The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 6: Quebec, 1633-1634
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
Pour leurs chãts superstitieux, ils s'en seruent en mille actions, le
sorcier & ce viellard, dont i'ay parlé, m'en donnerent la raison: deux
Sauuages, disoient ils, estans jadis fort desolés, se voyans à deux
doigts de la mort faute de viure, furent aduertis de chanter, & qu'ils
seroient secourus; ce qui arriua, car ayans chanté, ils trouuerent à
manger: de dire qui leur donna cest aduis, & comment, ils n'en sçauent
rien: quoy que s'en soit, depuis ce temps là toute leur religion
consiste quasi à chanter, se seruans des mots les plus barbares qu'ils
peuuent rencontrer: Voicy vne partie des paroles qu'ils chanterent en
vne longue superstition qui dura plus de quatre heures, _Aiasé manitou,
aiasé manitou, aiasé manitou, ahiham, hehinham,_ [67 i.e., 66] _hanhan,
henina_k_hé hosé henina_K_hé, enigouano bahano anihé ouibini naninaouai
nanahouai nanahouai aouihé ahahé aouihé_: Pour conclusion, _ho! ho!
ho!_ Ie demanday que vouloient dire ces parolles, pas vn ne m'en peut
donner l'interpretation: car il est vray que pas vn d'eux n'entend ce
qu'il chante, sinon dans leurs airs, qu'ils chantent pour se recréer.
As for their superstitious songs, they use them for a thousand
purposes, for which the sorcerer and that old man, of whom I have
spoken, have given me the reason. Two Savages, they told me, being
once in great distress, seeing themselves within two finger-lengths
of death for want of food, were advised to sing, and they would be
relieved; and so it happened, for when they had sung, they found
something to eat. As to who gave them this advice, and how it
was given, they know nothing; however, since that time all their
religion consists mainly in singing, using the most barbarous
words that come into their minds. The following are some of the
words that they sang in a long superstitious rite which lasted
more than four hours: _Aiasé manitou, aisé manitou, aiasé manitou,
ahiham, hehinham,_ [67 i.e., 66] _hanhan, heninakhé hosé heninakhé,
enigouano bahano anihé ouibini naninaouai nanahouai nanahouai
aouihé ahahé aouihé_; concluding with _ho! ho! ho!_ I asked what
these words meant, but not one could interpret them to me; for it
is true that not one of them understands what he is singing, except
in the tunes which they sing for recreation.
Ils joignent leurs tambours à leurs chants, ie demanday l'origine de
ce tambour, le veillard me dit, que peut estre quelqu'vn auoit eu en
songe qu'il estoit bon de s'en seruir, & que de là l'vsage s'en estoit
ensuiuy. Ie croirois plustost qu'ils auroient tiré cette superstition
des peuples voisins, car on me dit (ie ne sçay s'il est vraiy) qu'ils
imitent fort les Canadiens qui habitent vers Gaspé, peuple encore plus
superstitieux que celuy-cy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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