Legends of the Delaware Indians and picture writing / by Richard C. Adams.

  • Adams, Richard C. (Richard Calmit)
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Legends of the Delaware Indians and picture writing / by Richard C. Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/96 (page 8)
    LlUJ Uiil IM#< m -Pr:t fP^ \ n\ \ \i anything to eat. When he complained they would tell him to go off and die, as he was no account anyway. One day he had a dream; a spirit came to him and told him that he was to be a gifted man and have a charmed life; that he need not fear anything, either work, hardships or dangers of war. After this he was more cheerful and contented with his lot, believing that the time would come when people would treat him differently. As he grew to be older he was allowed more liberty and the people of the village took more liberties with him. When hunting parties would start out he was required to go along, partly that he might learn the art of hunting and warfare, but mostly to make him- self generally useful to the hunters. His duties were to get wood, make fires and help carry the packs, and to do such things as he was told to do. ^ On these hunting trips, which were often turned into war parties, the Delawares usually carried very simple food, but such as was best suited for the occasion, the principal diet being parched corn pounded into a brown meal, a little maple sugar to sweeten it and bear’s lard. This was all the provisions they would start with, whether a war party or a hunting trip, for hunters were supposed to provide their own meat on a trip. If they expected to be in battle, however, the warriors were not allowed to eat much meat and were forced to live on the parched corn meal alone, as it was the belief that a person who ate meat and was shot would get so sick that he could not get away, while if the same person had eaten only parched meal, he might even be shot through the vital parts and yet be strong enough to get away from the enemy. On one of these hunting trips Wa-e-aqon-oo-kase was along and was carrying the parched corn meal (koh-mo-kun) and the kettle. One of the hunters told him to go ahead and when he came to a nice hole of water to mix the meal so that it would be ready for supper when the party came up, and when they came upon him they found him pouring the meal into the water and wading around in it. They asked him what he was doing and he said: “ I am doing just what you told me. I found the hole of water and I am mixing the meal in it.”