The bowmen of Deheubarth...
Gwyneth’s spears. — VII. p. 71.
“Sunt autem his in partibus (Arducldwy) lancee longissimma sicut enim arcu prevalet Sudwallia, sic lanceis prfevalet Venledotia, adeo ut ictum hic lancea cominus datum ferrea loricae tricatura minime sustineat.” — Giraldus Cambrensis.
Thus also Trevisa, in his lame rhymes:
The south hete Demecia,
And the other Venedocia;
The first shoteth and arowes beres,
That other dealeth all with spere.
Polycronicon.
The white deer-skin shroud. — VIII. p. 78.
“The Indians use the same ceremonies to the bones of their dead as if they were covered with their former skin, flesh, and ligaments. It is but a few days since I saw some return with the bones of nine of their people, who had been two months before killed by the enemy. They were tied in white deemskins separately; and, when carried by the door of one of the houses of their family, they were laid down opposite to it, till the female relations convened, with flowing hair, and wept over them about half an hour. Then they carried them home to their friendly magazines of mortality, wept over them again, and then buried them with the usual solemnities. The chieftains carried twelve short sticks, tied together in the form of a quadrangle, so that each square consisted of three. The sticks were only peeled, without any painting; but there were swanfeathers tied to each corner. They called that frame the White Circle, and placed it over the door while the women were weeping over the bones.” — Adair.
On softest fur The bones swere laid. — VIII. p. 79.
When the body is in the grave, they take care to cover it in such a manner that the earth does not touch it. It lies as in a little cave, lined with skins, much neater, and better adorned, than their cabins.” — Charlevoix.
Adair was present at one of their funerals. “They laid the corpse in his tomb in a sitting posture, with’ his feet towards the east, his head anointed with bear’s-oil, and his face painted red; but not streaked with black, because that is a constant emblem of war and death. He was dressed in his finest apparel, having his gun and pouch and trusty hickory bow, with a young panther’s skin full of arrows,.alongside of him, and every other useful thing he had been possessed of, that when he rises again they may serve him in that tract of land which pleased him best before he went to take his long sleep. His tomb was firm and clean inside: they covered it with thick logs so as to bear several tiers of cypress-bark, and such a quantity of clay as would confine the putrid smell, and be on a level with the rest of the floor. They often sleep over these tombs; which, with the loud wailing of the women, at the dusk of the evening and dawn of the day, on benches close by the tombs, must awake the memory of their relations very often; and, if they were killed by an enemy, it helps to irritate and set on such revengeful tempers to retaliate blood for blood.”
’Twas in her hut and home, yea, underneath
The marriage bed, the bed of widowhood,
Her husband’s grave was dug. — VIII. p. 79.
The Mosqueto Indians, when they die, are buried in their houses, and the very spot they lay over when alive,’and have their hatchet, harpoon-lances, with mushelaw and other necessaries, buried with them; but, if the defunct leaves behind him a gun, some friend preserves that from the earth, that would soon damnify the powder, and so render it unserviceable in that strange journey. His boat, or dorea, they cut in pieces, and lay over his grave, with all the rest of his household goods, if he hath anv more. If the deceased leave behind him no children; brothers, or parents, the cousins, or other his relations, cut up or destroy his plantations, lest any living should, as they esteem it, rob the dead.” — The Mosqueto Indian and his Golden River, by M. W. Lintot and Osborn’s Collection.
Pabas. — VIII. p. 79.
Papa is the word which Bernal Diaz uses when he speaks of the Mexican priests; and in this he is followed by Purchas. The appellation in Torquemada is Quaquil. I am not certain that Bernal Diaz did not mean to call them Popes, and that Purchas has not mistaken his meaning. An easy alteration made it more suitable for English verse than the more accurate word would have been.
I perceive by Herrera (3, 2, 15) that the word is Mexican, and that the Devil was the author of it, in imitation of the church.
Ipalnemoani, He by whom we live. — VIII. p. 81.
“The Mexicans had some idea, though a very imperfect one, of a supreme, absolute, and independent Being. They represented him in no external form, because they believed him to be invisible; and they named him only by the common appellation of God, or, in their langunage, Teotl; a word resembling still more in its meaning than its pronunciation the Teos of the Greeks. But they applied to him certain epithets, which were highly expressive of the grandeur and power which they conceived him to possess, Ipalnemoani, “He by whom we live;” and Tloque Nahuaque, “He who has all in himself.” — Clavigero.
Torquemada has a very characteristic remark upon these appellations. “Although,” says he, “these blinded men went astray in the knowledge of God, and adored thn Devil in his stead, they did not err in the names which they gave him, those being truly and properly his own; the Devil using this cunning with them, that they should apply to him these, which, by nature and divine right, are God’s; his most holy Majesty permitting this on account of the enormity and shamefulness of their depraved customs, and the multitude of their iniquities.” — L. vi. c. 8. The Great Spirit, who in mountain caves
And by the fall of waters
Doth make his being felt. — VIII. p. 81.
