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
These historical songs of the Linapi, are known to but few individuals,
and must be learned with much labor. Those obtained, consist of 3 ancient
songs relating their traditions previous to arrival in America, written in
24, 16 and 20 symbols, altogether 60. They are very curious, but destitute
of chronology. The second series relates to America, is comprised in 7
songs, 4 of 16 verses of 4 words, and 3 of 20 verses of 3 words. It begins
at the arrival in America, and is continued without hardly any
interruption till the arrival of the European colonists towards 1600. As
96 successive kings or chiefs are mentioned, except ten that are nameless:
it is susceptible of being reduced to a chronology of 96 generations,
forming 32 centuries, and reaching back to 1600 years before our era. But
the whole is very meagre, a simple catalogue of rulers, with a few deeds:
yet it is equal to the Mexican annals of the same kind. A last song, which
has neither symbols nor words, consisting in a mere translation, ends the
whole, and includes some few original details on the period from 1600 to
1820.(19)
The orthography of the Linapi names is reduced to the Spanish and French
pronunciation, except SH as in English, U as in French, W as Hou.
If any one is inclined to doubt this historical account; the concurrent
testimonies of Loskiel and Heckewelder are my corroborant proofs. The
words of Loskiel are these.
“The Delawares keep genealogies, with the character of each man, if wise,
rich, renowned, or a mighty warrior. They use _hieroglyphs_ on wood, trees
and stones, to give caution, information, communicate events,
achievements, keep records. Some time the hero has at his feet, men, heads
or weapons. They have also paintings on skins of deeds, hunts, feats &c.
1. _Song._—_The Creation &c._
1. At first there was nothing but sea-water on the top of the land. _Aki._
2. There was much water, and much fog over the land, and there was also
KITANI-TOWIT, the God-creator.
3. And this God-creator was the first-being (_Saye-wis_), an eternal
being, and invisible although every where.
4. It was he who caused much water, much land, much cloud, much heaven.
5. It was he who caused the sun, the moon and the stars.
6. And all these he caused to move well.
7. By his action, it blew hard, it cleared up, and the deep water ran off.
8. It looks bright, and islands stood there.—_Menak._
9. It was then, when again the _God-Creator_ made the makers or
spirits.—_Manito-Manitoak._
10. And also the first beings _Owiniwak_, and also the angels
_Angelatawiwak_, and also the souls _Chichankwak_, all them he made.(20)
11. And afterwards he made the man-being JIN-WIS, ancestor of the men.(21)
12. He gave him the first mother NETA-MIGAHO, mother of the first beings
OWINI.(22)
13. And fishes he gave him, turtles he gave him, beasts he gave him, birds
he gave him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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