porte auec soy, comme ie me persuade, & si i'eusse eu de la
resine, ie leur eusse faict sortir des flammes. Ils me contestoient
qu'il estoit entré sans feu dans cette maison, mais de bonne fortune,
ie luy auois veu donner vn gros charbon ardant qu'il demanda pour
petuner.
As they made a great deal of the fire which this juggler threw out
of his tent, I told them that our Frenchmen could throw it better
than he could; for he only made a few sparks fly from some rotten
wood which he carried with him, as I am inclined to think, and if
I had had some resin I could have made the flames rise for them.
They insisted that he entered this house without fire; but I had
happened to see some one give him a red-hot coal which he asked to
light his pipe.
Voila leur creance touchant les principes des choses bonnes: Ce qui
m'estonne, c'est leurs ingratitudes, car quoy qu'ils croyent que le
Messou a reparé le monde, que Nipinoukhé & PipounouKhe rameinent les
saisons, que leur KhichiKouai leurs apprẽnent où il y a des Eslans,
ou Orignaux, & leurs rendent milles autres bõs offices: si est ce que
ie n'ay peu iusques icy recognoistre [57] qu'ils leur rendent aucun
honneur: i'ay seulement remarqué que dans leurs festins, ils iettent
par fois quelques cuillerées de gresse dãs le feu, prononcant ces
parolles _Papeouekou, Papeoue_K_ou_, faites nous trouuer à manger,
faites nous trouuer à manger: ie crois que cette priere s'addresse à
ces Genies, ausquels ils presentent cette gresse comme la chose la
meilleure qu'ils ayent au monde.
So that is their belief touching the foundations of things good.
What astonishes me is their ingratitude; for, although they believe
that the Messou has restored the world, that Nipinoukhé and
Pipounoukhe bring the seasons, that their Khichikouai teach them
where to find Elks or Moose, and render them a thousand other good
offices,--yet up to the present I have not been able to learn [57]
that they render them the slightest honor. I have only observed
that, in their feasts, they occasionally throw a few spoonfuls
of grease into the fire, pronouncing these words: _Papeouekou,
Papeouekou_; "Make us find something to eat, make us find something
to eat." I believe this prayer is addressed to these Genii, to whom
they present this grease as the best thing they have in the world.
Outre ces principes des choses bonnes, ils recognoissent vn Manitou,
que nous pouuons appeller le diable, ils le tiennent comme le principe
des choses mauuaises, il est vray qu'ils n'attribuent pas grande
malice au Manitou, mais à sa femme, qui est vne vraye diablesse: le
mary ne hait point les hommes, il se trouue seulement aux guerres, &
aux combats, & ceux qu'il regarde sont à couuert, les autres sont tués:
voila pourquoy mon hoste me disoit, qu'il prioit tous les iours ce
Manitou de ne point ietter les yeux sur les Hiroquois leurs ennemis, &
de leur en donner tousiours quelqu'vn en leurs guerres. Pour la femme
du Manitou, elle est [58] cause de toutes les maladies qui sont au
mõde, c'est elle qui tuë les hommes, autrement ils ne mouroient pas,
elle se repaist de leur chair, les rongeant interieurement, ce qui
faict qu'on les voit amaigrir en leurs maladies: elle a vne robe des
plus beaux cheueux des hommes & des femmes qu'elle tuë, elle paroist
quelquefois comme vn feu, on l'entend bien bruire comme vne flamme,
mais on ne sçauroit distinguer son langage: d'icy procedent à mon aduis
ces cris & ces hurlemens, & ces batements de tambours qu'ils font
alentour de leurs malades, voulans comme empescher cette diablesse de
venir dõner le coup de la mort: ce qu'elle faict si subtilement, qu'on
ne s'en peut defendre, car on ne la voit pas.
Besides these foundations of things good, they recognize a Manitou,
whom we may call the devil. They regard him as the origin of evil;
it is true that they do not attribute great malice to the Manitou,
but to his wife, who is a real she-devil. The husband does not
hate men. He is only present in wars and combats, and those whom
he looks upon are protected, the others are killed. So for this
reason, my host told me that he prayed this Manitou every day
not to cast his eyes upon the Hiroquois, their enemies, and to
always give them some of them in their wars. As to the wife of the
Manitou, she is [58] the cause of all the diseases which are in the
world. It is she who kills men, otherwise they would not die; she
feeds upon their flesh, gnawing them upon the inside, which causes
them to become emaciated in their illnesses. She has a robe made of
the most beautiful hair of the men and women whom she has killed;
she sometimes appears like a fire; she can be heard roaring like
a flame, but her language cannot be understood. From this, in my
opinion, come those cries and howls, and those beatings of the drum
which they make around their sick, as if to prevent this she-devil
from giving the deathblow, which she does so secretly that no one
can defend himself therefrom, for he does not see her.
Deplus, les Sauuages se persuadent que non seulement les hommes & les
autres animaux: mais aussi que toutes les autres choses sont animées,
& que toutes les ames sont immortelles, ils se figurent les ames comme
vn ombre de la chose animée, n'ayans iamais ouy parler d'vne chose
purement spirituelle, ils se representent l'ame de l'hõme, [59] comme
vne image sombre & noire, où comme vne ombre de l'homme mesme, luy
attribuant des pieds, des mains, vne bouche, vne teste, & toutes les
autres parties du corps humain. Voila pourquoy ils disent que les ames
boiuent & mangent, aussi leurs dõnent-ils à manger quand quelqu'vn
meurt, iettant la meilleure viãde qu'ils ayent dãs le feu, & souuẽt ils
m'ont dit qu'ils auoient trouué le matin de la viande rongée la nuict
par les ames. Or m'ayans declaré ce bel article de leur croyance, ie
leurs fis plusieurs interogations. Premierement, ou alloient ces ames
apres la mort de l'homme, & des autres creatures; elles vont, dirent
ils, fort loin, en vn grãd village situé où le Soleil se couche: Tout
vostre pays, leur dis-je (sçauoir est l'Amerique) est vne grande Isle,
comme vous tesmoignez l'auoir appris: comment est ce que les ames des
hommes, des animaux, des haches, des cousteaux, des chaudieres; bref
les ames de tout ce qui meurt, ou qui s'vse, peuuent passer l'eau
pour s'en aller à ce grand village que vous placez où le soleil se
couche, trouuent [60] elles des vaisseaux tous prests pour s'embarquer
& trauerser les eaux? non pas, mais elle vont à pied, me dirent-ils,
passants les eaux à gay en quelque endroict: & le moyen, leur fis-ie,
de passer à gay le grand Ocean que vous sçauez estre si profond,
car c'est cette grãde mer qui enuironne vostre pays, tu te trompe,
respondent-ils, où les terres sont conjointes en quelque endroict, ou
bien il y a quelque passage guayable par où passent nos ames: & de
faict nous apprenons que l'on n'a peu encore passer du costé du Nord,
c'est à cause (leur repartis-ie) des grãds froids qui sont en ces mers,
que si vos ames prẽnent cette route elles seront glacées & toutes
roides de froid, deuant qu'elles arriuent en leurs villages.
Furthermore, the Savages persuade themselves that not only men and
other animals, but also all other things, are endowed with souls,
and that all the souls are immortal;[17] they imagine the souls
as shadows of the animate objects; never having heard of anything
purely spiritual, they represent the soul of man [59] as a dark
and sombre image, or as a shadow of the man himself, attributing
to it feet, hands, a mouth, a head, and all the other parts of
the human body. Hence this is the reason that they say the souls
drink and eat, and therefore they give them food when any one
dies, throwing the best meat they have into the fire; and they
have often told me that the next morning they find meat which has
been gnawed during the night by the souls. Now, having declared to
me this fine article of their faith, I propound to them several
questions. "First, where do these souls go, after the death of man
and other creatures?" "They go," they say, "very far away, to a
large village situated where the Sun sets." "All your country," I
say to them (meaning America), "is an immense Island, as you seem
to know; how is it that the souls of men, of animals, of hatchets,
of knives, of kettles,--in short, the souls of all things that die
or that are used, can cross the water to go to this great village
that you place where the sun sets? do they [60] find ships all
ready to embark them and take them over the water?" "No, they go
on foot," they answer me, "fording the water in some places." "And
how," I respond; "can they ford the great Ocean which you know is
so deep, for it is this great sea which surrounds your country?"
"Thou art mistaken," they answer; "either the lands are united in
some places, or there is some passage which is fordable over which
our souls pass; and, indeed, we know that no one has yet been able
to pass beyond the North coast." "It is because (I answer them) of
the great cold in those seas, so that if your souls take this route
they will be frozen and all stiff from cold, before they reach
their villages."
Secondement ie leur demande, que mangeoient ces pauures ames, faisant
vn si long chemin, elles mangent des escorces, dirent-ils, & du vieux
bois qu'elles trouuent dans les forests, ie ne m'estonne pas, leur
respõdis-je, si vous auez si peur de la mort, & si vous la fuiez tant,
il n'y a guere de plaisir d'aller manger du vieux bois & des escorces
en l'autre vie.
Secondly, I ask them, "What do these poor souls eat, making so
long a journey?" "They eat bark," they said, "and old wood which
they find in the forests." "I am not astonished," I replied, "that
you are so afraid of death, that you shun it so greatly; there
is hardly any pleasure in going and eating old wood and bark in
another life."
[61] Tiercement. Que font ces ames estant arriuées au lieu de leur
demeure? pendant le iour elles sont assises tenans leur deux coudes sur
leur deux genoux, & leur testes entre leur deux mains, posture assés
ordinaire aux Sauuages malades: pendant la nuict elles vont & viennent,
elles trauaillent, elles vont à la chasse, ouy mais, repartis-ie, elles
ne voient goutte la nuict, tu es vn ignorant, tu n'as point d'esprit,
me firent ils, les ames ne sont pas comme nous, elles ne voyent goutte
pendant le iour, & voyent fort clair pendant la nuict, leur iour est
dans les tenebres de la nuict, & leur nuict dans la clarte du iour.
[61] Thirdly: "What do these souls do when they arrive at their
dwelling place?" "During the daytime, they are seated with their
two elbows upon their two knees, and their heads between their two
hands, the usual position of sick Savages; during the night, they
go and come, they work, they go to the chase." "Oh, but they cannot
see at all during the night," I rejoined. "Thou art an ignoramus,
thou hast no sense," they answered; "souls are not like us, they do
not see at all during the day, and see very clearly at night; their
day is in the darkness of the night, and their night in the light
of the day."
En quatriesme lieu, à quoy chassent ces pauures ames pendant la nuict?
elles chassent aux ames des Castors, des Porcs epics, des Eslans, &
des autres animaux, se seruãs de l'ame des raquettes, pour marcher sur
l'ame de la neige, qui est en ce pays là: bref elles se seruent des
ames de toutes choses, comme nous nous seruõs icy des choses mesmes.
Or quant elles ont tué l'ame d'vn Castor, ou d'vn autre animal, ceste
ame meurt elle tout a faict, ou bien a elle vne autre ame qui s'en
aille en quelque [62] autre village? Mon sorcier demeura court à cette
demande; & cõme il a de l'esprit, voyant qu'il s'alloit enferrer s'il
me respõdoit directemẽt, il esquiua le coup: car s'il m'eut dit que
l'ame mouroit entierrement, ie luy aurois dit que quand on tuoit
premierement l'animal, son ame mouroit à mesme temps: s'il m'eust dit
que ceste ame auoit vne ame qui s'en alloit en vn autre village, ie
luy eusse fait voir que chaque animal auroit selon sa doctrine plus de
vingt, voire plus de cent ames, & que le mõde deuoit estre remply de
ces villages où elles se retirent, & que cepẽdãt on n'en voyoit aucun.
