ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE RACE. (continued 2)
Reading edition
All the North American Indians know that there is a God; but their priests teach them that the devil is a God, and as he is believed to be very malignant, it is the great object of their ceremonies and sacrifices, to appease him.
The Indians formerly worshipped the Sun, as the symbol of divine intelligence.
Fire is an unexplained mystery to the Indian; he regards it as a connecting link between the natural and spiritual world. His traditionary lore denotes this.
Zoroaster says: “When you behold secret fire, without form, shining flashingly through the depths of the whole world—hear the voice of fire.” One might suppose this to have been uttered by a North American Indian.
CHANT TO THE FIRE-FLY.
In the hot summer evenings, the children of the Chippewa Algonquins, along the shores of the upper lakes, and in the northern latitudes, frequently assemble before their parents' lodges, and amuse themselves by little chants of various kinds, with shouts and wild dancing. Attracted by such shouts of merriment and gambols, I walked out one evening, to a green lawn skirting the edge of the St. Mary's river, with the fall in full view, to get hold of the meaning of some of these chants. The air and the plain were literally sparkling with the phosphorescent light of the fire-fly. By dint of attention, repeated on one or two occasions, the following succession of words was caught. They were addressed to this insect:
Wau wau tay see! Wau wau tay see! E mow e shin Tshe bwau ne baun-e wee! Be eghaun—be eghaun—ewee! Wa Wau tay see! Wa wau tay see! Was sa koon ain je gun Was sa koon ain je gun.
LITERAL TRANSLATION.
Flitting-white-fire-insect! waving-white-fire-bug! give me light before I go to bed! give me light before I go to sleep. Come, little dancing[21]-white-fire-bug! Come little flitting-white-fire-beast! Light me with your bright white-flame-instrument—your little candle[22].
Metre there was none, at least, of a regular character: they were the wild improvisations of children in a merry mood.