American antiquities, and researches into the origin and history of the red race / By Alexander W. Bradford.

  • Alexander Warfield Bradford
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: American antiquities, and researches into the origin and history of the red race / By Alexander W. Bradford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    357/444 (page 353)
    same celestial body, together with the Moon.* The Delawares and Iroquois, according to Loskiel, also offered sacrifices to the Sun and Moon, and had a festival in honor of the element of fire, which tliey considered the first parent of the Indian na- tions.f Incense or smoke, probably from a beautiful analogy in its ascending course to the heavens, was an ancient symbol of prayer, and we find it used as a method of adoration by the Indians. The Osa^es smoke to the Sun.t The Sioux, Arau- canians,§ Creeks and Hurons, to the Sun and to the cardinal points,II as did also the Natchez and other southern tribes. The Indians of California asked the Jesuit fathers who first visited them, whether they were “ Sons of the Sun,” looking upon them as deities.H The Botocudos of Brazil, “ held the moon in high veneration, and attributed to her influence the chief phe- nomena in nature.”** The Caciques of the Guaranies, were called “ Suns ;”ff and the Puelches worshipped the Sun.tl Thus it appears that the adoration of the heavenly bodies, and fire at theirs. But the temple of the Natchez is the only one subsisting at present, and is held in great veneration hy all the savages inhabiting this vast continent.”—Charievoi.r, Voyage^ vol. ii. p. 273. * Edwards. Hist. W. Ind., vol. i. p. 80. t Losidel, pp. 41, 43. X NuttalPs Arkansas, p. 95. § Molina, vol. ii. p. 71. II Bartrarn’s Travels, p. 450. Description of the Ohio, p. 177. Nuttall, p. 175. Brackenridge’s Journal, p. 138. ][ Venegas. Hist. California, vol. i. p. 164. ** Mod. Trav. Brazil, vol. ii. p. 183. ft Dohrizhoffer, vol. i. p. 60. Ibid. vol. ii. p. 89.