The American Nations Part 33

4 Different Comparable Words.

Knife, _Ta.r.s.e_.

Bananas, _Pacaras_.

Pear, _Caxus_, by Cabot.

Meal or Ca.s.save, _Hui_.

3 Words Not Comparable.

Hook, _Pinda_.

Scissors, _Pirame_.

Comb, _Chipag_.

End Of First Volume.

FOOTNOTES

1 In 1824, I published my first essay on American history, a pamphlet on the _Ancient History of Kentucky_, or Central North America, before 1770. Although it was a mere rude sketch, it contains many important historical facts. I was too little advanced then in philological studies, to give it their support, and many of my surmises must be rectified by it. My late researches have also greatly impaired the general belief of the Tartarian origin, and western route of the Mexican nations.

2 I published this presumed key in 1832 in my Atlantic Journal; but many accurate comparisons are yet required to confirm my surmises, although the Lybian a.n.a.logies are evident.

3 In Hughes' Travels in Sicily, Greece and Albania in 1813-14, published 1820, we find this fact about Hesiod's mention of maize, used by the poor in mush and cakes by the early Greeks: the modern Greeks call it _Arabo-site_, Arabic corn, in Italy it is called _Grano-turco_, or Turkish-corn: having reached Greece and Italy through the Arabs, and not from America. It has been cultivated in Java, Central Africa, Soudan, &c. from time immemorial, having native names in the Negro languages. Gebelin thinks it was known in a.s.syria. Polo found it in Tartary in the 13th century. Frazer lately saw it almost wild in the Imalaya mts.: it has never been found quite wild in America.

4 The _Poncho_ is a long strip of cloth, with a hole in the middle for the head, the ends hanging before and behind, often fastened on the sides. It was used by the ancient Mexicans, the Muyzcas, Peruvians and Chilians. It has been adopted as quite convenient by the Spanish colonists, and is very becoming when ornamented.

5 E-AD'M, Self-Adam, is the name given by Moses to the first men, p.r.o.nounced since Adam. Gen. 1. v. 27; but called also ZXR and N'K'BE or male and female. The 2d AD'M or Adam was subsequent: although the commentators have blended them, as they have the floods, days and other things. Our bible translation of early events is besides very erroneous; the Talmudist or Jewish version with points is not correct, being in a late dialect: the true text of Moses which I follow, has no points, but admits of a sheva or soft breathing between consonants.

6 Geological comments are not here required, my business is with mankind. Moses calls men beside _Aish_, _a.n.u.sh_, _G'bforeign_, and women _N's.h.i.+m_, _Itath_, _Ashe_, _Ashth_; which are perhaps as many names of early tribes! as well as ALEIM or _Elohim_, XRBIM _Cherubim_, _Nahash_, &c. If these primitive names will offer any a.n.a.logies in America, they shall be thoroughly pointed out hereafter. HUE is the real Eve. See the chapter on the Mosaic Ontology for many other human beings, or early tribes. But it may be well to add here the names of the beings of the 7th and 8th Yums which we all deem animals, although there are indications to the contrary.

7. YUM. The MIM waters produced SH'R'TZ production-translated reptile! No soul. N'F'SH-HIE, soul living. OUF, Fowl, made to come from waters, and their motion. LOUF'F means both flying and flirting or swimming, G. 1. v. 20. But ALEIM realized or created the TH'NI NIM whales, or rather Great fishes, having a soul living NFSH-EHIE, verse 21. This fine word _soul_ has been translated creature.

8. YUM. The earth produces with soul BEME. Cattle or Herdsmen of life? v. 24. R'M'SH, Reptiles or creeping Troglodytes? HITHU, Beasts or Hunters. The BEME are perhaps Herdsmen! and all these may be men, over whom Adam was to reign, giving them names. Else all these animals had real souls like men! The fishes or fishermen D'G'TH only appear in v. 26. at subjects of Adam.

Moses and the Hebrew poets divided the animals in 3 cla.s.ses, which represent also men! and were personified.

1. SH'R'TZ, Production-Moses. LUITH'N of Job. The Leviathan of Poets.

2. N'F'SH, Animated-Moses. OZN or Hozan of Poets. Moses has 2 kinds of these: THNINIM Aquatic, and OUF-XNF, Fowl strong winged, as he had 2 of the last. SH'R'TZ, aquatic reptile, and OUF aerial fowl.

