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
First and Second Parts of the ║ Painted and engraved
traditions ║ of the Linni linapi
II Part
Historical Chronicles or Annals ║ in two Chronicles
1 From arrival in America to settlement in Ohio, &c 4 chapters each of
16 verses, each of 4 words, 64 signs
2d From Ohio to Atlantic States and back to Missouri, a mere succession
of names in 3 chapters of 20 verses--60 signs
Translated word for word by means of Zeisberger and Linapi Dictionary.
With explanations, &c.
By C S Rafinesque 1833
When Rafinesque died, his MSS. were scattered and passed into various
hands. Prof. Haldeman, in his notice above referred to (p. 150), stated
that he and "Mr. Poulson of Philadelphia" had a large part of them.
This particular one, and also others descriptive of Rafinesque's
archaeological explorations in the southwest, his surveys of the
earthworks of Kentucky and the neighboring states, and the draft of a
work on "The Ancient Monuments of North and South America," came into
the possession of the Hon. Brantz Mayer, of Baltimore, distinguished as
an able public man and writer on American subjects, from whose family
I obtained them.
He loaned them all to Mr. E. G. Squier, who made extensive use of
Rafinesque's surveys, in the "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi
Valley," giving due credit.
In June, 1848, Mr. Squier read before the New York Historical Society
a paper entitled, "Historical and Mythological Traditions of the
Algonquins; with a translation of the 'Walum-Olum,' or Bark Record
of the Linni-Lenape." This was published in the "American Review,"
February, 1849, and has been reprinted by Mr. W. W. Beach, in his
"Indian Miscellany" (Albany, 1877), and in the fifteenth edition of Mr.
S. G. Drake's "Aboriginal Races of North America."
This paper gave the symbols, original text and Rafinesque's translation
of the first two songs, and a free translation only, of the remainder.
The text was carelessly copied, whole words being omitted, and no
attempt was made to examine the accuracy of the translation; the
symbols were also imperfect, several being reversed. Hence, as material
for a critical study of the document, Squier's essay is of little value.
At the close of the second part of the MS. there are four pages,
closely written, with the title:--
"Fragment on the History of the Linapis since abt 1600 when the
_Wallamolum_ closes translated from the Linapi by John Burns."
This was printed by Rafinesque and Squier, but as it has no original
text, as nothing is known of "John Burns," and as the document itself,
even if reasonably authentic, has no historic value, I omit it.
_General Synopsis of the Walam Olum._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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