Good Newes from New England: Or a true relation of things very remarkable at the plantation of Plimoth in New-EnglandWinslow, Edward
History
Good Newes from New England: Or a true relation of things very remarkable at the plantation of Plimoth in New-England
Winslow, Edward
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
[73] A neck of land in the township of Swanzey, commonly pronounced
Mattapoiset, now Gardner’s neck, situated between the Shawomet
and Toweset necks. See Belknap’s Am. Biog. ii. 292, and Baylies’
Plymouth, ii. 232, 234.
[74] “_Sachimmaacommock_, a prince’s house, which, according to
their condition, is far different from the other house, both in
capacity or receipt, and also the fineness and quality of their
mats.” Roger Williams’s Key, ch. xxii.
[75] _Wetu_, or _wigwam_. See Gallatin’s Indian Vocabularies, in
Am. Antiq. Soc. Coll. ii. 322.
[76] “There are among them certain men and women, whom they call
_powows_. These are partly wizards and witches, holding familiarity
with Satan, that evil one; and partly are physicians, and make
use, at least in show, of herbs and roots for curing the sick and
diseased. These are sent for by the sick and wounded; and by their
diabolical spells, mutterings, exorcisms, they seem to do wonders.
They use extraordinary strange motions of their bodies, insomuch
that they will sweat until they foam; and thus continue for some
hours together, stroking and hovering over the sick.” Gookin, in
Mass. Hist. Coll. i. 154.
“_Powaws_, priests. These do begin and order their service and
invocation of their gods, and all the people follow, and join
interchangeably in a laborious bodily service, unto sweating,
especially of the priest, who spends himself in strange antic
gestures and actions, even unto fainting. In sickness the priest
comes close to the sick person, and performs many strange actions
about him, and threatens and conjures out the sickness. The poor
people commonly die under their hands; for, alas, they administer
nothing, but howl and roar and hollow over them, and begin the
song to the rest of the people, who all join like a choir in prayer
to their gods for them.” Roger Williams, in Mass. Hist. Coll. iii.
227, 237.
“The manner of their action in their conjuration is thus. The
parties that are sick are brought before them; the powow sitting
down, the rest of the Indians give attentive audience to his
imprecations and invocations, and after the violent expression of
many a hideous bellowing and groaning, he makes a stop, and then
all the auditors with one voice utter a short canto. Which done,
the powow still proceeds in his invocations, sometimes roaring
like a bear, other times groaning like a dying horse, foaming at
the mouth like a chafed boar, smiting on his naked breast and
thighs with such violence as if he were mad. Thus will he continue
sometimes half a day.” Wood’s New England’s Prospect, part ii. ch.
12. See also Hutchinson’s Mass. i. 474.
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