THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Memoir of De Gannes Concerning the
Illinois Country
(Due to length divided here into ten parts)
De Gannes in: Pease, Theodore Calvin ed., Collections of the
Illinois State Historical Library, Vol. 23,
(French Series,
Vol. 1, The French Foundations: 1680-1693), pp. 302-395.
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se donnent apres eux tous les jours, sitost que le soleil se leve ils s'en vont dans les Cabanes s'informer s'il n'y a point de malades leurs donnent des medecines, s'ils en ont besoin les seignent, et mémes quelques fois leur font faire des boüillons apres quoy ils font un cris dans le Village, pour avertir qu'ils Vont dire la Messe, ensuite font quelquefois le Cathéchisme, ou des Exortations l'apres dinée, apres s'estre appliquez a la Langue, ils retournent dans le Village appeller pour le Cathechisme, qui dure toujours deux heures, Les morçeaux de bois, costons de bled d'inde, et méme les pierres qu'on leurs jettent quelquefois, ne les Estonnent point, ils continuent leurs cris, se contentant de dire que c'est le maître de la vie, qui leur ordonne de faire ce qu'ils font, que ceux qui ne voudront pas entendre sa parole restent, et que ceux qui ont envie de l'écouter le suivent, le soir ils retournent encore appeller pour la priere, ensuite ils font celle des françois, il n'y a aucun temps qui les empêchent de faire les mémes exercices, quelquefois on les envoye querir la nuit pour aller au Bout du Village, qui a plus d'un demy quart de lieuë de Long assister des Moribons, j'ay méme
[Translation]
they give them medicines, and if necessary bleed them, and sometimes they even make broth for them, after which they have it cried through the village that they are about to say mass. Then they teach the catechism or they preach sermons; in the afternoon, after having applied themselves to the language, they return to the village to hear the catechism, which always takes two hours. The pieces of wood, husks of Indian corn, and even the stones which are sometimes thrown at them do not dismay them; they continue their discourse, contenting themselves with saying that it is the master of life who orders them to do what they are doing, and that those who do not wish to hear his word may stay away while those who wish to listen to it may do so. In the evening they come again to call to prayer, which is followed by a prayer service for the French. No weather prevents them from going through with the same exercises. Sometimes they are sent for at night to come to the edge of the village, which is more than an eighth of a league long, to assist the dying. I have even had some differences with
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eû quelques dificultées avec de ces R R. P P. la dessus, a cause des dangers ou ils nous exposoient en s'exposant eux mémes comme ils faisoient, aprehendant que quelques jongleurs Jaloux de se voir frustrer de ce qu'ils auroient eu a panser ces malades, ne leurs Joüassent ou fissent Joüer quelque mauvais tour. Mais leur grand Zele les emportoit toujours, malgré ce qu'ils convenoient avec moy.
Cette Nation aussi bien que les Miamis n'a aucune Religion, les uns ont le Boeuf, L'ours Les autres Les Chats, Le Chevreüil, Le Loup servier pour leur Manetoua, presque tous les Vieillards sont Jongleurs, par concequent medecins, si bien que quand une personne est malade, Les parens pendent dans la Cabane, une Chaudiere ou deux fusils ou couverture selon sa grande ou petite maladie et sa Richesse et envoye querir un de ces Vieillards en qui ils ont le plus de confiance, et luy disent, mon pere, mon frere, ou mon oncle selon la parenté qui est entre eux. Ils faut sçavoir qu'ils s'appellent presques tous parens, et tel se donne la parenté
[Translation]
some of these reverend fathers as to this matter, on account of the dangers to which they exposed us in thus exposing themselves, fearing as I did that some medicine men, jealous at finding themselves cut off from what they might have gained by caring for the sick, might directly or indirectly do them some mischief. But their great zeal always carried them away, no matter what stipulations they made with me.