About thirty miles below the Falls of St. Anthony is a remarkable cave of an amazing depth. The Indians term it Wakon-teebe; that is, the dwelling of the Great Spirit. The entrance into it is about ten feet wide; the arch within is near fifteen feet high, and about thirty feet broad. The bottom of it consists of fine clean sand. About twenty feet from the entrance begins a lake, the water of which is transparent, and extends to an unsearchable distance; fobr the darkness of the; cave prevents all attempts to acquire a knowledge of it. I threw a small pebble towards the interior parts of it with my utmost strength. I could hear that it fell into the water; and, notwithstanding it was of so small a size, it caused an astonishing and horrible noise, that reverberated through all those gloomy regions. I found in this cave many Indian hieroglyphics, which appeared very ancient; for time had nearly covered them with moss. They were cut in a rude manner upon the inside of the walls, which were composed of a stone so extremely soft that it might easily be penetrated with a knife, -a stone everywhere to be found near the Mississippi. The cave is only accessible by ascending a narrow, steep passage, that lies near the brink of the river.” — Carver.
The prince had no sooner gained the point that overlooks this wonderful cascade (the Falls of St. Anthony) than he began with an audible voice to address the Great Spirit, one of whose places of residence he supposed this to be. He told him he had come a long way to pay his adorations to him, and now would make him the best offerings in his power. He accordingly first threw his pipe into the stream; then the roll that contained his tobacco; after these, the bracelets he wore on his arms and wrists; next an ornament that encircled his neck, composed of beads and wires; and, at last, the ear-rings from his ears. In short, he presented to his God every part of his dress that was valuable. During this, he frequently smote his breast with great violence, threw his arms about, and appeared to be much agitated.
“All this while, he continued his adorations, and at length concluded them with: fervent petitions that the Great Spirit would constantly afford us his protection on our travels, giving us a bright sun, a blue sky, and clear, untroubled waters; nor would he leave the place till we had smoked together with my pipe in honor of the Great Spirit.” — Carver.
The Spirit of the Lord
That day was moving in the heart of man. — VIII. p. 84.
There is a passage in Bede which will illustrate the different feelin
gs whereby barbarians are induced to accept a new religion.
“Edwin of Northumbria had summoned his chiefs and counsellors to advise with him concerning his intended conversion. The first person who delivered his opinion was Coifi, the Chief Priest of the Idols. ‘For this which is preached to us,’ said he, ‘do you, O King, see to it, what it may be. I will freely confess to you what I have learnt, that the religion which we have held till now has no virtue in it. No one of your subjects has devoted himself to the worship of our Gods more earnestly than I, and yet many there are who have received greater bounties and greater favours from your hand, and have prospered better in all their undertakings and desires. Now, if our Gods could have done any thing, they would rather have assisted me than them.’ To this another of the nobles added, ‘The present life of man upon earth, when compared with the future, has appeared to me, O King, like as when you and your Chiefs and servants have been seated at your supper, in winter time, the hearth blazing in the centre, and the viands smoking, while without it is storm, or rain, or snow, and a sp arrow flies through the hall, entering at one door and passing out at another; while he is within, in that little minute he does not feel the weather, but after that instant of calm, he returns again to winter as from winter he came, and is gone. Such and so transitory is the life of man, and of what follows it or what preceded it we are altogether ignorant. Wherefore, if this new doctrine should bring any thing more ceriain, it well deserves to be followed.” — Lib. 2. c. 13.
John Wesley has preserved a very interesting dialogue between himself and the Chicasaws.
“Q. Do you believe there is One above who is over all things? Paustoobee answered, We believe there are four Beloved Things above, the Cloud, the Sun, the Clear Sky, and He that lives in the Clear Sky.
“Q. Do you believe there is but one that lives in the Clear Sky?
“Q. We believe there are Two with him; Three in all.
“Q. Do you think He made the Sun and the other Beloved Things? “A. We cannot tell. Who hath seen?
“Q. Do you think He made you?
“A. We think He made all men at first.
“Q. How did He make them at first?
“A. Out of the ground
“Q. Do you believe He loves you?
“A. I do not know. I cannot see him.
“Q But has He not often saved your life ?
“A. He has. Many bullets have gone on this side, and many on that side, but he would never let them hurt me. And many bullets have gone into these young men, and yet they are alive.
“Q. Then cannot He save you from your enemies now?
“A. Yes, but we know not if he will. We have now so many enemies round about us, that I think of nothing but death; and if I am to die, I shall die, and I will die like a man. But if He will have me to live, I shall live. Though I had ever so many enemies, He can dcstroy them all.
“Q. How do you know that?
“A. From what I have seen. When our enemies came against us before, then the Beloved Clouds came for us; and often much rain and sometimes hail has come upon them, and that in a very hot day. And saw when many French and Choctaws and other nations came against one of our towns, and the ground made a noise under them, and the Beloved Ones in the air behind them, and they were afraid, and went away, and left their meat and their drink, and their guns. I tell no lie, all these saw it too.
“Q. Have you heard such noises at other times?
“A. Yes, often; before and after almost every battle. “Q. What sort of noises were they?...