Cognoissant dõc qu'il s'alloit engager, il me dit, tais toy, tu n'as
point d'esprit, tu demande des choses que tu ne sçais pas toy-mesme, si
i'auois esté en ces pays-là, ie te respondrois.
"In the fourth place, what are these poor souls hunting during the
night?" "They hunt for the souls of Beavers, Porcupines, Moose,
and other animals, using the soul of the snowshoes to walk upon
the soul of the snow, which is in yonder country; in short, they
make use of the souls of all things, as we here use the things
themselves." "Now, when they have killed the soul of a Beaver, or
of another animal, does that soul die entirely, or has it another
soul which goes to some [62] other village?" My sorcerer was
nonplused by this question; and as he is quick-witted, he dodged
the question, seeing that he was going to involve himself if he
answered me directly; for if he had answered me that the soul would
die entirely, I would have told him that when they first killed
the animal its soul would have died at the same time; if he had
answered that this soul had a soul which went away into another
village, I would have shown him that every animal would have,
according to his doctrine, more than twenty, indeed more than a
hundred souls, and that the world would have to be full of these
villages to which they withdrew, and yet no one had ever seen one
of them. Recognizing that he was about to entangle himself, he said
to me, "Be silent, thou hast no sense; thou askest things which
thou dost not know thyself; if I had ever been in yonder country, I
would answer thee."
En fin ie luy dis que les Europeans nauigeoient par tout le monde, ie
leur declaray, & leur fis voir par vne figure ronde, quel estoit le
pays où le soleil se couche à leur regard, l'asseurant qu'on n'auoit
point trouué ce grand village, que tout cela n'étoit que resueries, que
les ames des hommes seulement estoiẽt [63] immortelles, & que si elles
estoient bõnes, elles s'en alloient au ciel, que si elles estoient
meschantes, elles descendoient dans les enfers pour y estre brulées
à iamais, & que chacun receuroit selon ses œuures. En cela, dit-il,
vous mentez vous autres, d'assigner diuers endroicts pour les ames,
elles vont en vn mesme pays, du moins les nostres: car deux ames de
nos cõpatriotes sont reuenuë autresfois de ce grand village, & no⁹ ont
appris tout ce que ie t'ay dit, puis elles s'en retournerent en leur
demeure: ils appellent la voye lactée, _Tchipaï mesKenau_, le chemin
des ames, pource qu'ils pensent que les ames se guindent par cette voye
pour aller en ce grand village.
At last, I told them that the Europeans navigated the whole world.
I explained to them and made them see by a round figure what
country it was where the sun sets according to their idea, assuring
them that no one had ever found this great village, that all that
was nothing but nonsense; that the souls of men alone were [63]
immortal; and, that if they were good, they would go to heaven,
and if they were bad they would descend into hell, there to burn
forever; and that each one would receive according to his works.
"In that," he said, "you lie, you people, in assigning different
places for souls,--they go to the same country, at least, ours do;
for the souls of two of our countrymen once returned from this
great village, and explained to us all that I have told thee, then
they returned to their dwelling place." They call the milky way,
_Tchipaï meskenau_, the path of souls, because they think that the
souls raise themselves through this way in going to that great
village.
Ils ont en outre vne grande croyãce à leurs songes, s'imaginans que
ce qu'ils ont veu en dormant doit arriuer, & qu'ils doiuent executer
ce qu'ils ont resué: ce qui est vn grand malheur, car si vn Sauuage
songe qu'il mourra s'il ne me tuë, il me mettra à mort à la premiere
rencontre à l'escart. Nos Sauuages me demandoiẽt quasi tous les matins,
n'as-tu point veu de Castors, ou d'Orignac [64] en dormant: & cõme
ils voyoiẽt que ie me mocquois des songes, ils s'estonnoient, & me
demandoient à quoy crois-tu donc, si tu ne crois a tes songes? ie crois
en celuy qui a tout fait, & qui peut tout; tu n'as point d'esprit,
comment peus-tu croire en luy, si tu ne le vois pas? Ie serois trop
long de rapporter toutes les badineries sur ces sujects, reuenons à
leurs superstitions qui sont sans nombre.
They have, besides, great faith in their dreams, imagining that
what they have seen in their sleep must happen, and that they
must execute whatever they have thus imagined. This is a great
misfortune, for if a Savage dreams that he will die if he does not
kill me, he will take my life the first time he meets me alone. Our
Savages ask almost every morning, "Hast thou not seen any Beavers
or Moose, [64] while sleeping?" And when they see that I make sport
of their dreams, they are astonished and ask me, "What does thou
believe then, if thou dost not believe in thy dream?" "I believe
in him who has made all things, and who can do all things." "Thou
hast no sense, how canst thou believe in him, if thou hast not seen
him?" It would take too long to relate all their silly ideas upon
these subjects; let us return to their superstitions, which are
numberless.
Les Sauuages sont grands chanteurs, ils chantent comme la pluspart
des nations de la terre par recreation, & par deuotion; c'est à
dire en eux par superstition: Les airs qu'ils chantent par plaisir
sont ordinairement graues & pesants, il me semble qu'ils ont par
fois quelque chose de gay, notamment les filles: mais pour la
pluspart, leurs chansons sont massiues, pour ainsi dire, sombres, &
malplaisantes: ils ne sçauent que c'est d'assembler des accorts pour
composer vne douce harmonie. Ils proferent peu de paroles en chantant,
variants les tons, & non la lettre. I'ay souuent ouy mon Sauuage faire
vne longue chanson de ces trois mots K_aie_, _nir_, k_higatoutaouim_,
[65] & tu feras aussi quelque chose pour moy: Ils disent que nous
imitons les gazoüillis des oyseaux en nos airs, ce qu'ils n'improuuent
pas, prenans plaisir quasi tous tant qu'ils sont à chanter, ou à
ouïr chanter, & quoy que ie leur die que ie n'y entendois rien, ils
m'inuitoient souuent à entonner quelque air, ou quelque priere.
The Savages are great singers: they sing, as do most of the nations
of the earth, for recreation and for devotion, which, with them,
means superstition. The tunes which they sing for pleasure are
usually grave and heavy. It seems to me that occasionally they sing
something gay, especially the girls, but for the most part, their
songs are heavy, so to speak, sombre and unpleasant; they do not
know what it is to combine chords to compose a sweet harmony. They
use few words in singing, varying the tones, and not the words.
I have often heard my Savage make a long song with these three
words, _Kaie_, _nir_, _khigatoutaouim_, [65] "And thou wilt also do
something for me." They say that we imitate the warbling of birds
in our tunes, which they do not disapprove, as they nearly all take
pleasure both in singing and in hearing others sing: and although I
told them that I did not understand anything about it, they often
invited me to sing some song or prayer.
Pour leurs chãts superstitieux, ils s'en seruent en mille actions, le
sorcier & ce viellard, dont i'ay parlé, m'en donnerent la raison: deux
Sauuages, disoient ils, estans jadis fort desolés, se voyans à deux
doigts de la mort faute de viure, furent aduertis de chanter, & qu'ils
seroient secourus; ce qui arriua, car ayans chanté, ils trouuerent à
manger: de dire qui leur donna cest aduis, & comment, ils n'en sçauent
rien: quoy que s'en soit, depuis ce temps là toute leur religion
consiste quasi à chanter, se seruans des mots les plus barbares qu'ils
peuuent rencontrer: Voicy vne partie des paroles qu'ils chanterent en
vne longue superstition qui dura plus de quatre heures, _Aiasé manitou,
aiasé manitou, aiasé manitou, ahiham, hehinham,_ [67 i.e., 66] _hanhan,
henina_k_hé hosé henina_K_hé, enigouano bahano anihé ouibini naninaouai
nanahouai nanahouai aouihé ahahé aouihé_: Pour conclusion, _ho! ho!
ho!_ Ie demanday que vouloient dire ces parolles, pas vn ne m'en peut
donner l'interpretation: car il est vray que pas vn d'eux n'entend ce
qu'il chante, sinon dans leurs airs, qu'ils chantent pour se recréer.
As for their superstitious songs, they use them for a thousand
purposes, for which the sorcerer and that old man, of whom I have
spoken, have given me the reason. Two Savages, they told me, being
once in great distress, seeing themselves within two finger-lengths
of death for want of food, were advised to sing, and they would be
relieved; and so it happened, for when they had sung, they found
something to eat. As to who gave them this advice, and how it
was given, they know nothing; however, since that time all their
religion consists mainly in singing, using the most barbarous
words that come into their minds. The following are some of the
words that they sang in a long superstitious rite which lasted
more than four hours: _Aiasé manitou, aisé manitou, aiasé manitou,
ahiham, hehinham,_ [67 i.e., 66] _hanhan, heninakhé hosé heninakhé,
enigouano bahano anihé ouibini naninaouai nanahouai nanahouai
aouihé ahahé aouihé_; concluding with _ho! ho! ho!_ I asked what
these words meant, but not one could interpret them to me; for it
is true that not one of them understands what he is singing, except
in the tunes which they sing for recreation.
Ils joignent leurs tambours à leurs chants, ie demanday l'origine de
ce tambour, le veillard me dit, que peut estre quelqu'vn auoit eu en
songe qu'il estoit bon de s'en seruir, & que de là l'vsage s'en estoit
ensuiuy. Ie croirois plustost qu'ils auroient tiré cette superstition
des peuples voisins, car on me dit (ie ne sçay s'il est vraiy) qu'ils
imitent fort les Canadiens qui habitent vers Gaspé, peuple encore plus
superstitieux que celuy-cy.
They accompany their songs with drums. I asked the origin of this
drum, and the old man told me that perhaps some one had dreamed
that it was a good thing to have, and thus it had come into use. I
thought it most probable they had derived this superstition from
the neighboring tribes; for I am told (I do not know how true it
is) they imitate to a great degree the Canadians who live toward
Gaspé, a tribe still more superstitious than those of this country.
Au reste, ce tambour est de la grandeur d'vn tambour de basque, il
est composé d'vn cercle large de trois ou quatres doigts, & de deux
peaux roidement estenduës de part & d'autre: ils mettent dedans des
petites pierres ou [68 i.e., 67] petits callious pour faire plus de
bruit: le diametre des plus grands tambours est de deux palmes ou
enuiron, ils le nomment _chichigouan_, & le verbe _nipigahiman_,
signifie ie fais ioüer ce tambour: ils ne se battent pas comme font
nos Europeans: mais ils le tournent & remuent, pour faire bruire les
caillous qui sont dedans, ils en frappent le terre, tantost du bord,
tantost quasi du plat, pendant que le sorcier fait mille singeries
auec cest instrument. Souuent les assistans ont des batons en mains,
frappant tous ensemble sur des bois, ou manches de haches qu'ils ont
deuant eux, ou sur leurs _ouragans_, c'est à dire, sur leurs plats
d'escorce renuersés: Auec ces tintamarres, ils ioignent leurs chants &
leurs cris, ie dirois volontiers leurs hurlements, tant ils s'efforcent
par fois, ie vous laisse à penser la belle musique: ce miserable
sorcier auec lequel mon hoste, & le renegat, m'ont fait hiuerner contre
leurs promesses, m'a pensé faire perdre la teste auec ses tintamarres:
car tous les iours à l'entrée de la nuict, & bien souuent sur la
minuict, d'autrefois [68] sur le iour il faisoit l'enragé. I'ay esté
vn assez long temps malade parmy eux, mais quoy que ie le priasse de
se moderer, de me donner vn peu de repos, il en faisoit encore pis,
esperant trouuer sa guerison dans ces bruits qui augmentoient mon mal.