This nation, as well as the Miami, has no religion. Some have the buffalo, the bear, others the cat, the buck, the lynx, for their manitou. Almost all the old men are medicine men and consequently healers, so that when a person is sick, the relatives hang up in the cabin a kettle, or a couple of guns, or a blanket, according to the severity of his disease and the amount of his property, after which they send for the one of these old men who inspires them with the most confidence, and say to him: "Father," or "Brother," or "Uncle," (according to the tie of kinship existent between them. It should be stated that they almost all call each other relatives, and such degrees of kinship as I have just enumerated are
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que je viens denommer, que ce seroit moins que cousins parmis nous, J'ay veû des hommes de quatre vingt ans dire que des filles estoient leurs meres. Je te prie d'avoir pitié de nous guerir, voila ce que nous avions pendus pour cela, Le Vieillard ne fait semblant de regarder ce qu'on luy montre, il approche du malade luy demande ou il sent du Mal si il y a longtemps et en quel endroit, aprés l'avoir bien regardé il s'en va chez luy prendre de sa medecine et son chichicoya, c'est une gourde dont l'on a osté le dedans et dans laquelle on met des grains de petite Rasade et on passe un Baston qui traverse de la teste a la queuë de qui on laisse passer un bout d'un pied qui sort pour la tenir, Laquelle en la secoüant fait beaucoup de Bruit, il tire d'un petit sac ou Il a quantité de petits paquets de morçeaux de peaux passées dans lesquels sont ses medicines, apres les avoir estallées il prend la Gourde qu'il secouë et antonne une Chanson a gorge deployée, dans laquelle il dit le Boeuf ou le Chevreüil selon son manitoua, ma montré cette medecine, et ma dit quelle etoit bonne pour un tel mal Et nomme
[Translation]
often claimed by persons whom we should not even call cousins. I have seen men of eighty claim that young girls were their mothers. "I beg of you to take pity on us and heal us. Here is what we had hung up for this." The old man pretends not to notice what they show him, but approaches the sick man and asks him in what way he is ailing, and where and for how long a time he has been ill. After a thorough inspection, he returns home to get some of his medicine and his chichicoya, a little gourd from which the inside has been removed and into which they put some grains of little glass pearl, and they run a stick through it from the top to the bottom, letting one end project a foot to hold it by. This, when shaken, makes a loud noise. From a little bag in which he has a quantity of small packages, he takes out some pieces of tanned skin in which are his medicaments. After spreading them out, he takes up his gourd and shakes it, intoning at the top of his voice a song in which he says: "The buffalo (or the buck, according to his manitou) has revealed this remedy to me and has told me that it was good for such and such a malady"- and he
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celuy dont le malade est attaqué celuy qui en sera pançé sera guery, et dit cela quelquefois pendant une demyheure que bien souvent le malade n'a dormy de huit jours, et qui a un mal desesperé se fait donner de l'eau qu'il fait tiedir, Et prend dans une micoine, et met de cinq ou six sortes de ces poudres, qu'il a tiré de ses paquets et le fait avaller au malade apres quoy il s'en met dans la Bouche, se fait montrer L'endroit douloureux sur quoy il soufle cette drogue, et apres L'envelope. il a le soin d'y aller deux fois le Jour et de le pancer de méme Sinon qu'il ne chante pas a moins que le malade n'enpire. Quand il connoist qu'il y a de l'amandement, il aporte sa Gourde et chante plus fort que la premiere fois, dans lequel Chant il dit que son Manitoua est le Veritable Manitoua qui ne luy a jamais manty, c'est pourquoy sur l'assurance qui luy a donné la nuit en Resue, il alloit achever de guerir son malade en luy tirant la cause de son mal, aprés s'être fait montrer l'endroit, il le taste bien et tout d'un coup, il se jette la Bouche dessus en
[Translation]
names the one by which the sick man is attacked- "whoever has it administered to him will be healed." He reiterates this sometimes for half an hour, though often the patient has not slept for a whole week. When the sickness is a desperate one, he calls for water, which he has warmed, and puts into it a micoine, mixing with it five or six kinds of powders which he takes from his packages. This he has his patient swallow, then he takes some into his own month, and having the place pointed out to him which gives pain, he spouts this drug upon it, and then bandages it. He is careful to make two visits a day and to treat his patient in the same fashion, save that he does not sing unless the sick man is worse. When he perceives any improvement, he brings his gourd and sings louder than the first time, asserting in his song that his manitou is the true manitou, who has never lied to him, wherefore, thanks to the promise which the latter has given him by night in his dreams, he is about to heal his patient by extracting the cause of his ill. Having had the place pointed out, he fingers it carefully, and then all of a sudden throws himself mouth down upon it, crying out as if he were mad. He bites his patient sometimes so hard