3. HITHU, Beast: of 2 kinds, BEME and RMSH, which are the BEMUTH of Job, BEHEMOTH of Poets.

7 The Cherubim were deemed Angels, but of 4 sorts, 3 having faces of a lion, ox, and eagle: which indicates tribes bearing those names, or the 4 primitive castes of mankind, the oxen referring to the laboring caste, the lion to the militant caste.

8 See his learned work, translation and paraphrase of the first chapters of Genesis: wherein the best account of the creation, antidiluvian history and flood has been given.

_ 9 Lanca_ was according to the Hindus a big land under the equator, including perhaps the Decan or south of India, then separated by a sea from the Imalaya mountains, now yet a vast level plain; and united to Ceylon and other islands. It is in this land of _Lanca_ that many traditions place Adam, with several early events.

The _Sunda_ land was very different, a large peninsula south of Asia including Java, Sumatra, Borneo &c. Or perhaps an island, if Malaca was separated from Siam by a strait.

10 The monumental archeology and history of America, is not the least curious. Humboldt opened the way; but did little: the facts since collected in Central and North America, will astonish all the reflecting minds, and lead us to times of great civilization and prosperity. In the single small state of Kentucky, have already been found the sites of 200 ancient towns in ruins, or having monuments.

If as many exist in all the neighbourhood, there must have been 2000 towns in North America, west and south of the Apalachian mountains.

Many earthy remains are gradually disappearing under the plough, and will be obliterated ere long.-_See_ my account of monumental sites, published in 1824.

11 The Tao is one of the earliest religions of China. It is the personification and wors.h.i.+p of the powers of nature, the earth, air, winds, thunder, sea, mountains, lakes, trees &c. The spiritual wors.h.i.+p of their souls is the purest part of it, while the blind material wors.h.i.+p of the objects themselves is the degradation of it, as in Egypt and Guinea.

12 See my Memoir on the Domestic Annnals of Both Hemispheres, 1832, Atlantic Journal, where the names of all are given. But I have collected a few more since.

13 By admixture with American women, the Spaniards formed a mixed race in Hayti, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay &c.; called Cholas, Mestizos &c.; which partook of the qualities and vices of both races; few great men have been produced by them; although we know of some exceptions.

Lavega one of the best American historians was son of a Peruvian princess by a Spaniard. In Paraguay the Spaniards having no women, took Guarani concubines, and all their offsprings were of mixt breed, a sad set, like the Mamalucos of Brazil born from Portuguese and Tupi women. These instances, and the production of mulatoes subsequently, teach us how some former nations were born in America.

14 The Missouri tribes, Panis and c.u.manches, the Abipons and Talahets of the vast plains of N. and S. America; are already become wandering hors.e.m.e.n like Tartars, quite formidable in war. Many tribes now possess and use guns. Brandy, rum and whiskey, liquors of h.e.l.l, ... make the savage foes furious and reckless: they have killed as many as guns have. The small pox is another scourge sent to America from Europe, the Cholera may be another. The Syphilis wrongly ascribed to America, has been traced to the ancient continent also: although it was returned from hence again, like maize.

15 The precious commodities of America are numberless. If the Europeans had traded there for them, as they now do in China, Persia, Arabia and Africa, how different would have been the fate of America? Iron would have purchased gold and pearls, with every thing else: there was no need to use the steel swords, nor thundering guns. Coffee and rice are not American productions, but lately introduced from Arabia and India. The origin of the sugar cane is also oriental; but it was found wild in South America, as orange trees were in Florida.

16 The physical changes undergone in America within late historical recollections are very numerous, and ought to be collected into one connected body by historians or geologists.

17 These two figures of speech, _Personification_ and _Animalization_, are two of the keys of ancient history. By the first is not meant alone the personification of the pa.s.sions or divine attributes; but likewise the individuality of men, tribes and nations pervading primitive history, by the frequent subst.i.tution of the singular for the plural, as was done by the Asiatics, the Greeks, and the Americans. It is thus that the ancient patriarchs, Hercules, Heros, G.o.ds &c. are often meant for their followers; the head for the whole set or social body. This practice has survived to our days, and we mean all the English when we speak of _John Bull_, the Russians by the _Northern Bear_ (a kind of animalization), all the Turks by _the Grand Turk_ &c. The reverse mode of speech or the employment of the plural for the singular, is less frequent: but used when we subst.i.tute in our modern languages, _We_ and _You_ instead of I or Thee. It was less common anciently, yet it appears Moses employed it when he called G.o.d, ALEIM our _Elohim_ or _the Angels_, and polytheism was the consequence of similar mistakes or subst.i.tutions; but in his account of the patriarchs, he has used the individuality of tribes.