As to this drum, it is the size of a tambourine, and is composed
of a circle three or four finger-lengths in diameter, and of two
skins stretched tightly over it on both sides; they put inside
some little pebbles or [68 i.e., 67] stones, in order to make
more noise; the diameter of the largest drums is of the size of
two palms or thereabout; they call it _chichigouan_, and the verb
_nipagahiman_ means, "I make this drum sound." They do not strike
it, as do our Europeans; but they turn and shake it, to make the
stones rattle inside; they strike it upon the ground, sometimes
its edge and sometimes its face, while the sorcerer plays a
thousand apish tricks with this instrument. Often the spectators
have sticks in their hands and all strike at once upon pieces of
wood, or upon hatchet handles which they have before them, or upon
their _ouragans_; that is to say, upon their bark plates turned
upside down. To this din they add their songs and their cries, I
might indeed say their howls, so much do they exert themselves at
times; I leave you to imagine this beautiful music. This miserable
sorcerer with whom my host and the renegade made me pass the
winter, contrary to their promise, almost made me lose my head with
his uproar; for every day,--toward nightfall, and very often toward
midnight, at other times [68] during the day,--he acted like a
madman. For quite a long time I was sick among them, and although I
begged him to moderate a little and to give me some rest, he acted
still worse, hoping to find his cure in these noises which only
made me worse.
Ils se seruent de ces chants, de ce tambour, & de ces bruits, ou
tintamarres en leurs maladies, ie le declaray assez amplement l'an
passé, mais depuis ce temps là, i'ay veu tant faire de sottises, de
niaiseries, de badineries, de bruits, de tintamarres à ce malheureux
sorcier pour se pouuoir guerir, que ie me lasserois d'escrire &
ennuierois vostre reuerence, si ie luy voulois faire lire la dixiesme
partie de ce qui m'a souuent lassé, quasi iusques au dernier poinct.
Par fois cest homme entroit comme en furie, chantant, criant hurlant,
faisant bruire son tambour de toutes ses forces: cependant les autres
hurloient comme luy, & faisoient vn tintamarre horrible auec leurs
bastõs, frappans sur ce qui estoit deuant eux: ils faisoient danser
des ieunes enfans, puis des filles, puis des femmes; il baissoit [69]
la teste, souffloit sur son tambour: puis vers le feu, il siffloit
comme vn serpent, il ramenoit son tambour soubs son menton, l'agitant
& le tournoyant: il en frappoit la terre de toutes ses forces, puis
le tournoyoit sur son estomach: il se fermoit la bouche auec vne main
renuersée, & de l'autre, vous eussiez dit qu'il vouloit mettre en
pieces ce tambour, tant il en frappoit rudement la terre: il s'agitoit,
il se tournoit de part & d'autre, faisoit quelques tours à l'entour
du feu, sortoit hors la cabane, tousiours hurlant & bruyant: il se
mettoit en mille postures; & tout cela pour se guerir. Voila comme ils
traictent les malades. I'ay quelque croyance qu'ils veulent coniurer la
maladie, ou espouuanter la femme du Manitou, qu'ils tiennent pour le
principe & la cause de tous les maux, comme i'ay remarqué cy dessus.
They make use of these songs, of this drum, and of this noise or
uproar, in their sicknesses. I explained it quite fully last year;
but since that time I have seen so much foolishness, nonsense,
absurdity, noise, and din made by this wretched sorcerer in
order to cure himself, that I should become weary in writing and
would tire your reverence, if I should try to make you read the
tenth part of what has often wearied me almost beyond endurance.
Occasionally this man would enter as if in a fury, singing, crying
and howling, making his drum rattle with all his might; while the
others howled as loudly as he, and made a horrible din with their
sticks, striking upon whatever was before them; they made the
little children dance, then the girls, then the women; he lowered
[69] his head and blew upon his drum, then blew toward the fire; he
hissed like a serpent, drew his drum under his chin, shaking and
turning it about; he struck the ground with it with all his might,
then turned it upon his stomach; he closed his mouth with the back
of one hand, and then with the other; you would have said that he
wanted to break the drum to pieces, he struck it so hard upon the
ground; he shook it, he turned it from one side to the other, and,
running around the fire several times, he went out of the cabin,
continuing to howl and bellow; he struck a thousand attitudes, and
all this was done to cure himself. This is the way they treat their
sick. I am inclined to think that they wish to conjure the disease,
or to frighten the wife of Manitou, whom they hold as the origin
and cause of all evils, as I have said above.
Ils chantent encore & font ces bruits en leurs sueries, ils croiroient
que cette medecine, qui est la meilleure de toutes, celles qu'ils
ont, ne leur seruiroit de rien, s'ils ne chantoient en suant: Ils
plantent des bastons en terre faisants [60 i.e., 70] vne espece de
petit tabernacle fort bas: car vn grand homme estant assis là dedans,
toucheroit de sa teste le hault de ce todis, qu'ils entourent &
couurent de peaux, de robes, de couuertures: Ils mettent dans ce four
quantité de grosses pierres qu'il[s] ont faict chauffer, & rougir dans
vn bon feu, puis se glissent tous nuds dans ces estuues, les femmes
suent par fois aussi bien que les hommes: d'autrefois ils suent tous
ensemble, hommes, & femme pesle & mesle: ils chantent, ils crient,
ils hurlent dans ce four, ils haranguent: par fois le sorcier y bat
son tambour. Ie l'escoutois vne fois comme il faisoit du prophete là
dedans, s'escriant qu'il voyoit des Orignaux, que mon hoste son frere
en tueroit, ie ne peus me tenir que ie ne luy disse, ou plustost à ceux
qui estoient presens, & qui luy prestoient l'oreille comme à vn oracle,
qu'il estoit bien croyable qu'on trouueroit quelque masle, puisque on
auoit desia trouué & tué deux femelles, luy cognoissant où ie visois,
me dit en grondant, il est [61 i.e., 71] croyable que cette robe noire
n'a point d'esprit: Ils sont tellement religieux en ces crieries, &
autres niaiseries, que s'ils font sueries pour se guerir, ou pour auoir
bonne chasse, ou pour auoir beau temps, rien ne se feroit s'ils ne
chantoient, & s'ils ne gardoient ces superstitions. I'ay remarqué que
quand les hommes suent, ils ne se veulent point seruir des robes des
femmes pour entourer leur sueries, s'ils en peuuent auoir d'autres:
bref quand ils ont crié trois heures ou enuiron dans ces estuues, ils
en sortent tous mouillés & trempés de leur sueur.
They sing and make these noises also in their sweating operations.
They believe that this medicine, which is the best of all they
have, would be of no use whatever to them if they did not sing
during the sweat. They plant some sticks in the ground, making
[60 i.e., 70] a sort of low tent, for, if a tall man were seated
therein, his head would touch the top of this hut, which they
enclose and cover with skins, robes, and blankets. They put in this
dark room a number of heavy stones which they have had heated and
made red-hot in a good fire, then they slip entirely naked into
these sweat boxes. The women occasionally sweat as well as the men.
Sometimes they sweat all together, men and women, pellmell. They
sing, cry and groan in this oven, and make speeches: occasionally
the sorcerer beats his drum there. I heard him once acting the
prophet therein, crying out that he saw Moose; that my host, his
brother, would kill some. I could not refrain from telling him,
or rather those who were present and listened to him as if to an
oracle, that it was indeed quite probable that they would find
a male, since they had already found and killed two females.
When he understood what I was driving at, he said to me sharply,
"Believe [61 i.e., 71] me, this black robe has no sense." They are
so superstitious in these uproars and in their other nonsense,
that if they have sweats in order to cure themselves, or to have
a good hunt, or to have fine weather, [they think] nothing would
be accomplished if they did not sing, and if they did not observe
these superstitions. I have noticed that, when the men sweat,
they do not like to use women's robes with which to enclose their
sweat boxes, if they can have any others. In short, when they have
shouted for three hours or thereabout in these stoves, they emerge
completely wet and covered with their sweat.
Ils chantent encore & battent le tambour en leur festins, comme ie
declareray au chapitre de leurs banquets: ie leur ay veu faire le mesme
en leurs conseils, y entremeslant d'autres iongleries: Pour moy ie me
doute que le sorcier en inuente tous les iours de nouuelles pour tenir
son monde en haleine: & pour se rendre recommandable: ie luy vis vn
certain iour prẽdre vne espée, la mettre la pointe en bas, le manche
en hault (car leurs espées [72] sont emmanchées à vn long baston) il
mit vne hache proche de cette espée, se leu[a] debout, fit ioüer son
tambour, chanta hurla à son accoustumée, il fit quelques mines de
dancer, tourna à l'entour du feu: puis se cachant, il tira vn bonnet
de nuict, dans lequel il y auoit vne pierre à esguiser, il la met dans
vne cullier de bois, qu'on essuya exprés pour cest effect, il fit
allumer vn flambeau d'escorce, puis donna de main en main le flambeau,
la cueiller, & la pierre, qui estoit marquée de quelques raies, la
regardans tous les vns apres les autres, philosophant à mon aduis sur
cette pierre, touchant leur chasse, qui estoit le subiect de leur
conseil ou assemblée.
They also sing and beat drums in their feasts, as I shall explain
in the chapter upon their banquets. I have seen them do the same
thing in their councils, mingling therein other juggleries. For
my part, I suspect that the sorcerer invents every day some new
contrivance to keep his people in a state of agitation, and to
make himself popular. One day I saw him take a javelin and turn
the point down and the handle up (for their javelins [72] have a
long stick for a handle); he placed a hatchet near this javelin,
stood up, pounded on his drum, uttered his usual howls, pretended
to dance, and walked around the fire. Then, concealing himself,
he drew out a nightcap, in which there was a whetstone which he
placed in a spoon made of wood, which had been wiped expressly for
this purpose; then he lighted a bark torch, and passed from hand
to hand the torch, the spoon, and the stone, which was marked with
stripes,--all examining it attentively, one after the other, and
philosophizing, as it seemed to me, over this stone, in regard to
their chase, which was the subject of their council or assembly.
Ces pauures ignorants chantent aussi dans leurs peines, dans leurs
difficultez, dans leurs perils & dangers: pendant le temps de nostre
famine, ie n'entendois par ces cabanes, notãment la nuict, que chants,
que cris, battements de tambours, & autres bruits: & demandant ce que
c'estoit, mes gens me disoient qu'ils faisoient [73] cela pour auoir
bonne chasse, & pour trouuer à manger, leurs chants & leurs tambours
passent encore dans les sortileges que font les sorciers.
