Noua Francia: or The description of that part of Nevv France, which is one continent with Virginia Described in the three late voyages and plantation made by Monsieur de Monts, Monsieur du Pont-Graué, and Monsieur de Poutrincourt, into the countries called by the Frenchmen La Cadie, lying to the southwest of Cape Breton. Together with an excellent seuerall treatie of all the commodities of the said countries, and maners of the naturall inhabitants of the same. Translated out of French into English by P.E.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Sooth-saiers and Masters of the Ceremonies among the Indians.

I Will not call (as some haue done) by the name of Priests, them that make the ceremonies and inuocations of di∣uels among the West Indies, but in as much as they haue the vse of sacrifices and gifts that they offer to their Gods, for as much as (as the Apostle saith) euery Priest or Bishop is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: such as were them of Mexico, the greatest whereof was called Papas, who of∣fered incense to their Idols, the chiefe of them was that of the god whom they did name Vitzilipuztli, although ne∣uerthelesse, the generall name of him, whom they held for supreame Lord and author of all things, was Viracocha, to whom they attributed excellent qualities, calling him Pachacamac, which is, Creator of Heauen and Earth: and Vsapu, which is, admirable, and other such like names. They had also sacrifices of men, as them of Perou haue yet, which they sacrificed in great number, as Ioseph Acosta discourseth thereof at large. Those may be called Priests or Sacrificers: But in regard of them of Virginia and Flori∣da, I doe not see any sacrifices they make, and therefore I will qualifie them with the name of Wisards, or Masters of the Ceremonies of their religion, which in Florida I finde to be called Iarvars, and Ioanas: in Virginia, Vuiroances: in Brasill Caribes: and among ours (I meane the Sori∣quois) Aütmoins. Laudonniere, speaking of Florida:

They haue (saith he) their Priests, vnto whom they giue great credit, because they be great Magicians, great Soothsaiers and callers on diuels. These Priests doe serue them for Physicians and Chirurgians, and carrie alwaies with them a bagge full of hearbes and drugges to physicke them that be sicke, which be, the most part, of the great pockes: for they loue women and maidens very much,

whom they

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

call the daughters of the Sunne. If there be any thing to be treated, the King calleth the Iarvars, and the ancientest men, and demandeth their aduice. See moreouer what I haue written heeretofore in the sixt Chapter of the first booke. As for them of Virginia, they are no lesse suttle than them of Florida, and do procure credit to themselues, mak∣ing them to be respected, by trickes or shew of religion, like to them that we haue spoken of in the last chapter, speaking of some dead men risen vp againe. It is by such meanes, and vnder pretect of religion that the Inguas made themselues heeretofore the greatest Princes of America. And them of these parts that would deceiue and blinde the people haue likewise vsed of that suttelty, as Numa Pom∣pilius, Lisander, Sertorius, and other more recent, doing (as saith Plutarke) as the plaiers of tragedies, who desirous to shew foorth things, ouerreaching the humane strength, haue refuge to the superior power of the Gods.

The Aoutmoins of the last land of the Indies which is the neerest vnto vs, are not so blockish but that they can make the common people to attribute some credit vnto them. For by their impostures they liue and make themselues esteemed to be necessary, playing the part of Physicions and Chirurgions as well as the Floridians. Let the great Sagamos Membertou be an example thereof. If any body be sicke, he is sent for, he maketh inuocations on his diuell, he bloweth vpon the part grieued, he maketh incisions, sucketh the bad bloud from it: if it be a wound he healeth it by the same meanes, applying a round slice of the Bea∣uers stones. Finally, some present is made vnto him, ei∣ther of venison or skinnes. If it be question to haue newes of things absent, hauing first questioned with his spirit, he rendreth his oracles commonly doubtfull, very often false, but sometimes true: as when he was asked whether Pano∣niac were dead, he said, that vnlesse he did returne within fifteene daies, they should not expect him any more, and that he was killed by the Armouchiquois. And for to haue

this answer he must be presented with some gift. For there is a triuiall prouerbe among the Greekes, which beareth, That without mony Phoebus Oracles are dumbe. The same Membertou rendered a true Oracle of our comming to Monsieur du Pont, when that he parted from Port Roy∣all, sor to returne into France, seeing the 15. daie of Iuly passed without hauing any newes. For he did maintaine still, and did affirme that there should come a ship, and that his diuell had told it him. Item when the Sauages be a hun∣gred they consult with Membertous Oracle, and he saith vnto them, Go yee to such a place & you shal finde game. It happeneth sometimes that they finde some, and some∣times none. If it chance that none be found, the excuse is, that the beast is wandering and hath changed place: but so it comes to passe, that very often they finde some: And this is it which makes them beleeue that this diuell is a god, and they know none other, to whom notwithstand∣ing they yeeld not any seruice nor adoration in any forme of religion.

