Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/68

 56 On tic defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

any of their three divine names, YOHEWAH, YAH, and ISHTOHOOLLO, or contain the vowels of the great facred name, yet the aforefaid word Y-O-U, is fo far from being a deviation from that general cuftom, it is an

.emphatical, and emblematical term to exprefs evil, by the negative of good ; for, as it is the only fubftantive or adjective of that word, it is a ftrong expreflive fymbol of the nature, and phyfical caufe of moral evil, by

'Separating TO, the firft fy liable of the. divine four-lettered name into two fyllables ; and adding E7, as a fuperlative period, to make it malum ma- lorum.

Sheh is the founding criterion of the Mufkohge, or Creek Indians, a kind of cant jargon, for example ; Heettla-foeh, fignifies " good," and Heettla-wab-E-Jheb, " very good -," according to their univerfal ftandard of fpeech, it becomes a fuperlative, by fubjoining that part of the divine name to it. With the Chikkafah and Choktah, Heettla fignifies dancing j pro bably becaufe that religious exercife was good and highly pleafing to them, when, according to ancient cuftom, they danced in their fymbolical circles, to, and before, YO HE WAH. With the former, ApuHowbage-Jheh, exprefies " bad," or- evil, thereby inverting the divine letters.

Skeb is the favourite termination of the Chikkafah 1 and Choktah as Cbookoma-Jkeb, " good," ChookbmaJlo-Jkeb (alluding to JJhto) " very good j" and Ookproo-Jkeb) " bad." Likewife, Ookproofto, " worft," or very bad ; for, by annexing the contracted initial part of the divine name, IJhtohoollo, to the end of it, it is a fuperlative. Thefe remarks may be of fervice to the inhabitants of our valuable and extenfive barriers, in order to difcover the national name of thofe favages, who now and then cut them off.

Ockprw-fc, with thofe Indians, fignifies " accnrfed ," the two laft letters make only ufamecb, which implies a neuter pafTive : and, as Ookproo is the only fubftantive or adjective they ufe to exprefs " evil," by doubling the leading vowel of the four-lettered divine name, both at the beginning and end of the word ; may we not conjecture at its origin, as glancing at the in troduction of fin or evil by man's overacting, or innovating, through a too curious knowledge, or choice ? Ye mall be as gods," and, in order to ain the refemblance, they ate what was forbidden.

The

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