These poor wretches sing also in their sufferings, in their
difficulties, in their perils and dangers. During the time of our
famine, I heard nothing throughout these cabins, especially at
night, except songs, cries, beating of drums and other noises; when
I asked what this meant, my people told me that they did [73] it
in order to have a good chase, and to find something to eat. Their
songs and their drums also play a part in the witchcraft of the
sorcerers.
Il faut que ie couche icy, ce que ie leurs vis faire le douxiesme
Feurier, comme ie recitois mes heures sur le soir, le sorcier se mit à
parler de moy _aïamtheou_, il fait ses prieres, dit-il: puis prononçant
quelques paroles, que ie n'entendis pas, il adiousta _Niganipahau_; ie
le tueray aussi tost: la pensée me vint qu'il parloit de moy, veu qu'il
me haïssoit pour plusieurs raisons, comme ie diray en son lieu: mais
notamment pource ce que ie taschois de faire veoir que tout ce qu'il
faisoit n'estoit que badinerie & puerilité: Sur cette pensée qu'il me
vouloit oster la vie, mon hoste me va dire, n'as tu point de poudre
qui tuë les hommes? pourquoy, luy dis-ie, ie veux tuer quelqu'vn,
me respond il? ie vous laisse à penser si i'acheuay mon office sans
distraction, veu que ie sçauois fort bien qu'ils n'auoient garde de
faire mourir aucun de leurs gens, & que le sorcier m'auoit menacé de
mort [74] quelques iours auparauant, quoy qu'en riant, me dit il apres:
mais ie ne m'y fiois pas beaucoup, voyant donc ces gens en action, ie
r'entre dans moy-mesme, suppliant nostre Seigneur de m'assister, & de
prendre ma vie au moment & en la façon, qu'il luy plairoit: neantmoins
pour me mieux disposer à ce sacrifice, ie voulus voir s'ils pensoient
en moy, ie leur demanday donc où estoit l'homme qu'ils vouloient faire
mourir, ils me repartent qu'il estoit vers Gaspé à plus de cens lieuës
de nous. Ie me mis à rire, car en verité ie n'eusse iamais pensé qu'ils
eussent entrepris de tuer vn homme de cens lieuës loin. Ie m'enquis
pourquoy ils luy vouloient oster la vie. On me respondit que cest homme
estoit vn sorcier Canadien, lequel ayant eu quelque prise auec le
nostre, l'auoit menacé de mort, & luy auoit donné la maladie, qui le
trauailloit depuis vn long temps, & qui l'alloit estouffer dans deux
iours, s'il ne preuenoit le coup par son art: ie leurs dis que Dieu
auoit deffendu de tuer, & que nous autres, ne faisions mourir personne:
cela n'empescha point [75] qu'ils ne poursuiuissent leur pointe. Mon
hoste preuoiant le grand bruit qui se deuoit faire, me dit, tu auras
mal à la teste, va-t en en l'autre cabane voisine: non, dit le sorcier,
il n'y a point de mal qu'il nous voye faire. On fit sortir tous les
enfans & toutes les femmes, horsmis vne qui s'assit aupres du sorcier:
Ie demeuray donc spectateur de leurs mysteres, auec tous les Sauuages
des autres cabanes qu'on fit venir: Estans tous assis, voicy vn ieune
homme qui apporte deux paux ou pieux fort pointus, mon hoste prepare
le sort composé de petits bois formez en langue de serpẽt des deux
costez, de fers de flesches, de morceaux de cousteaux rompus, d'vn fer
replié comme vn gros hameçon, & d'autres choses semblables, on enuelopa
tout cela dans vn morceau de cuir: Cela fait, le sorcier prend son
tambour, tous se mettent à chanter & hurler, & faire le tintamarre que
i'ay remarqué cy dessus: apres quelques chansons, la femme qui estoit
demeurée se leue, & tourne tout à l'entour de la cabane par dedans,
passant par deriere le [76] dos de tous tant que nous estions. S'estant
rassisse, le magicien prend ces deux pieux, puis designant certain
endroit, commence à dire; voila sa teste (ie crois qu'il entendoit de
l'homme qu'il vouloit tuer) puis de toutes ces forces, il plante ces
pieux en terre, les faisant regarder vers l'endroict, où il croioit
qu'estoit ce Canadien. Là dessus mon hoste va ayder son frere, il
fait vne assez grande fosse en terre auec ces pieux: cependant les
chants & autres bruits continuoient incessemment. La fosse faite, les
pieux plantez, le valet du sorcier, i'entens l'Apostat, va querir vne
espée, & le sorcier en frappe l'vn de ces paux, puis descend dans la
fosse, tenant la posture d'vn homme animé qui tire de grands coups
d'espée & de poignard; car il auoit l'vn & l'autre dans cette action
d'homme furieux & enragé. Le sorcier prend le sort enuelopé de peau,
le met dans la fosse, & redouble les coups d'espée à mesme temps qu'on
redoubloit le tintamarre.
I must set down here what I saw them do on the twelfth of February.
As I was reciting my hours, toward evening, the sorcerer began to
talk about me: _aiamtheou_, "He is making his prayers;" then,
pronouncing some words which I did not understand, he added:
_Niganipahau_, "I will kill him at once." The thought occurred to
me that he was speaking of me, seeing that he hated me for several
reasons, as I shall state in the proper place; but especially
because I tried to show that all he did was mere nonsense and
child's play. Just as I was thinking that he wanted to take my
life, my host said to me, "Hast thou not some powder that kills
men?" "Why?" I asked. "I want to kill some one," he answered me.
I leave you to imagine whether I finished my prayers without any
distraction; for I knew very well that they were disinclined to
kill any of their own people, and that the sorcerer had threatened
me with death [74] some days before,--although only in jest, as
he told me afterward; but I did not have much confidence in him.
Now seeing these people bustling about, I retired within myself,
supplicating our Lord to help me, and to take my life at the moment
and in whatever manner would be pleasing to him. Nevertheless, to
better prepare myself for this sacrifice, I wished to learn if they
had me in mind, and so I asked them where the man was that they
wished to kill; they answered me that he was in the neighborhood of
Gaspé, more than a hundred leagues away from us. I began to laugh,
for in truth I had never dreamed that they would undertake to kill
a man a hundred leagues away. I inquired why they wished to take
his life. They answered that this man was a Canadian sorcerer,
who, having had some trouble with ours, had threatened him with
death and had given him the disease from which he had suffered
so long, and which was going to consume him in two days, if he
did not prevent the stroke by his art. I told them that God had
forbidden murder, and that we never killed people; that did not
prevent them [75] from pursuing their purpose. My host, foreseeing
the great commotion which was about to take place, said to me,
"Thou wilt have the headache; go off into one of the other cabins
near by." "No," said the sorcerer, "there will be no harm in his
seeing what we do." They had all the children and women go out,
except one who sat near the sorcerer; I remained as a spectator
of their mysteries, with all the Savages of the other cabins, who
were summoned. All being seated, a young man comes bearing two
pickets, or very sharply-pointed sticks; my host prepares the
charm, composed of little pieces of wood shaped at both ends like
a serpent's tongue, iron arrow-points, pieces of broken knives,
bits of iron bent like a big fishhook, and other similar things;
all these are wrapped in a piece of leather. When this is done, the
sorcerer takes his drum, all begin to chant and howl, and to make
the uproar of which I spoke above; after a few songs, the woman
who had remained arises, and goes all around the inside of the
cabin, passing behind the [76] backs of the people who are there.
When she is reseated, the magician takes these two stakes; then,
pointing out a certain place, begins by saying, "Here is his head,"
(I believe he meant the head of the man whom he wished to kill);
then with all his might he drives these stakes into the ground,
inclining them toward the place where he believed this Canadian
was. Thereupon my host comes to assist his brother; he makes a
tolerably deep ditch in the ground with these stakes; meanwhile
the songs and other noises continue incessantly. The ditch made
and the stakes planted, the servant of the sorcerer, I mean the
Apostate, goes in search of a sword, and the sorcerer strikes with
it one of these pickets; then he descends into the ditch, assuming
the posture of an excited man who is striking heavy blows with the
sword and poniard; for he has both, in this act of a furious and
enraged man. The sorcerer takes the charm wrapped in skin, puts it
in the ditch, and redoubles his sword-cuts at the same time that
they increase the uproar.
En fin ce mystere cessa, il retire l'espée & le poignard tout
ensanglanté, les iette deuant les autres Sauuages; on recouure [77]
viste la fosse, & le magicien tout glorieux, dit que son homme est
frappé, qu'il mourra bien tost, demande si on n'a point entendu ses
cris: tout le monde dit que non, horsmis deux ieunes hommes ses parens,
qui disent auoir ouy des plaintes fort sourdes, & comme de loing. O
qu'ils le firent aise, se tournant vers moy, il se mit a rire, disant,
voyez cette robe noire qui nous vient dire qu'il ne faut tuer personne:
Comme ie regardois attentiuement l'espée & le poignard; il me les fit
presenter, regarde, dit-il, qu'est cela; c'est du sang, repartis-je, de
qui? de quelque Orignac ou d'autre animal, ils se mocquerent de moy,
disants que c'estoit du sang de ce Sorcier de Gaspé; comment, dis je,
il est à plus de cent lieuës d'icy? il est vray font-ils, mais c'est
le Manitou, c'est à dire le Diable, qui apporte son sang pardessous la
terre. Or si c'est hõme est vrayement Magicien, ie m'en rapporte, pour
moy i'estime qu'il n'est ny Sorcier ny Magicien, mais qu'il le voudroit
bien estre: tout ce qu'il faict selon ma pensée n'est que badinerie,
[78] pour amuser les Sauuages, il voudroit bien auoir communication
auec le Diable ou Manitou, mais ie ne crois pas qu'il en ait: si bien
me persuaday-je, qu'il y a eu icy quelque Sorcier, ou quelque Magicien
s'il est vray ce qu'ils disent des maladies & des guerisons, dont
ils me parlent: c'est chose estrange, que le Diable qui apparoist
sensiblement aux Ameriquains Meridionaux, & qui les bat & les tourmente
de telle sorte, qu'ils se voudroient bien deffaire d'vn tel hoste, ne
se communique point visiblement ny sensiblement à nos Sauuages, selon
ce que ie crois. Ie sçais qu'il y a des personnes d'opinion contraire,
croyans aux rapports de ces Barbares, mais quand ie les presse, ils
m'aduoüent tous, qu'ils n'ont rien veu de tout ce qu'ils disent, mais
seulement qu'ils l'ont oüy dire à d'autres.
Finally, this mystery ends, and he draws out the sword and the
poniard all covered with blood, and throws them down before the
other Savages; the ditch [77] is hurriedly covered up, and the
magician boastfully asserts that his man is struck, that he will
soon die, and asks if they have not heard his cries; they all say
"no," except two young men, relatives of his, who say they have
heard some very dull sounds, and as if far away. Oh, how glad they
make him! Turning toward me, he begins to laugh, saying, "See this
black robe, who comes here to tell us that we must not kill any
one." As I am looking attentively at the sword and the poniard,
he has them presented to me. "Look," he says, "what is that?" "It
is blood," I answer, "of what? Of some Moose or other animal."