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faisant un cris comme s'il étoit enragé, mord le malade quelquefois d'une manière qu'il fait venir le sang a quoy il ne remué pas crainte de faire connoistre un manque de courage, il se met pendant ce temps un ongle de Chien, ou d'aigle, ou le poil de la Barbe d'un Kinousaoueine ou Richiou dans la Bouche qu'il dit avoir tiré de l'endroit incommodé du malade. Ils disent que sont ces sortes d'animaux la, qui leurs envoyent ces maladies a cause qu'on leur a mangé leur proye. Il arrive quelquefois qu'ils passent dans les endroits ou ces sortes d'animaux Viennent d'étrangler des chevreüils, ils ne font point de dificulté de les prendre et de les manger quand on a point de viande, Et méme on la trouve fort bonne. Malgré tout ces Jongleurs disent la-dessus, ils sont eux méme les premiers a le faire. Ensuite il Remercie par une Longue chanson son Manetoua avec son chichicoya de ce qu'il luy procure d'avoir souvent par son moyen des marchandises. Il méne baigner le Malade ou le Lave dans la Cabane selon la saison, prend luy méme ce qu'on avoit pendu dans la Cabane et l'emporte sans rien dire, Les parens se levent, luy passent les mains sur la teste et sur les Jambes,
[Translation]
as to draw blood, but the latter does not budge for fear of manifesting lack of courage. Meanwhile he inserts in his mouth the claw of a dog or an eagle, or the hair of the beard of a Kinousaoueine or a Richion, which he says he has drawn out from the sore spot. The savages say that it is animals of this kind which send them these diseases because they have eaten their prey. It sometimes happens that they pass by places where such animals have strangled bucks, and they make no scruple of appropriating and eating these if they have no meat, and they even consider it very good. In spite of all that these medicine men say of the matter, they are themselves the first to do so. Then in a long song he thanks his manitou with his chichicoya for making it possible for him frequently to obtain merchandise through his favor. He takes his patient out for a bath, or washes him in the cabin, according to the season. He takes what had been hung up for him in the cabin and carries it off without saying anything. The relatives arise and pass their hands over his head and his legs, a sign of profound
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marques de grandes reconnoissances La plus part du temps ils ne les Guerissent pas, quoy qu'assurement ils ayent des drogues admirables parce qu'ils ne connoissent pas les maladies internes c'est un hazard quand ils reussissent, Celles dont ils se servent pour purger font tout l'effet possible. Il y a qui se servent de Coloquinte dont les deserts sont pleins L'automne, quand ils ont cueillis leurs grains. Pour ce qui est des plays ils y sont tres habilles, j'ay veu guerir des Blessures surprenantes et en tres peu de temps. Le suçemant dont ils se servent tous y a sans doute beaucoup de part. Si remplie de pus que puisse être une plays, ils la netoyent entierement sans faire Beaucoup de mal, ils ont la precaution de ce mettre un peu de poudre dans la Bouche quand ils ont tiré tout le plus mauvais, ils ne se mettent plus rien et achevent de la succes, jusqu'a ce qu'ils l'ayent renduë Vermeille, ensuite ils machent de la medecine qu'ils crachent dessus la playe, et envelopent seulement le tout, le jour, Laissant toujours la plays supurer La nuit ils l'enveloppent aussy. Quand un homme a Receu un coup de fusil ou de fleche au Travers du corps, au bas du coup vis a vis
[Translation]
gratitude. Most often they do not cure the sick, although assuredly they have admirable drugs, because they are ignorant of internal maladies. It is only a mere chance when they succeed. Their medicines they use for purging have all the effectiveness possible. There are some who use coloquinte, with which the wilderness abounds in autumn when they gather their seeds. In the healing of wounds some of them are very skilful. I have seen them cure some surprising ones and in a very short time. The sucking process, which they all practice, has no doubt a large share in this success. However full of pus a wound may be, they clean it out entirely without inflicting much pain. They take the precaution of putting a little powder in their months; but when they have drawn off the worst of it, they no longer do so, but continue to suck at the wound until it appears ruddy, after which they chew up some medicine which they spit upon the wound merely wrapping up the whole by day, while leaving the wound to suppurate. At night they wrap it also. When a man has been wounded by a gunshot or by an
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d'une coste, ils luy fendent le Costé, apres avoir eu la precaution de lever un peu la peau, afin que Revenant a ce baisser L'ouverture se rencontre entre deux, il luy font entrer quantité d'eau tiede dans laquelle ils ont mis de leurs drogues, font faire des Efforts au Blessé, tirer sont veut a luy quelquefois méme, ils les prennent par les bras et par les Jambes, et ce le poussent de l'un a L'autre, Et apres Luy font jetter toute cette Eau par sa plays, avec laquelle il sort des morceaux de Sang caillé, qui l'etoufferoient sans doute sans cela. Apres quoy ils luy Jettent de leurs herbes en poudre, qu'ils se mettent dans la bouche comme j'ay déja dit, Et ne bouchent jamais la playe le jour, J'en ay vû deux qui ont esté gueris de cette Sorte.
