Religion and ceremonies of the Lenape — John Shaqi
Religion and ceremonies of the LenapeHarrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond)
Religion
Religion and ceremonies of the Lenape
Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond)
Delaware Indians -- Religion
“No sun shines there, but a light much brighter than the sun, the Creator
makes it brighter by his power. All people who die here, young or old,
will be of the same age there; and those who are injured, crippled, or
made blind will look as good as the rest of them. It is nothing but the
flesh that is injured: the spirit is as good as ever. That is the reason
that people are told to help always the cripples or the blind. Whatever
you do for them will surely bring its reward. Whatever you do for anybody
will bring you credit hereafter. Whenever we think the thoughts that
Gicelĕmû‛ʹkaong has given us, it will do us good.
“This is all I can think of to say along this line. Now we will pass the
Turtle around, and all that feel like worshiping may take it and perform
their ceremonies.”
Some nights the speaker says more, sometimes less, just as he feels, but
he always tries to tell it as he heard it from the old people who came
before him.
RECITAL OF VISIONS
Now, as was stated, these meetings are “brought in” by individuals; that
is a certain person, usually a man, undertakes to arrange for the meeting
and to lead the ceremonies. This person must be one of those gifted by a
vision or dream of power in their youth, and hence, according to Lenape
belief, one in communication with the supernatural world.
[Illustration: FIG. 9.—Rattle of land-tortoise shell, used by celebrants
at the Annual Ceremony. (Length, 4.2 in.)]
When the people file into the Big House, the few that still have them
dressed in their best Indian costumes carefully preserved for such
occasions (pl. I), the members of this leader’s clan always take their
seats on the north side, the other two clans in the west end and the
south side. Men and women, however, do not mingle, but sit separately in
the space allotted to their common clan. The diagram (pl. VII) shows the
seating of the clans when the ceremony is “brought in” by a member of
the Wolf division.
[Illustration: FIG. 10.—Drum made of dried deerskin used at the Annual
Ceremony. (Length 38.2 in.)]
After the chief’s speech, the leader arises from his place just north of
the central post, and, rapidly shaking a rattle (_taxoʹxi cowŭniʹgŭn_)
made of a box-tortoise shell (fig. 9), recites his vision in a high
monotone, word by word. After he utters each word, he pauses an
instant to give the singers sitting at the rolled dry deerskin called
_powŭniʹgŭn_ which serves as a drum (fig. 10), ample time to repeat the
same word in the same tone, which produces an extraordinary effect.
When he finishes, the drummers beat rapidly on the dry hide, repeating
“_Ho-o-o!_” a number of times.
[Illustration: PL. VII
PLAN OF LENAPE CEREMONIAL HOUSE AND GROUNDS NEAR DEWEY, OKLAHOMA]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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