They laugh at me, saying that it is the blood of that Sorcerer of
Gaspé. "How?" I answer them, "he is more than a hundred leagues
away from here." "It is true," they reply, "but it is the Manitou;
that is, the Devil, who carries his blood under the earth." Now if
this man is really a Magician, I leave you to decide; for my part,
I consider that he is neither Sorcerer nor Magician, but that he
would like very much to be one. All that he does, according to my
opinion, is nothing but nonsense [78] to amuse the Savages. He
would like to have communication with the Devil or Manitou, but I
do not think that he has. Yet I am persuaded that there has been
some Sorcerer or Magician here, if what they tell me is true about
diseases and cures which they describe to me; it is a strange
thing, in my opinion, that the Devil, who is visible to the South
Americans, and who so beats and torments them that they would like
to get rid of such a guest, does not communicate himself visibly
and sensibly to our Savages. I know that there are persons of
contrary opinion, who believe in the reports of these Barbarians;
but, when I urge them, they all admit that they have seen nothing
of that of which they speak, but that they have only heard it
related by others.
Ce n'est pas le mesme des Ameriquains Meridionaux, nos Europeans ont
oüy le bruit, la voix & les coups que ruë le Diable sur ces pauures
esclaues: & vn François digne de creance, [79] m'a asseuré l'auoir oüy
de ses oreilles: surquoy on me rapporte vne chose tres remarquable,
c'est que le Diable s'enfuit, & ne frappe point ou cesse de frapper
ces miserables, quand vn Catholique entre en leur compagnie, & qu'il
ne laisse point de les battre en la presence d'vn Huguenot, d'où vient
qu'vn iour se voyans battus en la compagnie d'vn certain François,
ils luy dirent, nous nous estonnons que le diable nous batte, toy
estant auec nous, veu qu'il n'oseroit le faire quand tes compagnons
sont presents. Luy se douta incontinent que cela pouuoit prouenir de
sa religion, (car il estoit Caluiniste) s'adressant donc à Dieu, il
luy promist de se faire Catholique si le diable cessoit de battre
ces pauures peuples en sa presẽce: Le vœu fait, iamais plus aucun
Demon ne molesta Amariquain en sa compagnie, d'où vient qu'il se fist
Catholique, selon la promesse qu'il en auoit faicte; mais retournons à
nostre discours. I'ay veu deux autrefois faire les mesmes sortileges à
nostre Magicien pretendu, & [80] garda toutes les ceremonies susdites,
horsmis qu'il changea de sort, car vne fois il se seruit de quatre
bastons faits en forme de fuseaux à filer, sinon qu'ils estoient plus
gros, & qu'ils auoient comme des dents en certains endroits: Il se
seruit encore du bout de la queuë & du pied d'vn Porc épic, & quelques
poils d'Orignac, ou de Porc épic, liez ensemble en petit faisseau:
l'autrefois il se seruit encore de ces fuseaux, d'vn pied de Porc
épic, ou d'vn autre animal, d'os de quelque beste, d'vn fer semblable,
& celuy qu'õ attache à vne porte pour la tirer, & de quelques autres
badineries: son valet le renegat luy tenant tout cela prest, & battant
le tambour pendant que son Maistre estoit occupé dans la fosse. Voila
vne partie des actions esquelles se retrouuent leurs chants, leurs
cris, hurlemens & tintamarres.
Among the South Americans it is different. Our Europeans have
heard the noise, the voice, and the blows that the Devil deals to
these poor slaves, and a Frenchman, worthy of belief, [79] has
assured me that he heard it with his own ears. In regard to this,
a very remarkable thing is reported to me; it is that the Devil
takes flight, and does not strike or else ceases to strike these
wretches, when a Catholic enters their company, and that he does
not cease to strike them in the presence of a Huguenot. From this
it happened that, one day, seeing themselves being beaten in the
presence of a Frenchman, they said to him, "We are astonished that
the devil beats us when thou art with us, seeing that he does not
dare to do it when thy companions are here." It suddenly occurred
to him that this might come from his religion (for he was a
Calvinist); so, addressing himself to God, he promised to become
a Catholic if the devil ceased beating these poor people in his
presence. After this vow was made, never afterward did any Demon
molest an American in his company, on account of which he became a
Catholic according to his promise. But let us return to our story.
I have seen our pretended Magician perform the same witchcraft
on two other occasions. [80] He observed all the above mentioned
ceremonies, except that he changed the charm, for once he made use
of four sticks made in the shape of spindles, except that they were
heavier, and that they had something like teeth in certain places.
Also he used the end of the tail and the foot of a Porcupine, and
some hairs of the Moose and of the Porcupine, bound together in a
little sheaf. Another time he used these spindles also, and a foot
of the Porcupine or of another animal, the bone of some beast, an
iron similar to that which they fasten to a door to pull it open,
and some other absurd things. His servant, the renegade, held all
these things ready for him, and beat the drum while his Master was
occupied in the ditch. These are a part of their actions, among
which are mingled their songs, their cries, their howls and uproar.
Leur Religiõ, ou plustost superstitiõ, consiste encore à prier: mais, ô
mon Dieu! quelles oraisons font ils? Le matin les petits enfans sortans
de la Cabane, s'escrient à pleine teste, _Cacoua_k_hi_ [81] _Pa_k_hais
Amiscoua_k_hi, Pa_k_hais Mousoua_K_hi, Pa_k_hais_: venez Porcs épics,
venez Castors, venez Elans, voila toutes leurs prieres.
Their Religion, or rather their superstition, consists besides in
praying; but O, my God, what prayers they make! In the morning,
when the little children come out from their Cabins, they shout,
_Cacouakhi,_ [81] _Pakhais Amiscouakhi, Pakhais Mousouakhi,
Pakhais_, "Come, Porcupines; come, Beavers; come, Elk;" and this is
all of their prayers.
Les Sauuages eternuans, & quelquefois mesme en autre temps, disent
pendant l'Hiuer, criants tout haut _Etouctaian miraouinam an
Mirouscami_K_hi_, ie serois bien aise de voir le Printemps.
When the Savages sneeze, and sometimes even at other times, during
the Winter, they cry out in a loud voice, _Etouctaiau miraouinam an
Mirouscamikhi_, "I shall be very glad to see the Spring."
D'autrefois ie leur ay oüy demãder le Printemps, ou la deliurance du
mauuais, & autres choses semblables; & tout cela se faict par desirs
qu'ils expriment, criants tant qu'ils peuuent, ie serois bien aise que
ce iour continuast, que le vent se changeast, &c. De dire à qui ces
souhaits s'adressent, ie ne sçaurois, car eux mesmes ne le sçauent pas,
du moins ceux à qui ie l'ay demandé ne m'en ont pû instruire.
At other times, I have heard them pray for the Spring, or for
deliverance from evils and other similar things; and they express
all these things in the form of desires, crying out as loudly as
they can, "I would be very glad if this day would continue, if the
wind would change," etc. I could not say to whom these wishes are
addressed, for they themselves do not know, at least those whom I
have asked have not been able to enlighten me.
I'ay remarqué cy-dessus qu'ils prient Le Manitou de ne point ietter les
yeux sur leurs ennemis, afin qu'ils les puissent tuer: voila toutes les
prieres & oraisons que i'ay oüy faire aux Sauuages, ie ne sçay s'ils
en ont d'autres, ie [82] ne le crois pas. O que ie me fentois riche &
heureux parmy ces Barbares, d'auoir vn Dieu à qui ie peusse adresser
mes souhaits, mes prieres & mes vœux! & qu'ils sont miserables de
n'auoir point d'autres desirs, que pour la vie presente! I'oubliois
à dire icy, mais ie l'ay couché cy-dessus, qu'ils ont vne Image ou
espece de sacrifice, car ils iettent au feu de la gresse qu'ils
recueillent sur la chaudiere où cuit la viande, faisants cette priere
_Papeoue_k_ou_, _Papeoue_k_ou_, faictes nous trouuer à manger, faictes
nous trouuer à manger: ie crois qu'ils adressent cette oraison à leur
_Khichekouai_, & peut-estre encore les autres; voicy vne superstition
qui m'a bien ennuyé.
I have remarked above that they pray The Manitou not to cast his
eyes upon their enemies, in order that they may be able to kill
them. These are all the prayers and orisons which I have heard
the Savages make; I do not know whether they have others,--I [82]
do not think they have. Oh, how rich and happy I consider myself
among these Barbarians, to have a God to whom I can address my
desires, my prayers and my vows! And how miserable they are not to
have any other desires than for the present life! I was forgetting
to say here, although I have mentioned it above, that they have
an Imitation or kind of a sacrifice, for they throw upon the fire
grease which they skim from the kettle where the meat is cooking,
uttering this prayer, _Papcouekou, Papcouekou_, "make us find
something to eat, make us find something to eat." I believe that
they address this prayer to their _Khichckouai_, and perhaps to
others besides. The following is a superstition which greatly
annoyed me.
Le vingt-quatriesme de Nouembre, le Sorcier assembla les Sauuages & se
retrancha auec des robes & des couuertures en vn quartier de la Cabane;
en sorte qu'on ne le pouuoit voir, ny ses compagnons: il s'y trouua vne
femme auec eux qui marquoit sur vn baston triangulaire long de demie
picque, toutes les chansons qu'ils disoient, ie [83] priay vne femme de
me dire ce qu'ils faisoient dans ces retranchemens, elle me respondit
qu'ils prioient; mais ie croy qu'elle me fist cette respõse, pour ce
que quand ie saisois oraison, eux me demandans ce que ie faisois, ie
leurs disois, _Nataïamihiau missi ca_ K_hichitât_, ie prie celuy qui a
tout faict: & ainsi quand ils chantoient, quand ils hurloient, battans
leurs tambours & leurs bastons, ils me disoient qu'ils faisoient
leurs prieres, sans me pouuoir expliquer à qui ils les addressoient.
Le renegat m'a dit que ceste superstition, qui dura plus de cinq
heures, se faisoit pour vn mort, mais comme il ment plus souuent qu'il
ne dit vray, ie m'en rapporte à ce qui en est: ils appellent cette
superstition _Ouechibouan_, en suitte de ces longues oraisons, le
Sorcier donna le patron d'vn petit sac couppé en forme de jambe à vne
femme pour en faire vn de cuir, qu'elle remplit à mon aduis de poil de
Castor, car ie maniay cette jambe qui me sembla molasse, & pleine d'vn
poil assez doux, ie demanday prou ce que c'estoit, [84] & pourquoy on
faisoit ce petit sac tortu, mais iamais on ne me le voulut dire. Ie
sçeu seulement qu'ils l'appelloient _Manitou_k_athi_, c'est à dire,
jambe du Manitou, ou du Diable; elle fut long temps penduë dans la
Cabane au lieu où s'asseoit le Sorcier; depuis on la donna à vn ieune
homme pour la porter penduë au col, elle estoit des appartenances de
ces longues prieres, que ie viens de cotter, mais ie n'ay peu sçauoir à
quel dessein cela se faisoit.