When that these Aoutmoins make their mowes and moppes, they fix a staffe in a pit, to which they tie a cord, and putting their head into this pit, they make inuocations or coniurations in a language vnknowen to the others that are about, and this with beatings and howlings, vntill they sweat with very paine: yet I haue not heard that they some at the mouth as the Turkes doe. When this diuell is come, this master Aoutmoin makes them beleeue that he holdeth him tied by his cord, and holdeth fast against him, forcing him to giue him an answer before he let him goe. By this is knowen the subtilty of this enemy of nature, who begui∣leth thus these miserable creatures, and his pride withall, in willing that they which doe call vpon him, yeeld vnto him more submission then euer the holy Patriarches and Prophets haue done to God, who haue onely praied with their faces towards the ground.

That done he beginneth to sing some thing (as I thinke)

to the praise of the diuell, who hath discouered some game vnto them: and the other Sauages that are there doe an∣swer, making some concordance of musicke among them. Then they dance after their maner, as we will heereafter say, with songs which I vnderstand not, neither those of ours that vnderstood their speech best. But one day go∣ing to walke in our Medowes along the riuer, I drew neere to Membertous cabine, and did write in my table booke part of that which I vnderstood, which is written there yet in these termes; haloet ho ho hé he ha ha haloet ho ho hé, which they did repeat diuers times. The tune is in my said table booke in these notes: re fa sol sol re sol sol fa fa re re sol sol fa fa. One song being ended, they all made a great ex∣clamation, saying E! Then began againe another song, saying: Egrigna hau egrigna he he hu hu ho ho egrigna hau hau hau. The tune of this was, fa fa fa sol sol fa fa re re sol sol fa fa re fa fa sol sol fa. Hauing made the vsuall exclamation they began yet another song which was: Tameia alleluia tameia dou veni hau hau hé hé. The tune whereof was: sol solsolfafarererefafasolfasolfafarere. I attentiuely hark∣ned vpon this word alleluia repeated sundry times, and could neuer heare any other thing. Which maketh mee thinke that these songs are to the praises of the diuel, if not∣withstanding this word signifie with them that which it signifieth in Hebrew, which is, Praise ye the Lord. All the other Nations of those Countries doe the like: but no bo∣dy hath particularily described their songs, sauing Iohn de Leri, who saith that the Brasilians doe make as good agree∣ments, in their Sabbaths. And being one day at their so∣lemnity he doth report that they said, Hè hè hè hè hè hè hè hè hè hè; with this note: fa fa sol fa fa sol sol sol sol sol. And that done they cried out and howled after a fearefull maner the space of a quarter of an houre, and the women did skip violently in the aire vntill they fomed at the mouth: then began againe their musike, saying: Heu heür aüre heür a heür aüre heüra heura ouech: the note is, fa mi re sol

solsolfa mire mire mi vt re. This author saith that in this song, they bewailed their deceassed fathers, which were so valiant, and neuerthelesse they comforted themselues for that after their death, they were assured to goe to them be∣hinde the high Mountaines, where they should daunce and be merry with them. Likewise that they had, with all ve∣hemency, threatned the Ouetacas their enemies to be in ve∣ry short time taken and eaten by them, according as the Caraibes had promised them: and that they had also made mention of the floud spoken of in the former chapter. I leaue vnto them that doe write of Demonomanie to philoso∣phize vpon that matter. But moreouer, I must say that whilest our Sauages do sing in that maner before said, there be some others which doe nothing else but say He or Het (like to a man that cleaueth wood) with a certaine motion of the armes: and daunce in round, not holding one ano∣ther, nor moouing out of one place, striking with their feet against the ground, which is the forme of their daunces, like vnto those which the said De Leri reporteth of them of Brasill, which are aboue 1500. leagues from that place. After which things our Sauages make a fire and leap ouer it, as the ancient Cananites, Ammonites, and sometimes the Israelites did: but they are not so detestable, for they doe not sacrifice their Children to the diuell, thorow the fire. Besides all this, they put halfe a pole out of the top of the Cabin where they are, at the end whereof there is some Matachias, or some thing else tied, which the diuell cari∣eth away. Thus haue I heard the discourse of their maner of doing in this matter.

There may be heere considered a bad vse to leape ouer the fire, and to make the children to passe thorow the flame in the fire made vpon S. Iohn Baptists day; which custome indureth yet to this day among vs, and ought to be reformed. For the same commeth from the ancient ab∣ominations that God hath so much hated, whereof The∣odoret speaketh in this wise: I haue seene (saith he) in some

Townes piles of wood kindled once a yeare, and not onely chil∣dren to leape ouer them, but also men, and the mothers bearing their children ouer the flame, which did seeme vnto them to be as an expiation and purification. And this in my iudgement was the sinne of Achaz.

