The American Nations, Vol. I.: Or, Outlines of a National History of the Ancient and Modern Nations of North and South AmericaRafinesque, C. S. (Constantine Samuel)
History
The American Nations, Vol. I.: Or, Outlines of a National History of the Ancient and Modern Nations of North and South America
Rafinesque, C. S. (Constantine Samuel)
Indians; Indians -- Origin; Taino Indians; Taino language
43 Hekewelder has given no etymology of this river, the name means
either branching or roaring stream, perhaps both. _Winaki_ was the
name of east Pennsylvania.
44 By this account the Mohigans only separated towards 970 from the
main body. This may be inaccurate, as the north-east tribes appear
older by their traditions.
By the account given by the missionary Beatty in 1766, this event
would be still later: he states that after separating from the
western tribes and long wanderings, the Lenaps (Linapis) settled on
the river Delaware 370 years before 1766, or in 1396; which was
preserved in a mosaic belt.—_See Moulton’s Hist. of New-York, Vol
I._
45 This is the second Tamenend who united all the tribes 1010. This
famous name is spelt very variously _Tamanend_, _Tamany_, _Tamini_
&c. all meaning beavering or acting like a beaver. There are many
songs and traditions on them.
46 Here is the first mention of white men towards 1170 by the
computation of generations: whether they were Eric or Madoc, or
both, will be enquired hereafter. The Tuscororas of North Carolina
were visited at the same time by Cusick tradition, the Mohigans had
also their _Wach-queow_. Hekewelder has omitted this tradition like
many others. But Holm in his description of New Sweden positively
gives two traditions of the Linapis, tribe Renapis, of a _white
woman_ who came to America, married an American, had a son, who went
to heaven; and of 2 bigmouths (or preachers) who came afterwards
with long beards, and also went to heaven. This relates to the
bishop Eric who went to convert the Americans between 1120 and 1160,
rather than Madoc or a warlike band.
47 The Miamis or M’amiwis were descendants of the first beaver tribe,
separated long before.
48 This verse is double, or has 2 symbols with 6 words, appearing to be
two different readings united, or two modes of expressing the same
thing, the separation of the real Linapis into three tribes.
49 This may allude to the subjection of the Linapis, by the _Mahongwis_
(Mengwi or Iroquois) about this time, caused by the division of the
tribes. The name of failer is certainly an epithet or nickname
given: most of the names of kings appear of the same kind or titles.
We know they changed names when becoming kings or after great deeds.
_ 50 Otali_ is the real name of the Cheroki mountaineers, so says Adair:
this recalls the Talegas to mind, of whom they may be a fragment.
The _Wasioto_ are the Cumberland mountains, meaning the _South
Sioto_. The _Siotos_ were a Missouri tribe that advanced as far as
the _Sioto_ river in Ohio, gave name to it, and were expelled by the
Ottawas; probably akin to the _Otos_ of Missouri. They bear the
snake sign in the symbol.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account