On the twenty-fourth of November, the Sorcerer assembled the
Savages, and entrenched himself with some robes and blankets in
one quarter of the Cabin, so that neither he nor his companions
could be seen. There was a woman with them, who marked on a
triangular stick, half a spear in length, all the songs they
recited. I [83] begged a woman to tell me what they were doing in
this enclosure, and she answered me that they were praying; but
I believe she made this response because, when I prayed and they
asked me what I was doing, I told them, _Nataïamihiau missi ca
Khichitât_, "I am praying to him who made all things;" and so when
they sang, when they howled, and beat their drums and their sticks,
they told me that they were making prayers, without being able to
explain to me to whom they were addressed. The renegade told me
that this superstitious rite, which lasted more than five hours,
was performed for a dead person; but, as he lies oftener than he
tells the truth, I give it for what it is worth. They call this
superstition _Ouechibouan_. After these long orisons, the Sorcerer
gave the pattern of a little sack, cut in the form of a leg, to a
woman, to make one of leather. This she filled, I thought, with
Beaver hair, for I felt the leg and it seemed to me light and full
of soft hair. I asked often what it was, [84] and why they made
this little crooked sack, but they never told me. I only know that
they call it _Manitoukathi_; meaning, leg of the Manitou, or of the
Devil; for a long time it was hung in the Cabin, at the place where
the Sorcerer was seated; afterward, it was given to a young man to
wear hung from his neck. It was one of the accompaniments of these
long prayers, which I have just described; but I have not been able
to find out for what purpose it was used.
Ils gardent par fois encore vn ieusne fort rigoureux, non pas tous,
mais quelques vns qui ont enuie de viure long temps; mon hoste voyant
que ie ne mangeois qu'vne fois pendant le Caresme, me dit que quelques
vns d'entre eux ieusnoient pour auoir vne longue vie; mais m'adjousta
qu'ils se retiroient tous seuls dans vne petite Cabane à part, & que
là ils ne beuuoient ny mãgeoient quelquefois huict iours, quelquefois
dix iours durant: d'autres m'ont dit qu'ils sortent comme des squelets
de cette Cabane, & que par [85] fois on en rapporte à demy-morts,
ie n'ay point veu de ces grands ieusneurs, si bien de grãds disneurs:
vray est que ie n'ay point de peine à croire cét excez, car toutes les
fausses religions sont pleines de puerilitez, ou d'excés, ou de saletez.
Now and then they observe a very rigorous fast,--not all of them,
but certain ones who desire to live a long time. My host, seeing
that I ate only once a day during Lent, told me that some of their
people fasted in order to have a long life; but he added that they
withdrew alone into a little Cabin apart from the others, and while
there they neither drank nor ate, sometimes for eight and at other
times for ten days; others have told me that they emerge from this
Cabin like skeletons, and that sometimes [85] they are brought out
half dead. I have not seen any of these great fasters, but I have
seen great diners. In truth I have no difficulty in believing in
these excesses, for all false religions are full of nonsense, of
excesses, or of uncleanness.
I'ay veu faire vne autre deuotion au Sorcier, laquelle, comme ie crois,
n'appartient qu'à ceux de sa profession; on luy dresse vne petite
Cabane esloignée d'vn jet de pierre ou de deux des autres, il se
retire là dedans pour y demeurer seul huict iours, dix iours, ou plus
ou moins: Or vous l'entendez iour & nuict crier, hurler, & battre son
tambour; mais il n'est pas tellement solitaire, que d'autres ne luy
aillent aider à chanter, & que les femmes ne le visitent, c'est là où
il se commet de grandes saletez.
I have seen another devotion performed by the Sorcerer, which, I
believe, belongs only to those of his profession. They erect for
him a little Cabin distant from the others a stone's throw or two,
into which he retires to remain there alone eight or ten days, more
or less. Now day and night he can be heard crying, howling and
beating his drum; but he is not so solitary that others do not go
to help him sing, and that the women do not visit him, and it is
here that great licentiousness is carried on.
Les Sauuages sont encore fort Religieux enuers leurs morts; mon hoste,
& le vieillard dont i'ay souuent faict mention, m'ont confirmé ce que
i'ay des-ja escrit vne autrefois, que le corps mort du deffunct ne sort
point par la [86] porte ordinaire de la Cabane, ains on leue l'escorce
de l'endroict où l'hom[me] est mort, pour faire passer son cadaure.
The Savages are also very Religious in regard to their dead. My
host, and the old man of whom I have spoken, confirmed what I have
already written before, that the body of the deceased does not
go out through the [86] common door of the Cabin, but the bark
is raised at the place where the dead man is, in order to make a
passageway for the corpse.
De plus, disent ils, l'ame sort par la cheminée, ou par l'ouuerture
qu'ils font au haut de leurs todis, ils frappent à coups de baston
sur leurs Cabanes, afin que cette ame ne tarde point, & qu'elle ne
s'accoste de quelque enfant, car elle le fairoit mourir: ils enterrent
les robbes, les chaudieres, & autres meubles auec le trespassé, pource
qu'ils l'ayment, & afin aussi qu'il se serue de l'ame de toutes ces
choses en l'autre vie. Ils iettent comme i'ay des-ja dit, la meilleure
viande qu'ils ayent au feu, pour en donner à manger à l'ame dit
deffunct, qui mange l'ame de ces viandes: ils n'estendent point les
corps de leur long comme nous faisons les enseuellissants, mais ils
les accroupissent & accourcissent comme vne personne qui est assise
sur les talons: ils couppent vn petit touffet de cheueux du deffunct,
pour presenter à son plus proche parent. Je n'en sçay [87] pas la
raison. Mais faisons vne autre liste de leurs superstitions & de leur
ignorance, celles que ie viens de rapporter, concernent en quelque
façon leur religion ridicule; les suiuantes le peuuent proprement
appeller superstitions.
Furthermore, they say that the soul goes out through the chimney,
or at the opening which they make at the top of their huts. They
strike heavy blows with a stick upon the Cabins, that this soul may
not delay, and that it may not come near a child, for it would kill
it. They bury with the dead man his robes, his kettles, and other
belongings, because they love him, and also in order that he may
make use of the soul of all these things in the other life. They
throw, as I have already said, the best meat they have into the
fire, to give something to eat to the soul of the deceased, which
eats the soul of this food. They do not stretch out the bodies of
their dead lengthwise, as we do those of our dead, but they place
them in a crouching position like a person who is seated upon his
heels. They cut a little tuft of hair from the dead man to present
to his nearest relative. I do not know [87] why they do this.
But let us make another list of their superstitions and of their
ignorance, as what I have just reported concerns in some manner
their ridiculous religion: the following may properly be called
superstitions.
Les Sauuages ne iettent point aux chiens les os des Castors, Porcs
épics femmelles, du moins certains os determinez; bref ils p[r]ennent
garde tres-soigneusement que les chiens ne mangent aucun os des oyseaux
& des autres animaux qui se prennent au lacs, autrement ils n'en
prendront plus qu'auec des difficultez incomparables: encore y a-il là
dedans mille obseruations, car il n'importe que les vertebres ou le
croupion de ces animaux soient données aux chiens, pour le reste il
faut le jetter au feu; toutefois pour le Castor pris à la rets, c'est
le meilleur de ietter ses os dans vn fleuue, c'est chose estrange
qu'ils recueillent & ramassent ces os, & les conseruent auec tant de
soin, que vous diriez que leur chasse seroit perduë s'ils auoient [88]
contreuenu à leurs superstitions: comme ie me mocquois d'eux, & que ie
leurs disois que les Castors ne sçauoient pas ce que l'on faisoit de
leurs os; ils me respondirent, tu ne sçais pas prendre les Castors,
& tu en veux parler: deuant que le Castor soit mort tout à faict, me
dirent-ils, son ame vient faire vn tour par la Cabane de celuy qui
le tuë, & remarque fort bien ce qu'on fait de ses os; que si on les
donnoit aux chiens, les autres Castors en seroient aduertis: c'est
pourquoy ils se rendroient difficiles à prendre, mais ils sont bien
aises qu'on iette leurs os au feu, ou dans vn fleuue, la rets notamment
qui les a pris en est bien contente. Ie leur dis que les Hiroquois
au rapport de celuy qui estoit auec nous, iettoient les os de Castor
aux chiens, & cependant qu'ils en prenoient fort souuent, & que nos
François prenoient du gibier plus qu'eux (sans comparaison) & que
neantmoins nos chiens en mangeoient les os, tu n'as point d'esprit, me
firent-ils, ne vois tu pas que vous & les Hiroquois cultiuez la terre
[89] & en recueillez les fruicts, & non pas nous, & partant que ce
n'est pas la mesme chose: ie me mis à rire entendant cette response
impertinente; le mal est que ie ne fais que beguayer, que ie prends vn
mot pour l'autre, que ie prononce mal, & ainsi tout s'en va le plus
souuent en risee; Que c'est vne grande peine de parler à vn peuple
sans l'entendre. De plus, en leurs festins à manger tout, il faut bien
prendre garde que les chiens n'en goustent tant soit peu, mais de cecy
en vn autre chapitre.
The Savages do not throw to the dogs the bones of female Beavers
and Porcupines,--at least, certain specified bones; in short, they
are very careful that the dogs do not eat any bones of birds and
of other animals which are taken in the net, otherwise they will
take no more except with incomparable difficulties. Yet they make
a thousand exceptions to this rule, for it does not matter if the
vertebræ or rump of these animals be given to the dogs, but the
rest must be thrown into the fire. Yet, as to the Beaver which has
been taken in a trap, it is best to throw its bones into a river.
It is remarkable how they gather and collect these bones, and
preserve them with so much care, that you would say their game
would be lost if they [88] violated their superstitions. As I was
laughing at them, and telling them that Beavers do not know what is
done with their bones, they answered me, "Thou dost not know how to
take Beavers, and thou wishest to talk about it." Before the Beaver
was entirely dead, they told me, its soul comes to make the round
of the Cabin of him who has killed it, and looks very carefully to
see what is done with its bones; if they are given to the dogs,
the other Beavers would be apprised of it and therefore they would
make themselves hard to capture. But they are very glad to have
their bones thrown into the fire, or into a river; especially the
trap which has caught them is very glad of this. I told them that
the Hiroquois, according to the reports of the one who was with
us, threw the bones of the Beaver to the dogs, and yet they took
them very often; and that our Frenchmen captured more game than
they did (without comparison), and yet our dogs ate these bones.
"Thou hast no sense," they replied, "dost thou not see that you and
the Hiroquois cultivate the soil [89] and gather its fruits, and
not we, and that therefore it is not the same thing?" I began to
laugh when I heard this irrelevant answer. The trouble is, I only
stutter, I take one word for another, I pronounce badly; and so
everything usually passes off in laughter. What great difficulty
there is in talking with people without being able to understand
them. Furthermore, in their eat-all feasts they must be very
careful that the dogs do not taste even the least of it; but of
this in another chapter.
