While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
The following are a few of the mythological
characters which play a part in many of the stories of the
Passamaquoddies. They are all given on one of the cylinders
of the phonograph:
Leux. Mischief-maker. In
certain stories, simple fellow.
Kewok. A formless being with
icy heart, and when mentioned regarded as a
terrible one.
Pedogiic. Thunder.
Pesok que tuk. Lightning.
Ooargamess. Small beings who
live about rocks and chatter in unknown
tongue. Have been seen in late times.
Lumpagonosis. Water beings.
Kelphit. A shapeless
(medicine) being who is turned over twice
each year. Under him are found flowers.
Pogumpt. Black Cat, Fisher.
k'Chebollock. The Spirit of
the Air. This being is said to be without
body, but to have a heart, wings, head, and
legs.
Cadoux. Spirit of Night.
Said to have been seen lately. An evil
spirit which tears bark from the wigwam, and
in many ways frightens the Indians.
Pook-jin-squess. The Jug.
Called also the toad woman. In some Indian
stories spoken of as governor.
Noosagess. A being
associated with the wind.
Squaw-oc-t'moos. Swamp
woman.
Mousham. Grandfather.
Glooscap. The beneficent
being whose deeds are generally superhuman,
and who figures in many heroic tales of the
Passamaquoddies. The term as applied to a
man is one of contempt. To call a man
glooscap, or a woman glooscapess, is to call
them liars.
Chematiquess. The big
rabbit. There are many tales in relation to
Chematiquess. The new one which I have
treats of his efforts to escape Glooscap.
Mickemnise. The good fellow.
I have also heard the Ouargamiss called
Mickeminn.
Hespens. The raccoon.
Quarbet. The giant beast.
M'Sartoo. The Morning Star.
Consuce. The ancients; said
to be the fabricators of stone things. These
were the makers of the stone axes or
tomahawks which are found in the territory
once inhabited by the Passamaquoddies.
The accompanying plate
illustrates the above mentioned story of
Pogump and Pookjinsquess, the original of
which was drawn on birch bark by Noel
Josephs.
Since the above was written, I have spent
some time at Zuņi Pueblo, New Mexico, during
which my studies of aboriginal language with
the phonograph were continued. While it is
too early to state the exact value of the
records obtained, it may be interesting to
know that I have succeeded in obtaining some
important specimens of the songs, stories,
and prayers of this tribe in the course of
the summer. The songs of the sacred dances
of the Zuņians are particularly adapted to
successful recording with the phonograph. Of
these there were obtained several so-called
Ko-ko songs, such as are sung in the
Kor-kok-shi or rain dances. The song sung at
the Ham-po-ney, an ancient dance celebrated
every eight or ten years by the women, was
also obtained from one of the participants.
This dance, an elaborate corn-dance, is said
to be an ancient ceremony, and is, next in
importance to the dedication of the houses,
one of the most striking events in the
Zuņian calendar. The rarity of its
performance, and the possibility that when
next performed it may be greatly modified,
give a unique value to this record.
The most important of the ceremonies of the
winter at Zuņi Pueblo is undoubtedly the
Sha-la-ko, at which certain of the houses to
the number of seven, which have been built
during the past year, are dedicated. The
song and prayer of the Sha-la-ko was sung
for me into the phonograph by one of the
Zuņians, who had, as I was told, taken part
in the celebration a few years ago.
Among other interesting records may be
mentioned the prayer of the hunter to his
fetish when on the hunt; and that of the
Priest of the Bow, formerly sung when he
went to war with the Navajos. I also
obtained a song of the She-vo-la dance,
which bears evidence of great antiquity.
I failed to get what I especially desired,
viz., a record of the Zuņi ritual or history
of the tribe. Although repeatedly promised
that it should be given, and while at one
time I thought that I had obtained part of
it, I must acknowledge an utter failure to
accomplish what was hoped in this line. The
Zuņi epic, so called, is still unrecorded on
the phonograph, although at one time I was
so confident that I had obtained it, that I
stated such to be the fact, and my statement
has appeared in print.
There is among the Zuņians an interesting
ceremonial for rain, which is observed on
the night before the departure of the
pilgrims who visit the Sacred Lake for
water, as a preparation for the first of the
solstitial rain dances. I have been able to
obtain the chant and words of this
ceremonial, called the Dw-me-chim-che, from
one who has taken part in it. The observance
is so primitive, and bears so many evidences
of antiquity, that a record of the chant has
an importance, in the study of the customs
of this interesting people, second to none
with which I am familiar.
Experience has taught me that records of
songs are the best which can be obtained.
These are, as a rule, better adapted to the
phonograph. Rituals and prayers are repeated
in such a low tone that they are, as a
general thing, imperfectly reproduced on the
wax cylinders of the phonograph. A natural
timidity of the Indians with respect to
repeating the sacred formulae, and the
absolute fear which some of them have when
the records are repeated to them by the
phonograph, prevented my obtaining many of
these valuable records. Still I have made a
beginning, and have obtained enough to
demonstrate the value, I think, of the
instrument, in the preservation and study of
aboriginal folk-lore.
I have prepared an elaborate account of the
ceremonies witnessed by me, in many of which
the songs, formulae, and prayers of the
participants were repeated on the
phonograph, and the records themselves will
be published as soon as they are carefully
worked out.
This site includes some historical
materials that may imply negative
stereotypes reflecting the culture or
language of a particular period or place.
These items are presented as part of the
historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in
any way endorse the stereotypes implied
.
