Le Moyne Pictures - Page 3

a. Satouriona and his Wife Go for a Walk

French Descriptions: "In the evening on occasions, the chief and his principal wife went out for a walk by themselves in the woods. He wore a deerskin so finely prepared with decorations painted in many colours that you would not see anything more beautiful anywhere. Next to the chief walked two young men carrying fans to created a soft breeze. Behind them was a third young man who wore small gold and silver discs dangling from his belt, and holding up the chief’s deerskin so it did not trail along the ground.

"The chief’s wife and her maid servants were all dressed in a special kind of moss hanging from their shoulders or around them as a girdle. This moss grew on many trees and hung together like a chain, with its greenish azure colour shining like silk. The trees on which this moss grew were beautiful to look at because it hung down to the ground from the highest branches. When I [Jacques LeMoyne] was out hunting with some of my companions in the woods near chief Satouriona’s home I saw him and his wife dressed in this way while they were out for a walk.

"You should know, kind reader, that all these chiefs and their wives decorate the skin of their bodies with all sorts of coloured spots and designs as can be seen from the figures. The way it was done sometimes causes them to become ill for seven or eight days. The spotted areas were rubbed with the dyes of certain herbs so they could not be removed. Also for decoration they grew the nails on their hands and feet very long, and with shells sharpen them like claws. Around their mouths they painted a blue colour."

True and False: This drawing seems mostly true. DeBry probably changed the Timucua faces to look more French. He also added non-Florida plants on the ground when the description says they were in a forest. And the young man holding the chief’s cloak probably did NOT have jewelry made of gold and silver. Any gold and silver the Timucua had would have come from Spanish shipwrecks (from the gold the Spanish took from Mexico). If the jewelry was made of metal, it was probably copper, which the Timucua could have gotten in trade from the Appalachian mountains. This drawing can also tell us many true things. If the chief was walking with his "principal wife", it probably means the chief could have more than one wife. It shows that the chief’s family had attendants (servants). It also tells about tattoos (even though you can’t really see them in this picture), sharpened fingernails and toenails, Spanish Moss clothing for women, and decorated deerskin matchcoats (coats without sleeves or arm holes). Remember, the Timucua did not have a written language, so they couldn’t tell the French how to spell their names. Satouriona is the same name as Saturiwa, the headchief north and east of the St. Johns River, near Ft. Caroline.

b. How the Indians Crossed the Rivers

French Descriptions: "That area had an unusual number of pretty island. The waters were clean and clear, but not deep, reaching up to one’s chest. In their leisure time the Indians enjoyed themselves by crossing over the rivers to the islands with their wives and children. Some swam, at which they were very skilled, while those with young babies waded across the river with them. A mother could carry three children at a time; the smallest on her shoulders with the mother holding its hand and, while the other two clung on underneath her arms, she used her free hand to hold up above the water a basket of fruit and other food which they all ate on the other side. As a protection against enemy attack the men carried bows and arrows. To prevent them from getting wet they tied the quiver to the tip of their head with a length of their hair while the bow and arrow, ready for defense, was held up above the water, as can be seen in this picture."

True and False: This drawing is interesting because it shows families spending time together. It also shows the man swimming without any clothes, so we know they didn’t use bathing suits. The plants at the bottom and the mountains in the background were made up by DeBry. There aren’t any mountains in Jacksonville, FL! The basket isn’t a Timucua basket, but LeMoyne probably did see parents heading out for picnics with bows and arrows, fruit baskets, and kids hanging on their backs. Don’t forget, the face on the mother looks like a French woman, not a Timucua woman!