Ils croyent que la gresle a de l'esprit & de la connoissance, comme mon
hoste faisoit festin pendant cet Hiuer, il dit à vn ieune homme, va
t'en aduertir les Sauuages de l'autre Cabane qu'ils viennent quand ils
voudront que tout est prest, mais ne porte point de flambeau, il estoit
nuict & il gresloit fort & ferme: i'entends aussi les Sauuages sortans
de leurs Cabanes, s'écrier à leurs gens, ne nous éclairez point, car
il gresle. Ie demanday par apres la raison de cela, on me respõdit que
la grêle auoit de l'esprit, & qu'elle haïssoit [90] la lumiere, ne
venant ordinairement que sur la nuict: que si on portoit des flambeaux
dehors, elle cesseroit, dont ils seroient bien marris, car elle sert
à prendre l'Originac. Voila des gens biẽ entendus aux meteores, ie
leur dis que la gresle n'estoit autre chose que l'eau de la pluye, qui
se congeloit par la froidure, laquelle s'augmentât sur la nuict par
l'eloignement du Soleil, il gresloit plustost qu'en plein midy: ils
me repartirent à l'ordinaire, tu es vn ignorant, ne vois tu pas qu'il
a faict froid tout le iour, & que la gresle a attendu la nuict pour
venir; Ie voulus repartir que la nuée n'estoit pas encore disposée,
mais on me dit _eca titou eca titou nama_ K_hitirinisin_, tais toi,
tais toi, tu n'as pas d'esprit: voila la monnoye dont ils me payent,
& dont ils payent bien souuent les autres sans s'alterer. Mon hoste
coupoit par superstition le bout de la queuë de tous les Castors qu'il
prenoit, & les enfiloit ensemble. Ie demanday pourquoy, le vieillard
me dit, c'est vne resolution ou vne promesse qu'il a faict, afin de
prendre beaucoup de Castors de sçauoir à qui il fait ce vœu [91] ny
luy, ny moy ne le sçaurions dire.
They believe that the hail has understanding and knowledge. When
my host was giving a feast, that Winter, he said to a young man,
"Go tell the Savages of the other Cabin that they may come when
they wish, that everything is ready; but do not carry a torch." It
was night, and there was a very heavy hailstorm. So I heard the
Savages going out from their Cabins, crying to their people, "Do
not make any light for us, because it hails." I afterward asked
the reason for this, and they answered me that the hail possessed
intelligence, and that it hated [90] the light, usually coming only
at night-time; that, if torches were carried out of doors, it would
stop, and they would be very sorry for this, for it helped them
to capture the Moose. See how intelligent these people are about
atmospheric phenomena. I told them that the hail was nothing but
the water of the rain, congealed by the cold, which was greater
at night on account of the absence of the Sun, and so it hailed
then oftener than in the middle of the day. They answered me in
their usual way, "Thou art an ignoramus; dost thou not see that
it has been cold all day long, and that the hail has waited until
night to come?" I tried to tell them that the clouds had not yet
gathered, but they said, _eca titou eca titou nama Khitirinisin_,
"keep still, keep still, thou hast no sense." This is the money
with which they pay me, and with which they very often pay the
others without any variation. Through superstition, my host cuts
off the end of the tail from all the Beavers he takes, and strings
them together. I asked why; and the old man told me that it was
a resolution or promise that he had made in order to take many
Beavers. As to whom he made this vow, [91] neither he nor I would
be able to tell.
Ils mettent au feu vn certain os plat de Porc épic, puis ils regardent
à sa couleur s'ils feront bonne chasse de ces animaux.
They put upon the fire a certain flat bone of the Porcupine; then
look at its color attentively, to see if they will hunt these
animals with success.
Quand quelqu'vn de leurs gens s'est egaré dans les bois, voyans qu'il
ne retourne point en la Cabane, ils pendent vn fusil à vne perche pour
le redresser; & cela fait, me disoient ils, qu'il voye du feu, & qu'il
reconnosse son chemin: quand vn esprit s'est vne fois egaré du chemin
de la verité, il donne bien auant dans l'erreur.
When some one of their men is lost in the woods, seeing that he
does not return to his Cabin, they hang a fuse to a pole to direct
him, and, that done, they tell me that he sees the fire and finds
his way back. When the mind has once strayed from the path of
truth, it advances far into error.
Mais à propos de leur fusil, ie diray cy qu'il n'est pas faict comme
les nostres; ils ont pour meche la peau d'vne cuisse d'vn aigle, auec
le duuet qui prẽd feu aisement, ils battent deux pierres de mine
ensemble, comme nous faisons vne pierre à fusil, auec vn morceau de
fer ou d'acier: au lieu d'allumettes, ils se seruẽt d'vn petit morceau
de tondre, c'est vn bois pourry & bien seché, qui brusle aisement &
incessammẽt iusques à ce qu'il soit consommé: ayant pris feu ils le
mettent dans l'escorce de Cedre puluerisée, & soufflant [92] doucement
cette écorce s'enflamme. Voila comme ils font du feu. I'auois porté vn
fusil françois auec moy, & cinq ou six allumettes, ils s'estonnoient
de la promptitude auec laquelle i'allumois du feu, le mal fut que mes
allumettes furent bien tost vsées, ayant manqué d'en porter vn peu
dauãtage.
But, in regard to their fuse, I will say here that it is not made
like ours. For wick they use the skin of an eagle's thigh, covered
with down, which takes fire very easily. They strike together two
metallic stones, just as we do with a piece of flint and iron or
steel; in place of matches, they use a little piece of tinder, a
dry and rotten wood which burns easily and continually until it is
consumed. When they have lighted it, they put it into pulverized
Cedar bark; and, by gently [92] blowing, this bark takes fire. That
is how they light their fires. I brought a french fuse with me, and
five or six matches. They were astonished at the ease with which
I could light a fire; the trouble was that my matches were soon
exhausted, as I had failed to bring enough.
Ils ont encore vne autre espece de fusil, ils tournent vn petit baston
de Cedre, de ce mouuement sort du feu qui allume du tondre: mais comme
ie n'ay point veu l'vsage de ce fusil plus familier aux Hurons qu'aux
Montagnais, ie n'en diray pas dauantage.
They have still another kind of fuse. They twist a little Cedar
stick, and this friction causes fire, which lights some tinder;
but, as I have never seen them use this fuse, which is more
familiar to the Hurons than to the Montagnais, I will say no more
about it.
Quand quelqu'vn d'eux a pris vn Ours, il y a bien des ceremonies deuant
qu'il soit mangé, vn de nos gens en prit vn. Voicy ce qu'on obserua.
When some one of them has taken a Bear, there are extensive
ceremonies before it is eaten. One of our people took one, and this
is what they did:
Premierement l'Ours estant tué, celuy qui l'a mis à mort ne l'apporte
point, mais il s'en reuient à la Cabane en donner la nouuelle, afin que
quelqu'vn aille voir la prise comme chose precieuse; car les Sauuages
preferent la chair d'Ours à toutes leurs autres viandes: il me semble
que le ieune Castor ne luy cede en rien, mais l'Ours a [93] plus de
graisse. Voila pourquoy il est plus aimé des Sauuages.
First, the Bear having been killed, the man who killed it did not
bring it back, but he returned to the Cabin to impart the news,
so that some one might go and see the prize, as something very
precious; for the Savages prefer the meat of the Bear to all other
kinds of food; it seems to me that the young Beaver is in no way
inferior to it, but the Bear has [93] more fat, and therefore the
Savages like it better.
Secondement l'Ours a[p]porté toutes les filles nubiles, & les ieunes
femmes mariées qui n'ont point encore eu d'ẽfans, tant celles de
la Cabane où l'Ours doit estre mangé, que des autres voisines, s'en
vont dehors, & ne rentrent point tant qu'il y reste aucun morceau de
cet animal, dont elles ne goustent point: Il negeoit & faisoit vn
temps fort fascheux, il estoit quasi nuict quãd cét Ours fut apporté
en nostre Cabane: tout à l'heure les femmes & les filles sortirent, &
s'en allerent Cabaner ailleurs le mieux quelles peurent non sans patir
beaucoup, car ils n'ont pas tousiours des écorces à leur commandemẽt
pour dresser leur maison, qu'ils couurẽt en tel cas de brãches de Sapin.
Second, the Bear being brought, all the marriageable girls and
young married women who have not had children, as well as those of
the Cabin where the Bear is to be eaten, and of the neighboring
cabins, go outside, and do not return as long as there remains a
piece of this animal, which they do not taste. It snowed, and the
weather was very severe. It was almost night when this Bear was
brought to our Cabin; immediately the women and girls went out and
sought Shelter elsewhere, the best they could find. They do this
not without much suffering; for they do not always have bark at
hand with which to make their house, which in such cases they cover
with branches of the Fir tree.
En troisiesme lieu, il faut bien éloigner les chiens, de peur qu'ils
ne lechent le sang, ou ne mangent les os, voire les excremens de cette
beste, tãt elle est cherie. On enterre ceux-cy sous le foyer, & on
iette ceux-là au feu; voila ce que i'obseruay en cette superstitiõ.
On fit deux banquets de cét Ours, [94] l'ayant fait cuire en deux
chaudieres, quoy qu'en mesme temps. On inuita les hõmes & les femmes
âgées au premier festin, lequel acheué, les femmes sortirent, puis on
depẽdit l'autre chaudiere, dont on fit festin à manger tout entre les
hommes seulement. Cela se fit le soir de la prise; le lendemain sur la
nuict, ou le second iour, ie ne m'en souuiens pas bien, l'Ours estant
entierement mangé, les ieunes femmes, & les filles retournerent.
In the third place, the dogs must be sent away, lest they lick
the blood, or eat the bones, or even the offal of this beast, so
greatly is it prized. The latter are buried under the fireplace,
and the former are thrown into the fire. The preceding are
the observations which I made during the performance of this
superstition. Two banquets are made of this Bear, [94] as it is
cooked in two kettles, although all at the same time. The men
and older women are invited to the first feast, and, when it is
finished, the women go out; then the other kettle is taken down,
and of this an eat-all feast is made for the men only. This is done
on the evening of the capture; the next day toward nightfall, or
the second day, I do not exactly remember, the Bear having been all
eaten, the young women and girls return.
Si l'oiseau qu'ils nomment _Ouichcatchan_, qui est quasi de la grosseur
d'vne pie, & qui luy ressemble, (car il est gris aux endroicts que la
pie est noire, & blanc ou elle est blanche) se presente pour entrer
dans leur Cabane, ils le chassent fort soigneusement, pource disent
ils, qu'ils auroient mal à la teste: ils n'ẽ dõnent point de raison
ils l'ont, si on les croit, experimenté, ie les ay veu prendre le
gesier de cét animal, le fendans & regardans dedans fort attentiuement;
mon hoste me dit, si ie trouue dedans vn petit os d'Originac (car cét
oyseau mange de tout) ie tueray vn Orignac, si ie trouue vn os d'Ours,
ie [95] tueray vn Ours, & ainsi des autres animaux.
If the bird which they call _Ouichcatchan_, which is nearly the
size of the magpie, and which resembles it (for it is gray in the
places where the magpie is black, and white where it is white),
tries to get into their Cabins, they drive it away very carefully,
because, they say, they would have a headache; they do not give
any reason for this, but have, if they are to be believed, learned
it by experience. I have seen them take the throat of this animal,
split it open, and look into it very attentively. My host tells me,
"If I find inside a little bone of the Moose (for this bird eats
everything) I shall kill a Moose; if I find a bone of the Bear, I
[95] shall kill a Bear;" and so on with other animals.
Dans la famine que nous auons enduré, nos Sauuages ne voulurent point
manger leurs chiens, pource que si on tuoit vn chiẽ pour le manger, vn
hõme seroit tué à coups de hache, disoiẽt-ils.
In the famine which we endured, our Savages would not eat their
dogs, because they said that, if the dog was killed to be eaten, a
man would be killed by blows from an axe.
Mon hoste iettant quelques branches de pin dans le feu, il prestoit
l'oreille au bruit qu'elles feroient en se bruslant, prononçant
quelques paroles; ie luy demanday pourquoy il faisoit cette ceremonie,
pour prendre des Porcs épics, me respond il, de dire quel rapport il y
a de ces branches bruslées auec leur chasse, c'est ce qu'ils ne sçauent
pas, & ne sçauroient sçauoir.