Pour des Bras et des Jambes cassées quand ils se peuvent rendre au Village, ils sont gueris en moins de deux mois, Ils ne sçavent ce que C'est de couper comme font nos Chirurgiens aussi ne voit ou point de Sauvages manchots ny en Jambes de Bois.
Ceux qui Guerissent ces Sortes de Blessures passent pour des
[Translation]
arrow through the body, at the bottom of the neck [or] opposite a rib, they open his side, after taking care to raise the skin a little so that on being lowered again the opening will be between two [ribs]. They pour into him a quantity of warm water, in which they have diluted some of their drugs, after which they have the patient make motions and inhale, and sometimes they even take hold of him by the arms and legs, pushing him to and fro between them, and then make him eject all this water through his wound, expelling along with it fragments of clotted blood, which otherwise, doubtless, would suffocate him. Then they sprinkle him with some of their powdered herbs, which they put into their mouths, as I have said already, and they never close up the wound by day. I have seen two men who were healed in this way.
As for those who have broken arms or legs, when they manage to get to the village, they are healed in less than two months. They do not know what amputation is, as practiced by our surgeons, and we therefore see no Indians with one arm or with a wooden leg.
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manetoua, se font craindre des Jeunes gens, Et principallement des Jeunes filles dont ils Joüissent fort souvent, par la foiblesse qu'elles ont de croire, qu'ils pouroient en souflant de la Medecine sur elles les faire mourir n'osant pas les refuser.
Ils ont aussi une maniere Extraordinaire et ridicule pour faire croire leurs remedes Infaillibles qui ne laisse pas de faire sur l'esprit de la Jeunesse L'Effet qu'ils demandent. Deux ou trois fois dans L'Eté, dans la plus belle place de leur Village, ils font planter des perches en terre, d'un demy arpent en quarré en maniere d'enclos, Laquelle ils garnissent de nattes au tour, Les Jongleurs et Jongleuses sont dans ce temps dans une Cabane de leurs confreres qui attendent que tout soit dressé, et ensemble Voyent ce qu'ils feront, pour pouvoir plus aisement, Jetter de la poudre aux yeux de la Jeunesse, afin de les entretenir toujours dans la Croyance ou ils sont de leur pouvoir. Tant par l'avantage qu'ils y trouvent en pansant les malades, que pour la necessité qu'il y a qu'elle leur soit soumise, quand il s'agira de leur faire faire quelques
[Translation]
Those who heal such wounds pass for manitous and inspire fear in the young men, and especially in the young girls, whom they often seduce, owing to their weakness in believing that these men might cause their death by blowing medicine upon them, because of which they dare not refuse.