c. A Typical Indian Village

French Description: "The Indians usually built their villages in the following way. Having chosen a suitable site near some fast flowing river they made it level as best they could. Then they built a ditch round it and planted thick round wooden posts, twice the height of a man, side by side in the ground in a circle. At the entrance to the town the circle of posts continued further round, like a snail’s shell, but so closely that not more than two people abreast could enter. Then they diverted the channel of the river to this place. At the entrance they built a small round house at each end. These two houses had lots of holes and vertical openings and were built in the beautiful tradition of that country., In these houses they put guards who were capable of smelling out the tracks of enemies from a great distance. As soon as they picked up the scent of an intruder they went out to find him whereupon they shouted and the inhabitants quickly gathered up bows, arrows and clubs, and rushed to defend the town. The chief’s house was situated in the middle and slightly sunk below ground level to protect it against the heat of the sun. Around it were built the houses of his noblemen covered thinly with palm leaves for they used these houses for only nine months of the year, spending the other three in the woods. When they returned from the woods they inhabited their houses again but if they were burnt down they simply rebuilt them..."

True and False: DeBry probably made a lot of changes in this drawing. The round huts with palm roofs and tree trunk supports were probably correct. These huts were grouped together in a circle or horseshoe shape. In the center, many villages did have a large Council House. But, this house was NOT a rectangle. It was a circle. Archaeologists have found the remains of a council house in Tallahassee form the Apalachee Indians. It was big enough to seat all the men from the village and the nearby villages too (up to 2000 people). The Black Drink ceremony took place in the council house. This was probably not where the chief lived. The council house served as a gathering place for meetings, celebrations, and dances. And it was ROUND. Also, there is NO evidence that the Timucua used a palisade or fence around their villages. DeBry probably added the fence in himself. The text also says the Timucua put their village near a fast-flowing river. There really aren’t any "fast" rivers around Jacksonville. The rivers are slow, and they spread out into creeks and marshes. So that is probably not accurate for the Timucua around Jacksonville. The main problems with this drawing are the rectangular council house and the palisade or fence around the village. It does, however, show us that a guard was posted to protect the village from dangerous animals or Outina’s warriors. It also shows a cleared area around the village. This helped the guards see if danger was approaching. This is why we have yards today, because Native Americans taught settlers to clear the trees and brush around their homes.

d. The Procession of the Bride

French Description: "When a chief wanted to get married he ordered the choice to be made from the more beautiful and tallest of all the noble women. Then they fixed a chair to two long strong poles covered with some rare animal skin and decorated with branches from behind so that they waved above the bride’s head when she was seated. Four strong men lifted the poles onto their shoulders. Each one held a wooden crutch for propping up the pole when they wanted a rest. On either side of the bride walked two other men carrying beautifully made sunshades attached to long poles for protecting her from the heat of the sun. In front of the procession were others blowing trumpets made from tree bark that were narrow at the top and wider towards the bottom with only two holes - one at the top for blowing and the other at the bottom for the breath to come out. These trumpets were hung with small long gold, silver and copper discs to produce a better sound. Following behind were the most beautiful maidens dressed with pearl necklaces and bracelets, each carrying a basket of selected fruits. They wore a girdle below the navel but above the hip, made from tree moss to cover their private parts. All the rest of the procession followed on behind them."

True and False: This drawing seems mostly true (except for the plants and the Timucua people’s faces.) Noble Timucua women were apparently carried high on litters on their way to be married. This shows that both men and women attended wedding ceremonies. It talks about musical instruments used and shows that weapons were brought to the ceremony. It tells us that some Timucua were considered "noble" or "upper class." These Timucua people probably had more food, clothing, and jewelry than everyone else. They also had more power to make decisions in the village. If your mother was a noble person, you would also be noble. Nobility was passed down through mothers, not fathers. Also, the men and women in this picture look like full adults, maybe late twenties to late thirties. Timucua people probably took on adult responsibilities, including marriage, sometime after they turned fifteen or sixteen. Some of the Timucua in this picture should be younger kids and older parents and grandparents. None of the LeMoyne / DeBry pictures show kids or teenagers. They jump straight from babies to full-grown adults. Because of this, we’re not sure how the Timucua kids dressed and acted.

Resource:

Faupel, W. John & Lawson, Sarah. 1992. A Foothold in Florida. England. Antique Atlas Press. (Available at Fort Caroline

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