_Animalization_ pervades the whole of the fabulous periods of history. It is to this mode of speech that we owe the fables of Pilpay and Esopus, where animals are made to speak. Whenever we meet in history or fables, animals acting like men and conversing, they are surely men, and often tribes individualized by an animal appellation: such as might be emblematic or patronymic, adopted honorable names, as lion, tyger, eagle; or else nicknames given in derision by foes, such as snake, dog, ape &c. Even the Hebrew had their _Cherubim_, who were beings like a man, a lion, ox, and eagle; who drove the Adamites from Eden. This name is preserved by the Turks in _Cherabi_ or _Chelabi_, which means _Lords_ in the old Turkish language of Turan or Tartary. Perhaps also in the _El-abi_, now Arabians, which meant _Angel-fathers_, or our forefathers the angelic men. _Elapi_ means _the most manly_ in Linapi!

18 The word _Olum_ is remarkable, because it is a.n.a.logous to the OLEN, the legislator and teacher of Runes of the Celts. The writings of the Druids and Irish were called OCOL, CALLAN, OGHAM, the Irish OLAM were recorders and teachers. _Olum_ does not properly mean a writing, since _Leki_ is book, paper or letter in Linapi; but it implies _a record_, _a notched stick_, an engraved piece of wood or bark. It comes from _Ol_ hollow or graved record. Hekewelder says that _Oluma-pisid_ was in the 18th century, a king of the Linapis on the river Susquehanna, who kept the _Olum_ or records of the nation.

It is probable these were part of them.

19 These actual _Olum_ were at first obtained in 1820, as a reward for a medical cure, deemed a curiosity; and were unexplicable. In 1822 were obtained from another individual the songs annexed thereto in the original language; but no one could be found by me able to translate them. I had therefore to learn the language since, by the help of Zeisberger, Hekewelder and a ma.n.u.script dictionary, on purpose to translate them, which I only accomplished in 1833. The contents were totally unknown to me in 1824, when I published my Annals of Kentucky; which were based on the traditions of Hekewelder, and those collected by me on the Shawanis, Miamis, Ottawas, &c.

20 This account of the creation is strikingly similar to the mosaic and oriental accounts; although it does not speak of days or _Yums_. The word for angels _Angelatawiwak_, is not borrowed, but real Linapi, put in the plural: thus the same as the Greek _Angelos_.

_ 21 Jin-wis_ is the AISH or _Adam_ of all the Linapi tribes. W'IS is identic with ISH, W' being the article _he_, WI added to words is common, meaning but _he_, _she_ and _they_, the plural _wak_ means _many_.

_ 22 Owini_ may be a.n.a.lyzed O-WI-NI, meaning _such-they-men_ or beings.

O is the common article for p.r.o.nouns _On_ and _Ce_ of the French, in English _such_, _it_, _this_, _these_, preserved in many Linapi dialects, _Ni_ and _Ini_ mean both _me_, _I_, _my_ and _men_. It must be noticed that many words of these two ancient songs are often obsolete now in some modern dialects; but preserved in others. This with the peculiar ancient style, and the many words suppressed in the narrative, and the constant compound words, have rendered this translation a difficult task.

23 Here the _Owini_ become _Ni-jini_, evidently the Jins of China and Iran; Jains of India.

_ 24 Wakon_ is the G.o.d of all the Missouri tribes, and many Asiatic nations. _Akon_ of Syria.

_ 25 Tula_ is the ancient seat of the Toltecas and Mexican nations in Asia: the _Tulan_ or _Turan_ or Central Tartary. In Linapi the meaning is _Turtle_ or _Tortoise_, names derived from _Thor_ turtle in Hebrew. But all derive from strong and tall. _Tul-ap-in_ is the real tortoise of Linapi meaning _strong-manly-thing_: the water soft turtle is called _Unami_. The Chinese, Hindus &c. point also to a turtle as the THBE refuge of the flood. _Nana_ appears Noah; his t.i.tle of Hare must allude to his long ears? All the Linapi tribes have tales and songs on Nana-bush, which they venerate as a G.o.d; but his symbol is a turtle body with a large head and nose, and a crest of feathers or hair on the head.

26 The symbol is a kind of Hercules, with a club and arrow; his name appears to be Eluwi, thrice repeated and meaning _the most he_.