The American Nations Part 10

20. All were willingly-pleased, all were easy-thinking, and all were well-happified.

21. But after awhile a Snake-priest, _Powako_, brings on earth secretly the Snake wors.h.i.+p _Initako_, of the G.o.d of the Snakes WAKON.(24)

22. And there came wickedness, crime and unhappiness.

23. And bad weather was coming, distemper was coming, with death was coming.

24. All this happened very long ago, at the first land _Netamaki_, beyond the great ocean _Kitahikan_.

_2d Song. The Flood &c._

1. There was long ago a powerful snake _Maskanako_, when the men had become bad beings _Makowini_.

2. This strong snake had become the foe of the Jins, and they became troubled, hating each other.

3. Both were fighting, both were spoiling, both were never peaceful.

4. And they were fighting, least man _Mattapewi_ with dead-keeper _Nihanlowit_.

5. And the strong snake readily resolved to destroy or fight the beings and the men.

6. The dark snake he brought, the monster (_Amangam_) he brought, snake rus.h.i.+ng-water he brought.

7. Much water is rus.h.i.+ng, much go to hills, much penetrate, much destroying.

8. Meantime at TULA, at that island, NAMA-BUSH (the great hare _Nana_) became the ancestor of beings and men.

9. Being born creeping, he is ready to move and dwell at TULA.(25)

10. The beings and men (_Owini and Linowi_) all go forth from the flood creeping in shallow water, or swimming afloat, asking which is the way to the turtle back TULAPIN. (This verse like many others is in rhymes, and metre of 9 words of 3 syllables.)

11. But there were many monsters (_Amangamek_) in the way, and some men were devoured by them.

12. But the daughter of a spirit, helped them in a boat, saying come, come, they were coming and were helped. (The name of the boat or raft is _Mokol_.)

13. Nanabush, Nanabush, became the grandfather of all, the grandfather of the beings, the grandfather of the men, and the grandfather of the turtles. (This is the beginning of a hymn to Nanabush, in rhymes, lasting for 4 verses.)

14. The men were there, the turtle there, they were turtling altogether.

(_Tulapewi_ are the turtle-men.)

15. He was frightened, he the turtle, he was praying, he the turtle, let it be to make well.

16. Water running off, it is drying, in the plains and the mountains, at the path of the cave, elsewhere went the powerful action or motion.

_3d Song. Fate after the Flood._

1. After the flood, the manly men _Linapewi_, with the manly turtle beings dwelt close together at the cave house, and dwelling of _Talli_.

2. It freezes was there, it snows was there, it is cold was there.

3. To possess mild coldness and much game, they go to the northerly plain, to hunt cattle they go.

4. To be strong and to be rich the comers divided into tillers and hunters. _Wikhi-chik_, _Elowi-chik_.

5. The most strong, the most good, the most holy, the hunters they are.(26)

6. And the hunters spread themselves, becoming northerlings, easterlings, southerlings, westerlings. _Lowaniwi_, _Wapaniwi_, _Shawaniwi_, _Wunkeniwi_.

7. Thus the white country _Lumonaki_, north of the turtle country, became the hunting country of the turtling true men.

8. Meantime all the snakes were afraid in their huts, and the snake priest _Nakopowa_ said to all, let us go.

9. Easterly they go forth at Snakeland _Akhokink_, and they went away earnestly grieving.

10. Thus escaping by going so far, and by trembling the burnt land _Lusasaki_ is torn and is broken from the snake fortified land.

_Akomenaki_.

11. Being free, having no trouble, the northerlings all go out, separating, at the land of Snow _Winiaken_.

12. The fish resort to the sh.o.r.es of the gaping sea, where tarried the fathers of white eagle and white wolf. _Waplanewa_, _Waptumewi_.

13. While our fathers were always boating and navigating, they saw in the east that the snake land was bright and wealthy. (Here begins a fine poetical rhyming narrative).-_See Last Note._

14. The head-beaver _Wihlamok_, and the big-bird _Kicholen_, were saying to all, let us go to the Snake Island _Akomen_.

15. By going with us, we shall annihilate all the snaking people, _Wemaken_.

16. Having all agreed, the northerlings and easterlings, went over the water of the frozen sea to possess that land.

17. It was wonderful when they all went over the smooth deep water of the frozen sea, at the gap of the Snake sea in the great ocean.

18. They were ten thousand in the dark, who all go forth in a single night in the dark, to the Snake island of the eastern land _Wapanaki_ in the Dark, by walking all the people.-OLINI.(27)

19. They were the manly north, the manly east, the manly south; with manly eagle, manly beaver, manly wolf; with manly hunter, manly priest, manly rich; with manly wife, manly daughter, manly dog. (12 words all h.o.m.ophonous rhymes.)

20. All coming there, they tarry at Firland _s.h.i.+naking_. But the western men doubtful of the pa.s.sage, preferred to remain at the old turtle land.

Thus end these interesting and positive ancient traditions, by a fine poem on the pa.s.sage to America over the ice; the Shawanis have a similar poem: the Illinois had also one, and almost every Linapi tribe. They are perhaps lost; but this being at last rescued, will preserve the memory for ever.

Now begin the second series of songs, in a different style, seldom rhyming, but made metrical by an equal number of words in each verse, 4 in the 4 first which carry the tribe till their conquest of the _Talegas_; but only 3 in the 3 later poems on the subsequent history. Thus these songs diminish in details as they advance; but they are mere abridgment of better annals now probably lost. Numbers shall be annexed to each successive king or ruler, so as to compute the generations.

1. _Song. At s.h.i.+naki till the 10 Kings or Civil Wars._

1. Long ago, the fathers of men were then at _s.h.i.+naki_ or Firland.

2. The path leader was the white eagle (_Wapalanewa 1_), who leads them all there.

3. The Snake island was a big land, a fine land, and was explored by them.

4. The friendly souls, the hunting souls, the moving souls, in a.s.sembly meet.