Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas.

  • Samuel Purchas
Date:
1626
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    970/1028 (page 916)
    ^i6 Of the Wanes ^ and Man-eating of the Brafilians^ CHAf.5, f lm>i’ I FeiSarder. n Stmd.tue.i^, X tcz-isafaitb. That Che Carai- its 8c the Paygi arc two kinds : ?]&«««/fatjt one, an<iStadiui mentions no mare but the F0Jtgi. y A.Tbeutt. A^tarH. Htf.anfwercd by the women in the other with the fame. They howled it out fora quarter of an houre, (hiking their brefts, and fom ing at the mouth, and (as if they had had the faliin? <ickne(re)fometal!jngdowneinaiwoune, the Deuill in fccming entring into them. The children alio followed in the fame harih deuotions. After this, the men fung pleafantly which caufed me to goe thither, where I found them finging and dancing in three feuerall Rings, in tlie middeif of each , three or foure Caraiks,zds>intd with HaS and Garments of Feathers euery one bauing a or Rattle, in both his hands. Thefe Rattles are made of a fruit bigger then an O itriches Egge,out of which they faid,that the Spirit would fpeake and they continually ihooke them, for the due confecration. Thefe Caraibes danced'to and ' fro, and bio wed the imokeof on the ftanders by, faying, Receiueyee all the Spirit of Tormw*, whereby yee may ouercomc your Enemies. This they did often: the folemnitie continued two houres, the men ignorant of Muficke, and yet rauifliing my /pirit with the delight I conceiued in their Song. Their words founded this, that they were grieued for the lolfe of their Progenitors, but were comforted in the hope, that they fhould one day vific them beyond the Hilsjand then threatned the Oneucatet f (which dwell not far from them hours, asfwiftasHarts, wearing their haire tothc buttockes, eating raw fleOi, and differing from all others in Rites and Language) and now prophefied their dcftruaion at hand. Somewhat alfo they added in their Song of the floud that once had drowned all the World, but their Anceftors,which efcaped by clirabinp high trees. That day they feaded with great chcere. ^ iraoing nign This folemnitie is celebrated euery third yeere; 'and then the Caraihs appoint in eucry Family three or foure to bee adorned with the beft Feathers, and Sicked in the ground, with meate and drinkc fet before them; and the people beleciie they eatc it They ininiftcr vnto their Maraea fiftcenc dayes; after which,in a fuperftitious conceit,they think that a Spirit fpeakes to them while they rattle their Maraea, They were exceedingly offen¬ ded, if any took® away any of this Prouifion, as the French fometimes did; for which and denying other the lyes, thofePriefts hated them exceedingly. Yet doe they not adote-their A/araca, or any thing clfe. Ttttr t faith, he could obferue no Religion a- mongft them, but the worfhip of the Moone; fpeclally the New Moone, whereat they re. ioyced, leaping, finging, and clapping of hands, ^ ^ «tels(asyoo heard) that tliey afetibed his taking to the prediaion of Maraca, 3© petelsof their confecration, that the x PW(fo heecal, them) enioyne that euery one fliould carry their to the houfe, whe^'they fhould receiue the faculty of fpeech. ' Eue^ ones Rattle is pitched ,n the ground by tfie fteele or ftalke, and all of them ofer to the Wizard which hath the cluefe\,Iace,Arrowe^Jcathers,and Eare-rings; he that breathes on euery Rattle,, puts it tohis mouth/fhafi^ft, and faith, N.c xL, that is.Spcake ^hou be within; anon followcth a fque^king voyce, which I, faith , though^t the 7'4«4r4^4.Then thofe Wizards perfwade them to make warres, faying, that thole fpirits long to feed on the flefh of Captiues. This done, euery one takes his Rattle and builds vp a Roorae for h, tokcepc it in, where he fets yiau- ^ als, requircth and askoth all necclfaries thereof, as we doe of God; and thefe. as Sfadius af- firmethj^are their Gods. Thefe P4j'^i doe initiate Women vnto Witchcraft by fuch Cere momes of Imoke, dancing &c till fheefallas in the Falling fickneffe , and then hee fayth, hee will reuiue her, and make her able to foretell things Co come .• and therefore when wifhfpVrL. * ''' conference Thtuet T(which was in this Antaraike France with ViUagamon) apreeth in many of the former Reports : he addech, that for fcare of Aionan they wilfnot eof out hue they will carry fire with them, which they thinke forceable^againft him ^ ’• Hem. tes that they acknowledge a Prophet caUed Touf^nMneh they fay makes it thun- der and raine, but they affigne no time nor place to his werftip. They tell of a Proohet which taught them to plant their or Root which they cut in p.eLs and plant iS the Earth, and IS thcirchiefe food; of which they haue two kinds. The firft Difcoucrers they much honoured as Carjubet or Prophets, and as mucWiaue diff afted the Chriftians fince ' cal- hngthcrn^46ir4,thenameofanancientProphec,detefiedby them. But r^«4» ^hcL fay) goech about, and reuealcthfecrcts to their C4r4i^^r, ThcHet addes, that they obferue Dreames; and their Paygcs,ox Caratbet profclTe the interpretation of them; which are alfo e! ffeemed as Witches, which conferre with Spirits, and vfe to hurt others with rhp them that they may not bee fickc; and will kill them, if they promife blfiv Tnth#>irf ^ ^Qvcof(which IS their ordinary drinke, made by a Virgin of ten or twelue yeercs old) 50 6q