The American Nations, Vol. I. / Or, Outlines of a National History of the Ancient and Modern Nations of North and South America

by C. S. Rafinesque

1. SH'R'TZ, Production—Moses. LUITH'N of Job. The Leviathan of Poets.

2. N'F'SH, Animated—Moses. OZN or Hozan of Poets. Moses has 2 kinds of these: THNINIM Aquatic, and OUF-XNF, Fowl strong winged, as he had 2 of the last. SH'R'TZ, aquatic reptile, and OUF aerial fowl.

3. HITHU, Beast: of 2 kinds, Beme and Rmsh, which are the BEMUTH of Job, Behemoth of Poets.

Lanca was according to the Hindus a big land under the equator, including perhaps the Decan or south of India, then separated by a sea from the Imalaya mountains, now yet a vast level plain; and united to Ceylon and other islands. It is in this land of Lanca that many traditions place Adam, with several early events.

The Sunda land was very different, a large peninsula south of Asia including Java, Sumatra, Borneo &c. Or perhaps an island, if Malaca was separated from Siam by a strait.

These two figures of speech, Personification and Animalization, are two of the keys of ancient history. By the first is not meant alone the personification of the passions or divine attributes; but likewise the individuality of men, tribes and nations pervading primitive history, by the frequent substitution of the singular for the plural, as was done by the Asiatics, the Greeks, and the Americans. It is thus that the ancient patriarchs, Hercules, Heros, Gods &c. are often meant for their followers; the head for the whole set or social body. This practice has survived to our days, and we mean all the English when we speak of John Bull, the Russians by the Northern Bear (a kind of animalization), all the Turks by the Grand Turk &c. The reverse mode of speech or the employment of the plural for the singular, is less frequent: but used when we substitute in our modern languages, We and You instead of I or Thee. It was less common anciently, yet it appears Moses employed it when he called God, ALEIM our Elohim or the Angels, and polytheism was the consequence of similar mistakes or substitutions; but in his account of the patriarchs, he has used the individuality of tribes.

Animalization pervades the whole of the fabulous periods of history. It is to this mode of speech that we owe the fables of Pilpay and Esopus, where animals are made to speak. Whenever we meet in history or fables, animals acting like men and conversing, they are surely men, and often tribes individualized by an animal appellation: such as might be emblematic or patronymic, adopted honorable names, as lion, tyger, eagle; or else nicknames given in derision by foes, such as snake, dog, ape &c. Even the Hebrew had their Cherubim, who were beings like a man, a lion, ox, and eagle; who drove the Adamites from Eden. This name is preserved by the Turks in Cherabi or Chelabi, which means Lords in the old Turkish language of Turan or Tartary. Perhaps also in the El-abi, now Arabians, which meant Angel-fathers, or our forefathers the angelic men. Elapi means the most manly in Linapi!

The Nemasipi is the Mississippi, so says Hekewelder: where began the wars with the Talegas, the northern Toltecas or Atlantes, towards 48 generations before 1600, near the beginning of our era, which continued for 4 generations or over 130 years, till about 150 after Christ. The allies Talamatans are the Hurons and Iroquois then united, since called Delamatan and Lamatan. The traditions of Hekewelder and Cusick both agree here in fact and time. That of Hekewelder is most ample, taken from other songs; but these supply names omitted by both. I rather think the Nemosipi must have been the Ozages or Illinois river, since the Mississippi is called afterwards Masispek, and the monuments of the Talegas are found west of it at St. Louis &c.

In my ancient history of Kentucky, having only for guide Hekewelder and some other traditions, I placed the conquest of the Talegas about 500 of our era; but these annals are more correct and remove further this event. The computation of Cusick annals of Ongwis place this great event still earlier, or between 300 and 100 years before our era. I knew neither Cusick nor the Wallam-Olum in 1824.

By this account the Mohigans only separated towards 970 from the main body. This may be inaccurate, as the north-east tribes appear older by their traditions.