Document: A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, their Country, Language, Stature, Dress, Religion and Government, thus described and recently, August 26, 1644, sent out of New Netherland, by Johannes Megapolensis the younger, Preacher there. Image 017

Holding Institution
Ghent University Library, Belgium
Document ID
megapolensis_017
Description

A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, their Country, Language, Stature, Dress, Religion and Government, thus described and recently, August 26, 1644, sent out of New Netherland, by Johannes Megapolensis the younger, Preacher there.
Dutch Title:  "Een kort Ontwerp vande Mahakvase Indiaenen, haer Landt, Tale, Statuere, Dracht, Godes-Dienst ende Magistrature, aldus beschreven ende nu kortelijck den 26 Augusti 1644 opgesonden uyt Nieuwe Nederlant, door Johannem Megapolensem juniorem, Predikant aldaer." Image 017

Document Date
1644-08-26
Document Date (Date Type)
1645-01-01
Document Type
book-pamphlet
Document Type Unlinked
book-pamphlet

Translation
Translation

and tie it together a little, and then let it hang down their backs. The men have a long lock of hair hanging down, some on one side of the head, and some on both sides. On the top of their heads they have a streak of hair from the forehead to the neck, about the breadth of three fingers, and this they shorten until it is about two or three fingers long, and it stands right on end like a cock's comb or hog's bristles; on both sides of this cock's comb they cut all the hair short, except the aforesaid locks, and they also leave on the bare places here and there small locks, such as are in sweeping-brushes, and then they are in fine array.

They likewise paint their faces red, blue, etc., and then they look like the Devil himself. They smear their heads with bear's grease, which they all carry with them for this purpose in a small basket; they say they do it to make their hair grow better and to prevent their having lice. When they travel, they take with them some of their maize, a kettle, a wooden bowl, and a spoon; these they pack up and hang on their backs. Whenever they are hungry, they forthwith make a fire and cook; they can get fire by rubbing pieces of wood against one another, and that very quickly.

They generally live without marriage; and if any of them have wives, the marriage continues no longer than seems good to one of the parties, and then they separate, and each takes another partner. I have seen those who had parted, and afterwards lived a long time with others, leave these again, seek their former partners, and

 

 

A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, their Country, Language, Stature, Dress, Religion and Government, thus described and recently (August 26, 1644) sent out of New Netherland, by Johannes Megapolensis the younger, Preacher there.

At Alckmaer, By Ysbrant Jansz. Van Houten, Bookseller and City Printing House in the Lange-straet, in the Printing Press

References

Images courtesy of Ghent University, public domain.

English translation used : The Project Gutenberg E-text of Narratives of New Netherland, by Various

Document Location
Document Finding Aid or Collection
A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, by Johannes Megapolensis the younger, August 26, 1644
Series
A Short Account of the Mohawk Indians, by Johannes Megapolensis the younger, August 26, 1644