They have also an extraordinary and ridiculous manner of inspiring belief in the infallibility of their remedies, which, however, has quite the effect they wish on the minds of the young. Two or three times in the summer, in the most attractive spot in their village, they plant some poles in the ground, forming a sort of enclosure half an arpent square, which they furnish with mats. All of them, the medicine men and the medicine women, remain for the time being in the cabin of one of their confrères, waiting for all this to be arranged, and planning together what to do in order more easily to hoodwink the young people and keep alive the faith in their magical powers, both for the rewards which they get for attending to the sick and also with a view to keeping the younger generation under their influence when they wish them to do some
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Choses pour la sureté de leur Village, Le repos de leurs femmes et Enfans, apres quoy ils entrent gravement, leurs Robbes pendantes dans cet enclos Le Chichicoya a la main et des robes d'ours sur le Bras s'assoyant tous sur les nattes qu'on leur a estenduës un deux se leve Le chichicoya a la main et en chantant dit a toute l'assemblée mes amis c'est aujourd'huy qu'il faut faire Voir, aux hommes le pouvoir de nostre medecine, affin de leur faire connoitre qls ne vivent qu'autant que nous Voulons, La dessus ils se levent tous et en remnant le Chichicoya, disent en chantant ce Boeuf me la dit, L'ours, Le Loup, Le Chevreüil, Kinousaoueia, chacun nomme la Beste qu'il a le plus en Veneration Et apres se Rasseoyent en remuant tonjours la gourde, aussi tost trois ou quatre hommes se Levent comme des possedez, dont il y en a qui ressemblent a des hommes qui vont trepasser, ils ont les yeux tournez et se laissent tomber de leur haut en se roidissant comme si ils estoient a l'article de la mort, une autre tombe aussy, et se Releve avec une plume d'aigle dans la main dont les Barbes sont rougies faisant une figure a faire connoistre qu'on l'en vient de blesser, Mais que
[Translation]
thing for the security of their village or the repose of their wives and children. After these preliminaries, they enter gravely into this enclosure, their dresses trailing, having their chichicoya in their hands and carrying bearskins on their arms. They all sit on mats which are spread for them. One of them rises, the chichicoya in his hand, and speaks in a chant before the whole assembly: "My friends, today yon must manifest to men the power of our medicine so as to make them understand that they live only as long as we wish." Then they all rise and, waving the chichicoya, chant: "This buffalo has told me this, the bear, the wolf, the buck, the big tail"-each one naming the beast which he particularly venerates. Then they sit down again, still shaking the gourd. Immediately three or four men get up as if possessed, among them some who resemble men who are on the point of dying. Their eyes are convulsed, and they let themselves fall prostrate and grow rigid as if they were expiring. Another falls also, and rises with an eagle's feather in his hand, the barbs of which are reddened and form a
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Ses medecines L'ont garentis des suittes, Et qu'il la veut darder dans Le corps d'un de la Bande, Lequel tombe par terre et Jette quantité de Sang par la bouche, Les Medecins courent Luy donner secours Luy arrachent La plume qui Luy sort d'un poulce hors de la Bouche Luy crachent de la medecine par tout le Corps Et apres Le font Emporter fort serieusement dans Sa Cabane, on prend qu'on soigne comme des gens qui ont esté Empoisonnez, ils leurs font avaller quantité de drogues et cinq ou 6. se mettent apres Luy a le tirer L'un par un des Bras et L'autre par une des Jambes En faisant de grands Cris, Le secoüant Longtems de cette maniere sans qu'il revienne, a la fin il Vomit quantité d'eau et Jettent en méme temps un petit serpent a sonnette, un medecin Le prend et le montre a tous les spectateurs Et en chantant dit Voila Le manetoua qui L'avoit Tué, mais ma medecine Luy a donné La vie, Toute L'assemblée comme gens surpris viennent voir ce serpent, et en Chantant disent la Medecine est la sçience des sçiences.
Il y a une grande quantité de serpens a sonnette chez eux, il ne se passe point d'année qu'il n'y aye quelqu'un de piqué de quoy
[Translation]
figure suggesting that he has been wounded therewith, but has been saved from the consequences by his medicines, and wishes to inject it into the body of one of the band, who then falls to the ground and expels a quantity of blood from his mouth. The medicine men rush to give him help, tear away the feather which issues an inch out of his mouth, spout medicine all over his body, and then have him carried off with great solemnity to his cabin, where he is treated like men who have been poisoned. They make him swallow a quantity of drugs, and five or six of them lay hold of him and pull him by the arms and legs, uttering loud yells. They shake him for a long time in this manner without his coming to; finally he vomits a quantity of water, and they at the same moment throw down a little rattlesnake. A medicine man picks it up and shows it to the spectators and chants: "Here is the manitou that killed him, but my medicine has restored him to life." The whole assembly come like people filled with amazement to see this serpent and chant: "Medicine is the science of sciences."
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