A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.Williams, Roger
History
A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.
Williams, Roger
Narragansett Indians; Narragansett language
Yo ápapan, He that was here.
Sachimaûpan, He that was Prince here.
Obs: These expressions they use, because they abhorre to mention the
dead by name, and therefore if any man beare the name of the dead he
changeth his name, and if any stranger accidentally name him, he is
checkt, and if any wilfully name him he is fined; and amongst States,
the naming of their dead Sachims, is one ground of their warres; so
terrible is the King of Terrors, Death, to all naturall men.
Aquie míshash aquie mishommoke, Doe not name.
Cowewênaki, You wrong mee, to wit,
in naming my dead.
Posakúnnamun, To bury.
Aukùck pónamun, To lay in the earth.
Wesquaubenan, to wrap up, in winding mats or coats, as we say winding
sheets. Mockkuttauce, One of chiefest esteeme, who winds up and
buries the dead; commonly some wise, grave, and well descended man
hath that office. When they come to the Grave, they lay the dead by
the Grave’s mouth, and then all sit downe and lament; that I have
seen teares run down the cheeks of stoutest Captaines, as well as
little children in abundance; and after the dead is laid in Grave,
and sometimes (in some parts) some goods cast in with them, they have
then a second lamentation, and upon the Grave is spread the Mat that
the party died on, the Dish he eat in, and sometimes a faire Coat of
skin hung upon the next tree to the Grave, which none will touch, but
suffer it there to rot with the Dead: Yea I saw with mine owne eyes
that at my late comming forth of the Countrey, the chiefe and most
aged peaceable Father of the Countrey, Caunoûnicus, having buried his
Sonne, he burned his own Palace, and all his goods in it (amongst
them to a great value) in a solemne remembrance of his sonne and in a
kind of humble Expiation to the Gods, who (as they believe) had taken
his sonne from him.
_The Generall Observation of their Dead._
O, how terrible is the looke the speedy and serious thought of Death
to all the Sons of Men? Thrice happy those who are dead and risen
with the Sonne of God, for they are past from Death to life, and
shall not see Death (a heavenly sweet Paradox or Ridle,) as the Son
of God hath promised them.
More particular:
The Indians say their bodies die,
Their soules they do not die;
Worse are then Indians such, as hold
The soules mortalitie.
Our hopelesse Bodie rots, say they,
Is gone eternally,
English hope better, yet some’s hope
Proves endless miserie.
Two worlds of Men shall rise and stand
’Fore Christ’s most dreadfulle barre;
Indians and English naked too,
That now most gallant are.
True Christ most Glorious then shall make
New Earth, and Heavens new,
False Christs, false Christians then shall quake,
O blessed then the true.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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