My host, throwing some pine branches into the fire, listened
attentively to the noise which they made in burning, and pronounced
some words. I asked him why he went through this ceremony; "To
capture Porcupines," he answered me. What connection there is
between these burning branches and their hunting, they neither do
nor can explain.
Ils ne mangent point la moëlle des vertebres ou de l'espine du dos
de quelque animal que ce soit, car ils auroient mal au dos, & s'ils
fourroient vn baston dans ces vertebres, ils sentiroiẽt vne douleur,
comme si on le fichoit dans les leur. Ie le faisois expres deuant
eux pour les desabuser, mais vn mal d'esprit si grand, comme est vne
superstition inueterée depuis tant de siecles, & succée auec le laict
de la nourrice [96] ne se guerit pas en vn moment.
They do not eat the marrow of the vertebræ or backbone of any
animal whatever, for they would have a backache; and, if they
were to thrust a stick into these vertebræ, they would feel the
pain the same as if some one had driven it into theirs. I did it
purposely, in their presence, to disabuse them; but a disease of
the mind so great as is a superstition firmly established for so
many centuries, and drunk in with the nurse's milk, [96] is not
eradicated in a moment.
Ils ne mangent point les petits embrions d'Orignac, qu'ils tirent du
ventre de leurs meres, sinon à la fin de la chasse de cét animal, la
raison est que leurs meres les aiment, & qu'elles s'en rendroient
fascheuses & difficiles à prendre, si on mangeoit leur fruict si ieune.
They do not eat the little embryos of Moose, which they take from
the wombs of the mothers, except at the end of the chase for this
animal. The reason is that their mothers love them, and they would
become angry and difficult to capture, if their offspring were
eaten so young.
Ils ne reconnoissent que dix Lunes en l'année, i'entends la pluspart des
Sauuages, car i'ay fait auouër au Sorcier qu'il y en auoit douze.
They recognize only ten Moons in the year,--I mean the greater part
of the Savages, for I made the Sorcerer admit that there are twelve.
Ils croyent que la Lune de Feurier est plus lõgue de plusieurs iours
que les autres, aussi la nomment ils la grande Lune; Ie leur ay
demanday d'où venoit l'Eclypse de Lune & de Soleil; ils m'ont respondu
que la Lune s'éclypsoit ou paroissoit noire, à cause qu'elle tenoit
son fils entre ses bras, qui empeschoit que l'on ne vist sa clarté. Si
la Lune a vn fils, elle est mariée, ou l'a été, leur dis-je, oüy dea,
me dirent ils, le Soleil est son mary qui marche tout le iour, & elle
toute la nuict; & s'il s'eclypse, ou s'il s'obscurcit, c'est qu'il
prend aussi par fois le fils qu'il a eu de [97] la Lune entre ses bras:
oüy, mais ny la Lune ny le Soleil n'ont point de bras, leur disois-je,
tu n'as point d'esprit: ils tiẽnent tousiours leur arcs bandés deuant
eux, voila pourquoy leurs bras ne paroissent point; & sur qui veulent
ils tirer? hé qu'en sçauons nous. Ie leur demanday que vouloient dire
ces taches qui se font voir en la Lune; tu ne sçay riẽ du tout, me
disoient ils; c'est vn bonet qui luy couure la teste, & non pas des
taches. Ie m'enquis pourquoy le fils du Soleil & de la Lune n'estoit
pas luisant comme ses parents, ains noir & obscur; nous n'en sçauons
rien, me firent ils, si nous auions esté au Ciel nous te respondrions.
Au reste ils croyent qu'ils viẽt quelquefois en terre, & quand il se
pourmene en leur pays, ils meurent en grand nõbre. Ie leur ay demandé
s'ils n'auoiẽt point veu de Cometes, ces Estoilles à longue queuë, &
ce que c'estoit; nous en auons veu, me dirent ils, c'est vn animal
qui a vne grande queuë, 4. pieds, & une teste, nous voyons tous cela,
disoiẽt-ils.
They believe that the February Moon is longer by several days than
the others, and therefore they call it the great Moon. I asked them
whence came the Eclipse of the Moon and of the Sun. They answered
that the Moon was eclipsed, or appeared to be dark, because she
held her son in her arms, which prevented her brightness from being
seen. "If the Moon has a son, she is married, or has been," I told
them. "Oh, yes," they replied, "the Sun is her husband, who walks
all day, and she all night; and if he be eclipsed, or darkened, it
is because he also sometimes takes the son which he has had by [97]
the Moon, into his arms." "Yes, but neither the Moon nor the Sun
has any arms," I answered them. "Thou hast no sense; they always
hold their drawn bows before them, and that is why their arms do
not appear." "And whom do they wish to shoot?" "Ah, how do we
know?" I asked them what those spots meant that appear on the Moon.
"Thou knowest nothing at all," they said; "it is a cap which covers
her head, and not spots." I inquired why the son of the Sun and of
the Moon was not bright like parents, but black and gloomy. "We do
not know," said they; "if we had been in the Sky, we might answer
thee." Furthermore, they think that he comes now and then upon
earth; and, when he walks about in their country, many people die.
I asked them if they had never seen Comets, those Stars with long
tails, and what they were. "We have seen them," they answered; "it
is an animal that has a long tail, 4 feet, and a head; we can see
all that," they said.
Ie les interrogeay sur le tonnerre, ils me dirent qu'ils ne sçauoient
pas quel animal c'estoit, qu'il mangeoit les serpents [98] &
quelquefois les arbres, que les Hurons croyẽt que c'est vn oiseau fort
grãd induit à cette creãce, par vn bruit sourd que fait vne espece
d'hirondelle qui paroist icy l'Esté: Ie n'ay point veu de ces oiseaux
en France, i'en ay tenu icy, il a le bec, & la teste, & la figure du
corps, cõme vne hirondelle, sinõ qu'il est vn peu plus gros; il se
pourmene le soir en l'air, faisant vn bruit pesãt par reprises. Les
Hurons disent qu'il fait ce bruit du derriere, cõme aussi l'oiseau
qu'ils pẽsent estre le tõnerre, & qu'il n'y a qu'vn seul hõme qui
voye cét oiseau, & encore vne fois en sa vie; c'est ce que m'ẽ dit mõ
vieillard.
I asked them about the thunder; they said that they did not know
what animal it was; that it ate snakes, [98] and sometimes trees;
that the Hurons believed it to be a very large bird. They were led
to this belief by a hollow sound made by a kind of swallow which
appears here in the Summer. I have not seen any of these birds in
France, but have examined some of them here. They have a beak, a
head, and a form like the swallow, except that they are a little
larger; they fly about in the evening, repeatedly making a dull
noise. The Hurons say that they make this noise from behind, as
does also the bird which they think is the thunder; and that there
is only one man who has seen this bird, and he only once in his
lifetime. This is what my old man told me.
Voila vne partie de leurs superstitiõs; que de poussiere dedans leurs
yeux, & qu'il y aura de peine à la faire sortir, pour leur faire
voir le beau iour de la verité. Ie croy neãtmoins, que qui sçauroit
parfaittement leur langue, pour les payer promptement de bonnes
raisons, qu'ils se mocqueroient eux mesmes de leurs sottises: car par
fois ie les rendois honteux & cõfus, quoy que ie ne parle quasi que par
les mains, ie veux dire par signes.
These are some of their superstitions. How much dust there is in
their eyes, and how much trouble there will be to remove it that
they may see the beautiful light of truth! I believe, nevertheless,
that any one who knew their language perfectly, in order to give
them good reasons promptly, would soon make them laugh at their own
stupidity; for sometimes I have made them ashamed and confused,
although I speak almost entirely by my hands, I mean by signs.
Ie veux conclurre ce chapitre par vn estõnement; on se plaint en France
d'vne [99] Messe, si elle passe vne demie heure; le Sermon limité d'vne
heure semble par fois trop long, à peine exerce l'on ces actes de
Religion vne fois la semaine, & ces pauures ignorants crient & hurlent
à toute heure.
I am going to conclude this chapter with a surprise; they complain
in France of a [99] Mass, if it lasts more than half an hour; a
Sermon limited to an hour seems too long; those Religious services
are performed hardly once a week; and yet those poor ignorant
people cry and howl all the time.
Le Sorcier les assemble souuent en plein minuict, à deux heures, à
trois heures du matin, dãs vn froid qui gele tout; iour & nuict il les
tient en haleine, employans non vne ou deux heures, mais trois &
quatre de suitte, à faire leurs deuotions ridicules. On fait sortir les
pauures femmes de leurs Cabanes, se leuãts en pleine nuict, emportants
leurs petits enfans parmy les neiges chez leurs voisins. Les hommes
harassez du trauail du iour, ayant peu mangé & couru fort lõg temps,
au moindre cry qu'on leur faict quittent leur sommeil, & s'en viennent
promptement au lieu où se fait le Sabbat, & ce qui semblera au delà
de toute creance. Ie n'ay iamais veu former aucune plainte parmy eux,
ny aux femmes ny aux hommes, ny mesme aux enfans, chacun se montrant
prompt & allaigre à la voix du Sorcier ou du jongleur, hélas! mon Dieu,
les ames qui vous aiment seront [100] elles sans sentiment, voyants
plus de passion pour des folies, que pour la verité? Belial est-il plus
aimable que IESVS? pourquoy dõc est-il plus ardãment aimé, obey plus
promptement, & plus deuotement adoré? mais passons outre.
The Sorcerer often brings them together at midnight, or at two or
three o'clock in the morning, in a cold which freezes everything.
Day and night he holds them with bated breath, during not one
nor two hours, but three or four in succession, to perform their
ridiculous devotions. They make the poor women go out from their
Cabins, rising at midnight and carrying their little children over
the snow to their neighbors. Men, harassed by the work of the day,
who have eaten but little and hunted a long time, at the first cry
waken and promptly betake themselves to this Witches' Sabbath;
and, what will seem beyond all belief, I have never known a single
complaint to arise among them, neither among the women nor the men,
nor even the children, each one showing himself prompt and glad to
obey the voice of the Sorcerer or juggler. Alas, my God, will the
souls that love you be [100] without feeling, when they see more
zeal shown for folly than for truth? Is Belial more lovely than
JESUS? Why then is he more ardently loved, more promptly obeyed,
and more devotedly adored? But let us pass on.
CHAPITRE V.
DES CHOSES BONNES QUI SE TROUUENT DANS LES SAUUAGES.
SI nous commençons par les biens du corps, ie diray qu'ils les possedẽt
auec auantage: ils sont grands, droicts, forts, bien proportionnez,
agiles, rien d'effeminé ne paroist en eux. Ces petits Damoiseaux qu'õ
voit ailleurs, ne sont que des hõmes en peinture, à comparaison de
nos Sauuages. I'ay quasi creu autrefois que les Images des Empereurs
Romains representoient plustost l'idée des peintres, que des hommes qui
eussent iamais esté, tant leurs testes sont grosses & puissãtes, mais
ie voy icy sur les épaules de ce peuple les testes de Iules Cesar, de
Pompée, d'Auguste, d'Othon, & des autres que i'ay veu en France, tirées
sur [101] le papier, ou releuées en des medailles.