The Lenâpé and Their Legends: With the complete text and symbols of the Walam olum, a new translation, and an inquiry into its authenticityBrinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
History
The Lenâpé and Their Legends: With the complete text and symbols of the Walam olum, a new translation, and an inquiry into its authenticity
Brinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
Delaware Indians; Delaware language -- Texts; Picture-writing, Indian
3. _Palliton_, from _palli_, elsewhere (from what was intended), hence
"to spoil something, to do it wrong," and later "to fall out, to fight."
_Lungundowin_, from _langan_, easy, light to do, Chipeway, _nin
nangan_, I find it light, of no trouble; hence, "_peace_" as being
a time free from trouble; and by a third application of the idea,
_elangomellan_, friends, those who are at peace with us.
4. Raf. translates this line: "Less men with dead-keeper fighting,"
which is a total misunderstanding of the words. On the derivation of
_nihanlowit_ see _ante_, page 102.
6. On _nakowa_, see I, line 14. Here I consider it a derivative from
_nacha_, three, and both the sense of the line and the symbol, with
three marks to the right of the figure, indicate this meaning. The
three antagonists are the monster, the waters, and the Great Snake
himself.
7. The repetition of the words is to add force to the phrase.
8. This is an important line, as indicating the origin of the Walam
Olum. _Nanaboush_ is not the Delaware form of the name of the Algonkin
hero-god, so far as known, but the Chipeway _Nanabooshoo_, Tanner,
_Nanibajou_, McKinney, properly _Nānâboj_, the Trickster, the Cheater,
allied to Chip. _nin nanabanis_, I am cheated. This term, like the
Cree _Wisakketjâk_, which has the same meaning (_fourbe_, _trompeur_,
Lacombe), was applied to the hero-god of these nations on account of
his exhaustless ingenuity in devising tricks, ruses, disguises and
transformations, to overcome the various other divine powers with
whom he came in conflict. This seemingly depreciatory term arose from
the same admiration of versatility of powers which has imparted such
universal popularity to the story of the wily (πολυτροπος) Ulysses,
and the trickery of Master Reynard.
The appearance of this form of the name indicates that the version of
the legend here given has been influenced by Chipeway associations, as,
indeed, we might expect, since it was obtained in Indiana, where the
Delawares were in constant intercourse with their Chipeway neighbors.
_Tulapit menapit = tulpe epit, menatey epit_, "it was then at the
turtle, it was then at the island." The form _Tula_ has given rise
to the strangest theorizing about this line, as, of course, the
antiquaries could not resist the temptation to see in it a reference to
the Tula or Tollan of Aztec mythology, the capital city of the Toltecs
and the home of Quetzalcoatl.
The similarity of the words is purely fortuitous. The Lenape word
_tulpe_ means turtle or tortoise, especially, says Zeisberger, a water
or sea turtle. In their mythology, as I have already shown (ante, p.
134) the earth was supposed to be floating on a boundless ocean, as a
turtle floats on the surface of a pond. Hence, symbolically, the turtle
represents the dry land.
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