“A. Like the noise of drums and guns and shouting
“Q. Have you heard any such lately ?
“A. Yes; four days after our last battle with the French.
“Q. Then you heard nothing before it?
“A. The night betore I dreamed I heard many drums up there, and many trumpets there, and much stomping of feet and shouting. Till then I thought we should all die; but then I thought the Beloved Ones were come to help us. And the next day I heard above a hundred guns go off before the fight began, and I said, when the Sun is there the Beloved Ones will help us, and we shall couquer our enemies; and we did so.
“Q. Do you often think and talk of the Beloved Ones?
“A. We think of them always wherever we are. We talk of them and to them, at home and abroad, in peace and in war, before and after we fight, and indeed whenever and wherever we meet together.
“Q. Where do you think your souls go after death?
“A. We believe the souls of red men walk up and down near the place where they died, or where their bodies lie, for we have often heard cries and noises near the place where any prisoners had been burnt.
“Q. Where do the souls of white men go after death?
“A. We cannot tell; we have not seen.
“Q. Our belief is that the souls of bad men only walk up and down: but the souls of good men go up.
“A. I believe so too; but I told you the talk of the nation.
“Mr. Andrews. They said at the burying they knew what you was doing. You was speaking to tile Beloved Ones above to take up the soul of the young woman.
“Q. We have a book that tells us many things of the B¢loved Ones above; would you be glad to know them?
“A. We i.ave no time now but to fight. If we should ever be at peace, we should be glad to know.
“Q. Do you expect ever to know what the white men know?
“Mr. Andrews. They told Mr. O. they believe the time will come when the red and white men will be one,
“Q. What do the French teach you?
“A. The French Black Kings (the Priests) never go out. We see you go about: we like that; that is good.
“O. How came your nation by the knowledge they have?
“A. As sooon as ever the ground was sound and fit to stand upon, it came to us, and has been with us ever since. But we are young men, our old men know more; but all of them do not know. There are but a few whom the Beloved One chuses from a child, and is in them, and takes care of them and teaches them. They know these things, and our old men practice, therefore they know: but I do not practice, therefore I know little.” — Wesley’s Journal, No. 1. 39.
Dolwyddelan. — X. p. 93.
“Dolwyddelan is situated in a rocky valley, which is sprinkled with stunted trees, and watered by the Lleder. The boundaries are rude and barren mountains, and, among others, the great bending mountain, Seabod, often conspicuous from most distant places. The castle is placed on a high rock, precipitous on one side, and insulated. It consists of two square towers, one 40 feet by 25; the other, 32 by 20: each had formerly three floors. The materials of this fortress are the shattery stone of the country, yet well squared, the masonry good, and the mortar hard. The castle yard lay between the towers.” — Pennant’s Snowdon.
The rudeness and barrenness of the surrounding mountains I can well testify, having been bewildered and benighted upon them.
“In the beginning of Edward the Fourth his reign, Dolwyddelan was inhabited by Howell ap Evan ap Rhys Gethin, a base son, captain of the country, and an outlaw. Against this man, David ap Jenkin rose and contended with him for the sovereignty of the country; and, being superior to him in the end, he drew a draught for him, and took him in his bed at Penanonen with his concubine, performing by craft what he could not by force; for, after many bickerings between Howell and David, David being too weak, was fayne to fly the country, and to goe to Ireland, where he was a year or thereabouts. ITn the end he returned, in a summer time, having himself and all his followers clad in greene; which, being come into the country, he dispersed here and there among his friends, lurking by day and walking by night for fear of his adversaries; and such of the country as happened to have a sight of him and of his followers, said they were fayries, and so ran away.” — Gwydir History.
Nor turned he now
Beside Kregennan, where his infant feet
Had trod Ednowain’s hall. — X. p. 94.
At some distanc
e beyond the two pools called Llynian Gragenan, in the neighborhood of Cader Idris, near the river Kregennan, I saw the remains of Llys Bradwen, the Court or Palace of Ednowain, chief of one of the fifteen tribes of North Wales, either in the reign of Gruffydd ap Cynan, or soon after. The relies are about thirty yards square; the entrance about seven feet wide, with a large upright stone on each side by way of doorcase; the walls, with large stones, uncemented by any mortar. In short, the structure of this palace shows the very low state of architecture in those times; it may be paralleled only by the artless fabric of a cattle-house.” — Pennant’s Snowdon.
The Hirelas. — X. p. 95.
Mr. Owen, to whose indefatigable industry Cimbric literature is so much indebted, has favored me with a literal version of this remarkable poem:
When the dawn uprose, a shout was given;
Foes were sending a luckless destiny.
Mangled with ruddy wounds, our men, after heavy toil,
were seen scattered about the wall of the Vale of Maelor
I chased away the strangers inured to contention,
dauntless in the conflict, with red stained weapons.
Who insults the brave let him beware his presence!
The result of molesting him is a source of affliction.
Pour out, thou Cup bearer, thus yielding pleasure,
Complete Poetical Works of Robert Southey Page 71