There is but little Ceremony of Religion to be found amongst the Tapuyans, onely they shew Reverence to the Seven-stars when the Fruits of the Field are ripe, after this manner: First they spend three days in Dancing and Singing, then the Youths prepare themselves to Fight with Lances and Clubs, tie tough Twigs about their Legs, pour Honey on their Heads, tie their Hair behind in Knots after it is powder’d with red Powder, Paint their Faces and Bodies with several Colours, stick a long Feather in their Necks betwixt their Hair, and on their Heads set Garlands of red Feathers pleited, down their Backs hang Bundles of Branches like Tails, and have their Arms adorn’d with the Wings of the Bird Kosetug; thus dress’d they fight three days, at the end whereof the Conquerors shew great joy.
It deserves special observation what the Learned Gerard Vossius relates of them from the Mouth of Christopher Arcisseusky, a Polish Nobleman, famous for his heroick Exploits for the United Netherlands in Brasile.
Arcisseusky’s Relation of the Manners of the new Married.
“The Tapuyans (saith he) are a People that range up and down, never staying long in one place, between Siara and Meranthon, a vast Tract of Land, and go almost naked, having onely a slight Covering about their Middle. When the Hollanders gave them Clothes, they admir’d the strange Fashion thereof, and after two days return’d them again: In their Lips, Nostrils, Ears and Cheeks they hung Ornamentals of Wood, Bones, Feathers, or Stones; a great Club, and a strong Bowe made of hard Wood serve them for Arms; Gold and Silver they esteem’d not, wherefore they barter’d whole Chests full (buried there by the Portuguese and discover’d by them) with the Hollanders for Greyhounds: They judge themselves to be better than other Man-eaters, because they eat not the Flesh of their Enemies, but of their own Relations, and those neither kill’d in the Wars, nor dying a natural Death; by which they pretend to express their exceeding love to the Deceased, who else would, say they, be eaten by the Worms and rot, wherefore they rather chuse to eat them, that they may receive the nourishment themselves.”
The same Author relates also, That he saw a Tapuyan yield up the Ghost not far from the Castle Rio Grande, after which his nearest Relations taking the Body, wash’d the same, together with the Entrails, and cutting the Corps into several pieces, roasted the same on a Spit, preserving the Fat that dropt from it in Pans, and eat the Flesh with a greedy Appetite. None were admitted to this Feast but his chief Relations; and that which they could not eat, as the Hair, Teeth, Nails, and Bones, they burnt to Ashes, which gathering up they mix’d with their Liquor till it was all drunk up.
The Religion of the Tapuyans.
The Tapuyans acknowledge two Deities, the one good and the other bad; to the good they shew no Reverence, because, say they, he is bountiful of himself, and doth them no hurt; whereas on the contrary they zealously call upon their Devil-Deity, because they think he destroys all those who worship him not.
Their foretelling of things to come.
They never Travel nor go to War before they have consulted with their angry God, and that not without great Ceremonies; whereupon they ascribe to themselves the knowledge of future things; and indeed they often foretel future things which are beyond humane apprehension; as a testimony whereof that may serve which Sapo Amama, a Friezland Gentleman, found by experience: for he keeping Guard before Conjahu with a Troop of Horse against the Portuguese, had several Tapuyans in his Service, who foretold, That the following day the Lieutenant Amama and a Trooper should be kill’d by a Shot from a great Gun; which, though slighted, was confirm’d by the exact fulfilling of the Prediction. The like Passages hapned daily, and amongst many Arcisseusky relates one very remarkable Accident, viz. He remov’d a considerable number of Men of the Garrison Rio Grande, to surprize the Spanish Fort Barra-Canium, and nothing could more promote the Design than secrecy; but fifty Tapuyans having joyn’d with the Hollanders, Arcisseusky fear’d they might discover his Plot, wherefore he charg’d them that they should not stir a foot from his Company, which they accordingly promis’d, and having march’d three days through By-ways, they daily perform’d their Devotion in open view, and Arcisseusky desir’d that they would call him when their Devil appear’d, which they granted, on promise that he should not do him any hurt: On the third day the Army being sufficiently refresh’d, he being call’d, found the Tapuyans sitting in a Semi-Circle, with their Feet spread asunder; opposite to them sat their Priest on the Ground, whom they ask’d concerning all manner of Affairs, and he question’d them again, on which they gave their several Answers, but could not be understood for want of Interpreters, for those whom the Hollanders us’d spake only two Languages, one of which is us’d commonly by the Brasilians along the Sea-Coast, and the other by the Portuguese, in which they Interpreted to the Hollanders as much as possibly they could understand of what the Tapuyans said, whose Language differs very much from the vulgar Brasile Tongue, because they live up in the Inland, and are divided into divers Tribes, so that the Interpreters could not understand the Tapuyans, but judg’d their meaning more by nodding of the Head, and the like signs: after the Assembly had done speaking, the Priest rose up and went out of their sights into the Wood, where with a loud voice he call’d three times upon the Devil; but he not answering, the Priest return’d to his Company, who began their Questions and Answers afresh, which could not be understood by the Interpreters; and soon after the Priest (seeming to be commanded by the rest) went again to the Wood, but calling still in vain, return’d; then going a third time, and calling as before, was by a small, but shrill Voice, answer’d from the middle of the Wood, from which the Tapuyans concluded that their Business would come to perfection, and that the Devil would soon appear to them: The Priest hereupon going backwards and forwards three times one after another to his Company, they began to talk as before; at last going into the Wood again, they all spoke louder, and with more vehemency than before, whilest the fore-mention’d shrill Voice approached nearer and nearer, and at last the supposed Dæmon came forth with the Priest, who commanded him to sit opposite to the Congregation, which had a great deal of Discourse, and sometimes the Priest speaking was answer’d by the Devil in his shrill Voice; but some of the People calling aloud, catch’d up their Arms, and threatned to beat the Devil, as they often us’d to do upon the like occasions. At the departure of the Dæmon, the Multitude conducted by the Priest into the Wood, cry’d out in so terrible a manner, that they affrighted the Hollanders, who judg’d it rather to be Lyons and Tygers that roar’d than Men. During these Transactions, a German Soldier in the Rere quitted his Arms and fled, but being miss’d was pursu’d, found in a Hedge, and laid Hold on as a Person suspected to carry Advice to the Spaniards, and being brought before Arcisseusky and Examined, gave such ridiculous Answers as increas’d the suspicion, insomuch that he was led to a Tree to be tortur’d; where as he stood ty’d he solemnly declar’d, That the reason of his running away, was because he had not Pray’d in ten years, so that he was exceedingly afraid, lest when he saw the Devil amongst the Tapuyans, he would have known him, and carry’d him away to the Place prepar’d for all such Wretches.