About ten years ago I realized I knew logically a bit about European mythology and mythology, but not very significantly about the lore of New England, where I've lived all my life. It seemed come up to a big gap in my knowledge, so I started reading. And reading. And I'm quiet reading!
I was particularly unlikely about the religion of the Algonquians upfront the Europeans came. Sorry to say, they didn't position written records, so we endure to get our information from the English setters, who weren't responsive to state-owned beliefs and sought to typescript them out. This is particularly true in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, which were ultra compactly colonized by the English than the northern New England states.
One imperviousness was Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, who was both responsive and unlikely about his neighbors, the Narragansett. His 1643 book A Key Now the Idiom of the Americas recorded not a minute ago their provisos, but some of their priestly beliefs. Approved, Williams was quiet a angelic Christian and seems a scarce prim about the state-owned religion, but he was light years up and doing of his peers in language of while exposition.
Williams wrote that the Narragansett worshipped 37 gods. Sorry to say, he a minute ago provides the names of 12, who are:
Wompanand - the Eastern God
Chekesuwand - the Western God
Wunnanameanit - the Northern God
Wowwand - the Southerne God
Wtuomanit - the Back home God
Squauanit - the Woman's God
Muckquachuckquand - the Less important God
Keesuckquand - the Sun God
Nanepaushat - the Moon God
Paumpagussit - the Sea
Yotaanit - the Direct God
Kautantowwit - the Southwest God, to whose Back home all soules goe, and from who came their corne, beanes as they say.
He likewise mentions Wetucks, "a man that wrought omnipotent miracles concerning them, and walking upon the waters, etc. with some portrayal of broken resemblance to the sonne of God." Wetucks may endure been changed name for Maushop, the culture-hero/giant of southern New England who is equivalent to the northern character Glooskap. The modern Wampanoag quiet supervise stories about Maushop, and his wife Granny Squant, who is reasonably Squauanit, the woman's god (or goddess) by changed name.
It's omnipotent that gift are quiet stories while told about Maushop and Squant, and I'm frivolous that Roger Williams recorded at least 13 names of the deities. But it would endure been better if he had recorded all 37 names. Major of all would be if these gods were quiet while worshipped popular in New England. It makes me discern how significantly has been lost, reasonably never to be change for the better.
I don't exigency to end my post on a indistinct document, so I'll say elegance to one and all who has commented in the organize few weeks. I really delight all the effect and information!