These fashions haue beene forbiddeen by an ancient Councell holden at Constantinople. Whereupon Balsa∣mon doth note that the 23. daie of Iune (which is Saint Iohn Baptist eue) men and women did assemble themselues at the Sea shore and in houses, and the eldest daughter was dressed like a bride, and after they had made good cheare and well drunke, daunces were made, with exclamations and fires all the night, prognosticating of good and bad lucke. These fires haue beene continued among vs, vpon a better subiect. But the abuse must be taken away.

Now as the diuell hath alwaies beene willing to play the ape, and to haue a seruice like to that which is giuen to God, so would hee that his officers should haue the marke of their trade, to the end to deceiue the simple people the better. And indeed Membertou, of whom we haue spo∣ken, as a learned Aoutmoin, carieth hanged at his necke the marke of this profession, which is a purse trianglewise, couered with their imbrodery worke, that is to say with Matachiaz, within which there is I know not what as bigge as a small nut, which he saith to be his diuell called Aoutem, which they of Canada doe name Cudouagni, as saith Iames Quartier. I will not mingle sacred things with prophane, but according as I haue said that the diuell plai∣eth the ape, this maketh me to remember of the Rational or Pectoral of iudgement, which the high Priest did carry be∣fore him in the ancient law, on the which Moses had put Ʋrim and Thummim. Now Rabbi Dauid saith that it is not knowen what these Ʋrim and Thummim were, and it see∣meth that they were stones. Rabbi Selomoh saith that it was the name of God Iehouah, an in effable name, which he did put within the foldes of the Pectoral, whereby he made

his word to shine. Iosephus doth thinke that they were Twelue pretious stones. S. Hierome doth interpret these two words to signifie Doctrine and Truth.

And as the Priestly office was successiue, not onely in the house of Aron, but also in the family of the great Priest of Memphis, whose office was assigned to his eldest sonne af∣ter him, as Thyamis saith in the Ethiopian History of Helio∣dorus: Euen so among these people this office is successiue; and by tradition they doe teach the secret thereof to their eldest sonnes. For Membertous eldest sonne (who was na∣med Iudas, in iest, for which he was angry, vnderstanding it was a bad name) told vs, that after his father, he should be Aoutmoin in that precinct: which is a small matter: for euery Sagamos hath his Aoutmoin, if himselfe be not so, but yet they couet the same, for the profit that commeth thereof.

The Brasilians haue their Caraibes, who trauell thorow the villages, making the people beleeue that they haue communication with spirits, through whose meanes they can, not onely giue them victory against their enemies, but also, that of them depends the fertility or sterility of the ground. They haue commonly a certaine kinde of belles or rattles in their hands, which they call Maraca, made with the fruit of a tree, as bigge as an Estriches egge, which they make hollow, as they doe heere the bottels of the Pilgrims that goe to Saint Iames: And hauing filled them with small stones, they make a noise with them, in their solemnities, like the bladders of hogges: and going from towne to towne they beguile the world, telling the people that their diuell is within the same. These Maracas or Rattles wel decked with faire feathers, they sticke in the ground the stafe that is thorow it, and doe place them all along and in the middest of the houses, commanding that meat and drinke be giuen to them. In such wise that these cogging mates, making the other poore idiots to beleeue (as the Sacrificers of the idoll Bel did heeretofore, of whom

mention is made in the History of Daniel) that those fruits doe eat and drinke in the night: euery housholder giuing credit thereto, doth not faile to set neere these Maracas, meale, flesh, fish, and drinke, which seruice they continue by the space of fifteene daies or three weekes: and during that time they are so foolish as to perswade themselues that in sounding with these Maracas, some spirit speaketh vn∣to them, and attribute diuinity vnto them. In such sort that they would esteeme it a great misdeed to take away the meat that is presented before those faire belles, with which meates those reuerend Caraibes doe meerely fatten themselues. And so vnder false pretexts, is the world de∣ceiued.

Notes

• Hebr. 8. vers. 3.
• Ioan. Acosta, lib. 5. ch. 20. 21.
• Virginia.
• Atosta 6. booke ch. 19.
• The Physici∣ons and Chi∣rurgions of the Sauages.
• How the Aoutmoins inuocate the Diuell.
• A song to the praise of the Divell.
• The daunces of the Saua∣ges.
• Leuit. 20. ve 2. 3. Deuter. 12. vers. 31. and 18. vers. 10. and 4. of Kin. 17. ves. 17. 31. Psal. 106.
• S. Iohns bon∣fire.
• Theod. vpon the 16. chap. of the foorth booke of Kings.
• Can. 65. Synod. 6. in Trullo.
• The diuell will be serued as God.
• Those bot∣tles, or ratties are made of Pompions.
• The impo∣sture of the Caraibes.